Electric aircraft

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
type certified
crewed electric aircraft on 10 June 2020.
Part of a series on
Aircraft propulsion
Shaft engines:
driving propellers, rotors, ducted fans or propfans
Reaction engines

An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electricity. Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights. Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods, the most common being batteries. Most have electric motors driving propellers or turbines.

Crewed flights in an electrically powered airship go back to the 19th century, and to 1917 for a tethered helicopter.

UAS
could be used for parcel deliveries, and larger ones for long-endurance applications: aerial imagery, surveillance, telecommunications. The first crewed free flight by an electrically powered
MB-E1, was made in 1973, and most crewed electric aircraft today are still only experimental prototypes. The world's first serially produced self-launching, manned electric aircraft with EASA type certification since 2006[1] and a patented wing-integrated battery system,[2] the Lange E1 Antares, completed its maiden flight in 1999; since 2004, more than 100 aircraft of this type have been delivered, totalling more than 165,000 electric flight hours to date (until 2022).[3]
Between 2015 and 2016,
Solar Impulse 2
completed a circumnavigation of the Earth using solar power. Electric
Urban Air Mobility
. Electric
commercial airliners could lower operating costs.[4]
: 1–7 

History

By May 2018 almost 100 electric aircraft were known to be under development.[5] This was up from 70 the previous year and included 60% from startups, 32% from aerospace incumbents, half of them major OEMs and 8% from academic, government organizations and non-aerospace companies, mainly from Europe (45%) and the U.S. (40%).[6] Mostly urban air taxis (50%) and general aviation aircraft (47%), a majority are battery-powered (73%), while some are hybrid-electric (31%), most of these being larger airliners.[6] By May 2019, the number of known electric aircraft development programmes was closer to 170, with a majority of them aimed at the urban air taxi role.[7] By 2022, about 100 electric aircraft designs were under development worldwide.[4]: 10–11  By 2023, the number of sustainable aircraft concepts under development (not only electric) was estimated at up to 700.[8]

Airships

See also: High-altitude platform station

The use of electricity for aircraft propulsion was first experimented with during the development of the

Arthur Krebs flew La France with a more powerful motor.[9]
: 306  Even with the lifting capacity of an airship, the heavy accumulators needed to store the electricity severely limited the speed and range of such early airships.

Fully electric airships are expected to be available again by the 2030s.[11]

Unmanned aircraft

In 1909, an electric

Radio-Controlled model aircraft flight in 1957.[12]
Power density for electric flight was problematic even for small models.

NASA Pathfinder Plus electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicle

U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. On July 7, 1997, Pathfinder raised the altitude record for solar–powered aircraft to 71,530 feet (21,800 m), which was also the record for propeller–driven aircraft.[13]

On August 6, 1998, Pathfinder Plus raised the national altitude record to 80,201 feet (24,445 m) for solar-powered and propeller-driven aircraft.[13][15]

On August 14, 2001, Helios set an altitude record of 29,524 metres (96,863 ft) – the record for FAI class U (experimental/new technologies), and FAI class U-1.d (remotely controlled UAV with a mass between 500 and 2,500 kg (1,100 and 5,500 lb)) as well as the altitude record for propeller–driven aircraft.[16] On June 26, 2003, the Helios prototype broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii after the aircraft encountered turbulence, ending the program.

In 2005, AC Propulsion flew an unmanned airplane named "SoLong" for 48 hours non-stop, propelled entirely by solar energy. This was the first such around-the-clock flight, on energy stored in the batteries mounted on the aircraft.[17][18]

The

carbon fiber-reinforced polymer construction, the 2010 version weighing 50 kg (110 lb)[20] (the 2008 version weighed 30 kg (66 lb)) with a span of 22.5 m (74 ft)[20] (the 2008 version had a 18 m (59 ft) wingspan). During the day it uses sunlight to charge lithium-sulphur batteries, which power the aircraft at night.[21] In July 2010 a Zephyr made a world record UAV endurance flight of 336 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds (more than two weeks) and also set an altitude record of 70,742 feet (21,562 m) for FAI class U-1.c (remotely controlled UAV with a weight between 50 and 500 kg (110 and 1,100 lb)).[22][23][24]

See also: Unmanned aerial vehicle

Vertical flight

The 1918 Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PKZ-2 tethered helicopter followed the 1917 PKZ-1

For a tethered device such as an air observation platform, it is possible to run the power up the tether. In an attempt to create a more practical solution than the clumsy balloons then in use, the Austro-Hungarian Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PKZ-1 electric-powered helicopter was flown in 1917. It had a specially-designed 190 hp (140 kW) continuous-rated electric motor made by Austro-Daimler and received its power up a cable from a ground-based DC generator. However electric motors were not yet powerful enough for such applications and the motor burned out after only a few flights.[25]

In 1964,

microwave power transmission.[26]

The world's first large-scale all-electric

tilt-rotor was the AgustaWestland Project Zero unmanned aerial vehicle technology demonstrator, which performed unmanned tethered fights on ground power in June 2011, less than six months after the company gave the official go-ahead.[27]

Solution F/Chretien Helicopter

The first free-flying electric helicopter was the Solution F/Chretien Helicopter, developed by Pascal Chretien in Venelles, France. It went from computer-aided design concept on September 10, 2010, to first flight in August 2011, in under a year.[28][29]

In September 2016,

Lithium polymer batteries from Brammo weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb).[30][31][32] It later flew for 20 minutes in 2016.[33][34]
On December 7, 2018, Tier 1 Engineering flew an electric, battery-powered R44 over 30 nmi (56 km) at 80 kn (150 km/h) and an altitude of 800 ft (240 m), setting a
Guinness World Record for the farthest distance.[35]

In June 2017, Airbus presented its

VTOL aircraft demonstrator.[36] The multirotor aircraft is intended to carry four passengers, with a pilot initially and to become self-piloted when regulations allow.[36] Its first unmanned flight was scheduled for the end of 2018 with manned flights planned to follow in 2019.[37] Type certification and commercial introduction are planned for 2023.[38]

coaxial rotors. The Dragonfly rotorcraft lander should be the second aircraft and rotorcraft to operate on another astronomical object than Earth. It should be flying in the atmosphere of Titan starting around 2034. The VTOL capabilities is incorporated in order to move the lander and its sensors at various locations farther from the landing site.[39]

Experimental demonstrators

The Militky MB-E1, a converted Brditschka HB-3 motor glider (later HB-23 pictured) was the first full-size electric aircraft
X-57 Maxwell from a Tecnam P2006T

On 21 October 1973, the Militky MB-E1, a

heavier than air aircraft
.

Following successful

Aerovironment Bionic Bat.[43]

The

Diamond HK-36 Super Dimona motor glider as a research test bed for a hydrogen fuel cell powered light airplane.[44] Successful flights took place in February and March 2008.[44][45]

The European Commission has financed many low TRL projects for innovative electric or hybrid propulsion aircraft. The ENFICA-FC is a project of the European Commission, to study and demonstrate an all-electric aircraft with fuel-cells as the main or auxiliary power system. During the three-year project, a fuel-cell based power system was designed and first flown in a Rapid 200FC ultralight aircraft on 20 May 2010.[46]

The first NASA

Green Flight Challenge took place in 2011 and was won by a Pipistrel Taurus G4 on 3 October 2011.[47][48][49]

In 2013 Chip Yates demonstrated that the world's fastest electric airplane, a Long ESA, a modified Rutan Long-EZ, could outperform a gasoline-powered Cessna and other aircraft in a series of trials verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. The Long ESA was found to be less expensive, have a higher maximum speed, and higher rate of climb, partly due to the ability of the aircraft to maintain performance at altitude as low air density does not impair engine performance.[50][51]

In 2017,

glider towing electric aircraft.[52]

NASA was developing the

aspect ratio wing with 12 smaller props.[55]

US/UK startup

fuel-cell propulsion systems for small aircraft, and tests its HyFlyer in Orkney supported by £2.7 million from the UK government.[56]

Solar aircraft

See also: Solar-powered aircraft
The Mauro Solar Riser, the first solar-powered aircraft, flew on April 29, 1979
In 2016, Solar Impulse 2 was the first solar-powered aircraft to complete a circumnavigation

On April 29, 1979, the Mauro Solar Riser became the first person-carrying, solar-powered aircraft to fly, with photovoltaic cells delivering 350 W (0.47 hp) at 30 volts and charging a small battery, which powered the motor. Following a 1.5-hour charge, the battery could power the aircraft for 3 to 5 minutes to reach a gliding altitude.[57] It followed a successful model test in 1974, as solar cells were developed, at the same period than with NiCad batteries.

Under the direction of Freddie To, an architect and member of the Kremer prize committee, the Solar One was designed by David Williams and produced by Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments. A motor-glider type aircraft originally built as a pedal-powered airplane to attempt the Channel crossing, the airplane proved too heavy to be successfully powered by human power and was then converted to solar power,[58] using an electric motor driven by batteries that were charged before flight by a solar cell array on the wing.[59] The maiden flight of Solar One took place at Lasham Airfield, Hampshire, on June 13, 1979.[60]

The MacCready Gossamer Penguin first flew carrying a pilot in 1980.

The MacCready Solar Challenger was first flown in 1980, and in 1981 flew 163 miles from Pontoise Aerodrome, north of Paris, to Manston Royal Air Force Base in Manston, England, staying aloft 5 hours and 23 minutes, with pilot Stephen Ptacek at the controls.

The human piloted Solair 1, developed by Günther Rochelt, flew in 1983 with notably improved performance.[61][62] It employed 2499 wing-mounted solar cells.[61]

The German solar-powered aircraft "Icaré II" was designed and built by the institute of aircraft design (Institut für Flugzeugbau) of the University of Stuttgart in 1996. The leader of the project and often pilot of the aircraft is Rudolf Voit-Nitschmann, the head of the institute. The design won the Berblinger prize in 1996, the EAA Special Achievement Award in Oshkosh, the Golden Daidalos Medal of the German Aeroclub and the OSTIV-Prize in France in 1997.[63]

Solar Impulse 2 is powered by four electric motors. Energy from solar cells on the wings and horizontal stabilizer is stored in lithium polymer batteries and used to drive propellers.[64][65] In 2012 the first Solar Impulse made the first intercontinental flight by a solar aircraft, flying from Madrid, Spain to Rabat, Morocco.[66][67] Completed in 2014, Solar Impulse 2 carried more solar cells and more powerful motors, among other improvements. In March 2015, the aircraft took off on the first stage of a planned round-the-world trip, flying eastwards from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[68] Due to battery damage, the craft halted at Hawaii, where its batteries were replaced. It resumed the circumnavigation in April 2016[69] and reached Seville, Spain, in June 2016.[70] The following month it returned to Abu Dhabi, completing its circumnavigation of the world.[71]

General aviation

The Air Energy AE-1 Silent ultralight electric motorglider received its type approval in 1998.[72]

An application is as a sustaining motor or even a self-launching motor for gliders. The most common system is the front electric sustainer, which is used in over 240 gliders. The short range is not a problem as the motor is used only briefly, either to launch or to avoid an outlanding (an unplanned landing while soaring).

The first commercially available, non-certified production electric aircraft, the Alisport Silent Club self-launching glider, flew in 1997. It is optionally driven by a 13 kW (17 hp) DC electric motor running on 40 kg (88 lb) of batteries that store 1.4 kWh (5.0 MJ) of energy.[73]

The first certificate of airworthiness for an electric powered aircraft was granted to the Lange Antares 20E in 2003. Also an electric, self-launching 20 m (66 ft) glider/sailplane, with a 42 kW (56 hp) DC/DC brushless motor and lithium-ion batteries, it can climb up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) with fully charged cells.[74] The first flight was in 2003. In 2011 the aircraft won the 2011 Berblinger competition.[75]

In late 2000s Chinese manufacturer of radio-controlled models Yuneec International developed and tested several battery-powered manned fixed-wing aircraft, including E430, the first electric aircraft designed to be serially produced, but failed to commercialize them (only prototypes were built) and in mid-2010s turned to the lucrative consumer drone market.

The Taurus Electro was the first two-seat electric aircraft to have ever flown,[76] while the Taurus Electro G2 is the production version, that was introduced in 2011. Powered by a 40 kW (54 hp) electric motor and lithium batteries for self-launching[77] to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft), after which the engine is retracted and the aircraft then soars as a sailplane. It is the first two-seat electric aircraft to have achieved series production.[78][79]

As pilot training emphasises short flights, several companies make, or have demonstrated, light aircraft suitable for initial flight training. The

Pipistrel Alpha Electro
. The advantage of electric aircraft for flight training is the lower cost of electrical energy compared to aviation fuel. Noise and exhaust emissions are also reduced compared with combustion engines.

The Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2 (formerly the Sun Flyer 2) is a light electric aircraft designed and under development by Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado. The aircraft was first publicly introduced on 11 May 2016, and first flew on 10 April 2018.

On 10 June 2020, the

type certification, from the EASA. Powered by a 76 hp (58 kW) electric motor developed with Emrax, it offers a payload of 170 kg (370 lb), a cruise speed of 90 kn (170 km/h), and a 50 min endurance. Pipistrel plans to deliver over 30 examples in 2020, to be operated as a trainer aircraft.[80]

On 12 October 2021,

DA40, targeting a 2022 first flight and a 2023 EASA/FAA Part 23 certification, tailored to the flight training market.[81] The two-seat aircraft is expected to be able to fly for up to 90 minutes, with 40% lower operating costs than piston power. The eDA40 has a planned three-seat variant for future release.[82]
The eDA40 had its initial flight on 20 July 2023.[83]

Integral E

On 19 February 2024, Aura Aero rolls-out its first prototype of Integral E.

Airliner projects

NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed

The

narrowbody-sized NEAT.[85]

In September 2017, UK budget carrier EasyJet announced it was developing an electric 180-seater for 2027 with Wright Electric.[86] Founded in 2016, US Wright Electric built a two-seat proof-of-concept with 272 kg (600 lb) of batteries, and believes they can be scaled up with substantially lighter new battery chemistries. A 291 nmi (540 km) range would suffice for 20% of Easyjet passengers.[87] Wright Electric will then develop a 10-seater, eventually an at least 120 passengers single aisle, short haul airliner and targets 50% lower noise and 10% lower costs.[88] Jeffrey Engler, CEO of Wright Electric, estimates that commercially viable electric planes will lead to around a 30% reduction in energy costs.[89]

On March 19, 2018,

UAS electric power systems experience.[90] It could develop it in-house, or with a startup like Israeli Eviation, U.S. Zunum Aero or Wright Electric.[90]

Australia-based MagniX has developed an electric Cessna 208 Caravan with a 540 kW (720 hp) motor for flight durations up to an hour.[91] The company's Magni5 electric motor produces continuously 265 kW (355 hp), 300 kW (400 hp) peak at 2,500 rpm at 95% efficiency with a 53 kg (117 lb) dry mass, a 5 kW/kg power density, competing with the 260 kW (350 hp), 50 kg (110 lb)

Cessna 208B eCaravan flew on electric power,[94] towards commercial operation certification.[95]

A 560-kW (750-hp) MagniX electric motor was installed in a

EASA approval.[97]

A demonstrator for the German

short takeoff and landing distance.[56]

On 23 September 2020, Gothenburg-based Heart Aerospace presented its ES-19 design, a 19-seat all-electric commercial aircraft planned to fly by mid-2026.[98] With a conventional aluminium airframe and wing, its planned range is 400 km (222 nmi) and expects to operate from runways as short as 800 m (2,640 ft).[98] Initially targeting airlines operating in the Nordic countries, Heart has received "expressions of interest" for 147 ES-19 aircraft worth about €1.1 billion or US$1.3 billion (€7.5 million or $8.8 million each) from at least eight airlines.[98] Backed by Swedish venture capitalist EQT Ventures, Nordic governments and the European Union, Heart was initially funded by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova and is an alumnus of Silicon Valley start-up accelerator Y Combinator.[98]

On 22 March 2021, Toulouse-based Aura Aero announced the development of its ERA (Electric Regional Aircraft), a 19-passenger electric aircraft, planned to be certified in 2026.[99]

Environmental effects of aviation

Main article: Environmental effects of aviation

The

abatement problem.[102]

Offboard power supply

Mechanisms for supplying the necessary electricity without storing all of it onboard include:

Solar cells

Solar panels on the NASA Pathfinder wing's upper surface

A solar cell converts sunlight directly into electricity, either for direct power or temporary storage. The power output of solar cells is low and requires that many be connected together, which limits their use. Typical solar panels running at 15–20% conversion efficiency (sunlight energy to electrical power) produce about 150–200 W/m2 (0.019–0.025 hp/sq ft) in direct sunlight.[103] Usable areas are further limited as output from a poorly performing panel impacts the output of all the panels on its circuit, meaning they all require similar conditions, including being at a similar angle to the sun, and not being masked by shadow.[104]

Between 2010 and 2020, solar power modules have declined in cost by 90% and continue to drop by 13–15% per year.

Solar cell efficiency has also risen substantially, from 2% in 1955 to 20% in 1985, and some experimental systems now exceed 44%. However, most of the technologies at these high efficiencies have only been possible under laboratory settings and not at full-scale production level.[106]

The free availability of sunlight makes solar power attractive for high-altitude, long-endurance applications, where the cold and reduced atmospheric interference make them significantly more efficient than on the ground.[107][108] The drop in the dry-air temperature as altitude increases, called the environmental lapse rate (ELR), averages 6.49 °C/km[109] (memorized in pilot training as 1.98 °C/1,000 ft or 3.56 °F/1,000 feet) so that temperature for a typical airliner's cruising altitude of around 35,000 ft (11,000 m) will be substantially lower than at ground level.

Night flying, such for endurance flights and with aircraft providing 24 hour coverage over an area typically require a backup storage system, which is charged during the day from surplus power, and supplies power during the hours of darkness.

Microwaves

Power beaming of electromagnetic energy such as microwaves relies on a ground-based power source. However, compared to using a power cable, power beaming allows the aircraft to move laterally and carries a much lower weight penalty, particularly as altitude increases. The technology has only been demonstrated on small models and awaits practical development at larger scales.[110]

External power cables

For powered vehicles replacing tethered

power grid. At low altitudes this avoids having to lift batteries, and was used by the experimental Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PKZ-1
observation vehicle of 1917. However the higher it flies, the heavier the length of cable it lifts becomes.

Power storage

Mechanisms for storing the necessary electricity include:

  • Batteries which use a chemical reaction to generate electricity which is reversed when recharged.
  • Fuel cells consume fuel and an oxidizer in a chemical reaction to generate electricity, they need to be refueled, typically with hydrogen.

Batteries

Batteries for the Tier1 Engineering electric Robinson R44

Batteries are the most common onboard

heavier-than-air aircraft
. Modern batteries are mostly rechargeable types based on lithium technologies.

lithium-ion batteries (LIB), have long been applied in unmanned flight for their light weight and rechargeability. However, their energy density limits their application mostly to being drone batteries.[111] Increasing maximum time of flight by simply designing larger aircraft using larger batteries is inefficient, because of the payload-range compromise. After a certain increase in battery weight, there are diminishing returns through the mass penalty not outweighing the increase in battery specific energy.[112][113] There is a similar trade-off between the maximum range and number of passengers. Computational tools have been used to model this trend, predicting that a small-scale electric aircraft of average weight (1500 kg) and average energy density (150 Wh/kg) could travel a range of ~80 mi with one passenger, ~60 mi with two, and less than ~30 mi with three.[113]

In 2017 the power available from batteries was estimated at 170 Wh/kg, 145 Wh/kg at the shaft including the system efficiency, while a

electricity storage was still only 2% of aviation fuel.[116] This 1:50 ratio makes electric propulsion impractical for long-range aircraft, as a 500 nmi (930 km) mission for an all-electric, 12-passenger aircraft would require a six-fold increase in battery power density.[117] That said, battery-electric motors have a higher efficiency (~90%) than most jet engines (~50%), which can be further exploited through emerging battery chemistries.[118]

To be feasible for electric aircraft application, it is essential that power storage be improved. Energy density is widely recognized to be the bottleneck for zero-emission electric powertrain.[119][120] Another limitation is the discharge rate due to demand-pack energy ratio and sensitive mission segments, as the discharge C-rate for take-off is 4C while it is almost 5C for landing.[121][113][clarification needed] Electric aircraft have additional heat generation and end-of-life needs, requiring novel thermal management strategies, power-fade capabilities and battery pack failure modes.

As of 2019, the best Li-ion batteries achieved 250–300 Wh/kg, sufficient for a small aircraft, while a regional airliner would have needed a 500 Wh/kg battery pack and an

Airbus A320-sized single-aisle would need 2 kWh/kg.[117]
Electric power is only suitable for small aircraft while for large passenger aircraft, an improvement of the energy density by a factor 20 compared to li-ion batteries would be required.
better source needed
]

Such batteries can reduce the overall operating costs for some short-range flights. For example, the electricity used in the Harbour Air Beavers costs them around $0.10 Canadian per kWh compared to $2.00 per liter for gas,[102] providing 33 MJ (9.2 kWh) of energy with a 44 MJ/kg fuel and a 0.75 density Avgas, $0.22 per chemical kWh or $0.65 per shaft kWh with an efficiency of one third. Jet fuel is cheaper and large gas turbine are more efficient, though. In 2021, beyond-lithium-ion technologies such as Solid-state battery (lithium-sulfur, LSB) and lithium-air batteries (LAB) have become increasingly promising areas of research for more competitive battery-electric aircraft performance.[123][124]

The SAE International AE-7D[125] committee was formed by Electro.Aero in 2018 to standardise electric aircraft charging and energy storage. One of the first documents developed was the AS6968 standard for sub-megawatt electric aircraft charging of electric aircraft. The AE-7D committee is also developing Aerospace Information Report AIR7357 for megawatt power level charging. Some airports have charging stations for electric cars which can also charge aircraft.[126]

Ultracapacitors

An

better source needed
]

Their energy density, typically around 5 Wh/kg, is however well below that of batteries, and they are considerably more expensive, even when their longer lifespan is factored in.

better source needed
]

Fuel cells

Sonoma County Airport
in California
See also: Hydrogen-powered aircraft

A fuel cell (FC) uses the reaction between two chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, much like a liquid-propellant rocket motor, but generating electricity in a controlled chemical reaction, instead of thrust. While the aircraft must carry the hydrogen (or a similar fuel), with its own complications and risks, the oxygen can be obtained from the atmosphere.

Propulsion

Electric motors

The Siemens SP200D motor powering the Airbus CityAirbus

Almost all electric aircraft to date have been powered by electric motors driving thrust-generating propellers or lift-generating rotors.[129]

While the batteries weigh more than the equivalent in fuel, electric motors weigh less than their piston-engine counterparts and in smaller aircraft used for shorter flights, can partly offset the disparity between electric and gasoline energy densities.[102][130] Electric motors also do not lose power with altitude, unlike internal-combustion engines,[126] avoiding the need for complex and costly measures used to prevent this, such as the use of turbochargers.

The experimental

Lycoming AEIO-580 piston engine weighing 202 kg.[132] The piston-engine Extra 330 empty weight is 677 kg,[133] 474 kg without the engine. The Lycoming engine has a fuel consumption of 141 lb (64 kg) per hour when outputting 315 hp (235 kW),[134]
or 0.27 kg/kWh: it needs 10 kg of fuel to output the same 37.2 kWh.

Besides the motor itself, an aircraft weight is hampered by the necessary energy reserves: a 19-seat aircraft needs the mandatory IFR reserves of 5% route contingency, the flight to a 100 nmi alternate plus 30 minutes of holding before landing – 308 kg of fuel for a turboprop, or 4,300 kg of 250 Wh/kg batteries, similar to a current 19-seater empty weight.[135] An electric propulsion system also includes a power inverter, while fuel engines have a fuel system themselves.

The 750 shp (560 kW) experimental magniX magni500 electric motor weighs 297 lb (135 kg),[136] while the 729 hp (544 kW) certified Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114 weighs 297 lb (135 kg),[137] both powering the Cessna 208 Caravan.

The increase in power, combined with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modifications can offset the weight of the batteries by increasing the airplane's gross operating weight, including the landing weight.[126] Aircraft that use fossil fuels are lighter when they land, which allows the structure to be lighter. With a battery powered aircraft, the weight remains the same, and so may require reinforcement.[126]

Hybrid power

Main article: Hybrid electric aircraft

A hybrid electric aircraft is an aircraft with a hybrid electric powertrain. It typically takes off and lands under clean and quiet electric power, and cruises under conventional piston or jet engine power. This makes long flights practical, while reducing their carbon footprint.[115] By May 2018, there were over 30 projects, and

Bombardier Dash 8,[141] while the Ampaire Electric EEL prototype first flew on 6 June 2019.[142]

Magnetohydrodynamics

Main article: Ion-propelled aircraft

In November 2018,

MIT engineers achieved the first free flight with a model aircraft having no moving parts, the EAD Airframe Version 2. It is propelled by creating an ion wind using magnetohydrodynamics (MHD).[143][144]
MHD has been used to achieve vertical lift in the past, but only by cabling up the MHD ion generator system to an external power supply.

Shipments

The following table summarizes electric aircraft shipments worldwide by manufacturer.

Worldwide shipments of certified electric GA aircraft[145]
2020 2021 2022 2023
Pipistrel Velis Electro 13 48 17 16
Total 13 48 17 16

List of battery-electric aircraft

See also: List of electric aircraft

See also

References

  1. ^ "EASA Aircraft Type Certificate Data Sheet – EASA-TCDS.A.092 Issue 4 – Lange E1 Antares" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ^ "Register information Patent DE file number : 195 12 816.8". German Patent & Trade Mark Office. 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  3. ^ ""The most electric flying hours in the world" – "We have more electric flight hours than all other companies and all other aircraft in the world combined." -Axel Lange, CEO Lange Aviation in conversation with Prof. Dr. Otto Künzel at the Berblingen Flight Forum 2022". Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. ^ a b Le Bris, G; et al. (2022). ACRP Research Report 236: Preparing Your Airport for Electric Aircraft and Hydrogen Technologies. Transportation Research Board (Report). Washington, DC.
  5. ^ Robert Thomson (2018-05-23). "Electric propulsion is finally on the map". Roland Berger.
  6. ^ a b c Michael Bruno (Aug 24, 2018). "Aerospace Sector Could See Overhaul From Electric Propulsion". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  7. ^ Kate Sarsfield (14 May 2019). "Electric aircraft projects to top 200 by year-end: Roland Berger". Flightglobal.
  8. ^ Tony Harrington (28 February 2023). "Shake-out looms as zero-emission aircraft developers fight for finance". Flightglobal.
  9. ^ a b Gaston Tissandier (1886). La Navigation aérienne (in French). Hachette. L'aviation et la direction des aérostats.
  10. ^ Swopes, Bryan. "Tissandier Electric Airship Archives". This Day in Aviation. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  11. ^ "Electric airship designed to replace short-haul plane trips". Dezeen. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  12. ^ Dave Day (1983). "History of Electric Flight". Electric Flight. Argus Books. Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  13. ^ a b c "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Helios Prototype". NASA. 2015-08-13. Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  14. ^ "None". Archived from the original on July 30, 2013.
  15. ^ "NAA Record Detail". naa.aero. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Aviation and Space World Records". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  17. ^ Impulse, Solar. "Solar Impulse Foundation: 1000 profitable solutions for the environment". solarimpulse.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  18. ^ Solar Plane Breaks Two-Night Flight Barrier Archived 2014-12-18 at the Wayback Machine Renewable Energy World, July 5, 2005
  19. ^ Amos, Jonathan (2010-07-23). "'Eternal plane' returns to Earth". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-07-23. touched down at 1504 BST ... on Friday ... took off ... at 1440 BST (0640 local time) on Friday, 9 July
  20. ^ a b Amos, Jonathan (2010-07-17). "Zephyr solar plane flies 7 days non-stop". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
  21. ^ QinetiQ Group PLC (n.d.). "Zephyr – QinetiQ High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)". Archived from the original on 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  22. ^ Amos, Jonathan (2008-08-24). "Solar plane makes record flight". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  23. ^ Grady, Mary (December 2010). "Solar Drone Sets Endurance Record". AvWeb. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  24. ^ "Aviation and Space World Records". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  25. ^ Grosz, P. (1978). "Helicopter pioneers of World War I". Air Enthusiast. No. 6. pp. 154–159.
  26. ^ Arthur Fisher (January 1988). "Microwave power transmission: a brief history". Popular Science. No. 232. p. 65.
  27. ^ "AHS – Sample Vertiflite article: Project Zero". Vtol.org. 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  28. ^ "Challenges of Aircraft Hybridization". IDTechEx. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
  29. ^ "Vertiflite, March/April 2012 – AHS Online Store". Vtol.org. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
  30. ^ Grady, Mary (October 17, 2016). "First Flight For Battery-Powered Helicopter". AVweb.com. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  31. ^ Bradley Zint (October 7, 2016). "Costa Mesa firm tests first manned battery-powered chopper". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  32. ^ "Watch the World's First Manned Battery-Powered Helicopter Fly". Fortune. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  33. ^ "The first battery-powered manned helicopter: 20 minutes flight time with 1100 lbs battery pack". Electrek. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  34. YouTube
  35. ^ "Guinness World Record for the farthest distance traveled by electric helicopter". April 28, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  36. ^ a b "CityAirbus Backgrounder" (PDF). Airbus. June 2017.
  37. ^ Dominic Perry (20 Dec 2017). "Airbus Helicopters powers up CityAirbus 'iron bird' rig". Flightglobal.
  38. ^ "CityAirbus demonstrator passes major propulsion testing milestone" (Press release). Airbus. 3 October 2017.
  39. ISBN 978-1-62410-636-1
  40. ^ "An electric aeroplane" (PDF). Flight international. 1973. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2013.
  41. ISBN 0-354-00502-2
    .
  42. ^ "Flight, 16 March 1985" (PDF). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  43. ^ Bionic Bat – Stored energy human powered aircraft M. Cowley, AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA; W. MORGAN, AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA; P. MACCREADY, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, CA Chapter DOI: 10.2514/6.1985-1447 Publication Date: 8 July 1985 – 11 July 1985
  44. ^ a b Niles, Russ (April 2008). "Boeing Flies Fuel Cell Aircraft". Retrieved 2008-05-13.
  45. ^ David Robertson (2008-04-03). "Boeing tests first hydrogen powered plane". The Times. London.
  46. ^ Politecnico di Torino. "ENFICA-FC – ENvironmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells". polito.it. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  47. ^ Pew, Glenn (July 2011). "Taurus G4 Aims For 400 Passenger Miles Per Gallon". AVweb. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  48. ^ Niles, Russ (August 2011). "Four-Place Electric Airplane Flies". AVweb. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  49. ^ Grady, Mary (September 2011). "NASA Awards $1.35 Million For Efficient Flight". AVweb. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  50. ^ Paur, Jason. "Chip Yates Sets 5 New Electric Plane World Records in 4 Weeks". WIRED. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
  51. ^ Davies, Alex. "This Record-Breaking Electric Plane Stomps a Gas-Powered Cessna". WIRED. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
  52. ^ "World-record electric motor for aircraft" (Press release). Siemens. 20 June 2017.
  53. ^ Allard Beutel (2016-06-17). "NASA Electric Research Plane Gets X Number, New Name". NASA.
  54. ^ Button, Keith (May 2016). "Flying on Electrons (p.26 of March 2016 issue)". Aerospace America. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
  55. ^ Graham Warwick (Jul 19, 2017). "NASA Pushing Ahead With Electric X-plane". Aviation Week Network.
  56. ^ a b c Graham Warwick (Oct 10, 2019). "Island-Hopping Flights Show Promise As Market For Electrified Aircraft". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  57. ^ Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. (2008). "UFM/MAURO SOLAR RISER". Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  58. ^ AIAA/SAE/ASME 20th Joint Propulsion Conference (1984). "AIAA paper 84-1429" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  59. ^ Solar Challenger (1980). "Solar Challenger" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  60. ^ Flightglobal Archive (1979). "UK's first solar aircraft takes off". Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  61. ^ a b Noth, André (July 2008). "History of Solar Flight" (PDF). Autonomous Systems Lab. Zürich: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 8 July 2010. Günter Rochelt was the designer and builder of Solair I, a 16 m wingspan solar airplane ... 21st of August 1983 he flew in Solair I, mostly on solar energy and also thermals, during 5 hours 41 minutes.
  62. ^ Khammas, Achmed A. W. (2007). "Elektro- und Solarflugzeuge (1960–1996)". Buch der Synergie (in German). Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010. exakt 2.499 Solarzellen ausgestattet, die eine Leistung von 2,2 kW
  63. ^ Institut für Flugzeugbau (November 2009). "Icaré this year was in top form". Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  64. ^ Grady, Mary (June 2009). "Solar Impulse Unveiling Set For Friday". Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  65. ^ Pew, Glenn (June 2009). "Solar Impulse Is Revealed". Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  66. ^ "Solar plane completes maiden intercontinental trip". Reuters. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  67. ^ "Solar Impulse Completes World Record Flight from Spain to Morocco". CleanTechnica. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  68. ^ Batrawy, Aya (9 March 2015). "Solar-powered plane takes off for flight around the world". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  69. ^ Amos, Jonathan. "Solar Impulse grounded until 2016", BBC News, 15 July 2015
  70. ^ "The Atlantic Crossing is completed!". Solar Impulse. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  71. ^ Carrington, Damian (July 26, 2016). "Solar plane makes history after completing round-the-world trip". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  72. ^ "AE-1 Silent". Air Energy.
  73. ^ AliSport (n.d.). "Silent Club: Electric Self-launch Sailplane". Archived from the original on 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  74. ^ 06.09.2011: SWR.de The Research Aircraft Antares DLR H2 and Antares H3 Archived 2006-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
  75. ^ "Berblinger Wettbewerb 2013 Ulm". www.berblinger.ulm.de. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  76. ^ "First Annoucement: [sic] Taurus ELECTRO". Pipistrel Aircraft. 21 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008.
  77. ^ Grady, Mary (February 2011). "Pipistrel Launches Electric Motorglider". AvWeb. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  78. ^ "Taurus Electro – Overview". Pipistrel Aircraft. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011.
  79. ^ "A journey through the history of electric aircraft – It is almost half a century since the first manned, electrically propelled flight". Arts.eu. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  80. ^ Kate Sarsfield (10 June 2020). "Pipistrel Velis Electro earns first all-electric aircraft type certification". Flightglobal.
  81. ^ "Diamond Aircraft announces future All-Electric Trainer and partnership with Electric Power Systems" (Press release). Diamond Aircraft. 12 October 2021.
  82. ^ Alcock, Charles (October 13, 2021). "Diamond Unveils Plans for All-Electric eDA40 Training Aircraft". FutureFlight.
  83. ^ "Maiden Flight of the Diamond Aircraft eDA40". www.diamondaircraft.com. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  84. ^ Deborah Lockhart (Oct 17, 2016). "It's Electric! NASA Glenn Engineers Test Next Revolution Aircraft". NASA Glenn Research Center.
  85. ^ a b Graham Warwick (Aug 25, 2017). "NASA Moves Electric-Propulsion Components Closer To Reality". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  86. ^ Victoria Moores (Sep 27, 2017). "EasyJet joins electric aircraft project". Aviation Week Network.
  87. ^ Dominic Perry (27 September 2017). "EasyJet unveils short-haul electric aircraft ambition". Flightglobal.
  88. ^ Monaghan, Angela (27 September 2017). "EasyJet says it could be flying electric planes within a decade". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  89. ^ Sarah Young (29 October 2018). "EasyJet expects to be flying electric planes by 2030". Reuters.
  90. ^ a b Graham Warwick (Mar 26, 2018). "The Week in Technology, March 26–30, 2018". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  91. ^ a b Michael Bruno (Jun 7, 2018). "MagniX Promises Electrically Powered Cessna Caravan By Summer 2019". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  92. ^ Alexa Rexroth (September 27, 2018). "MagniX Reaches Milestone on Path to Electric Propulsion". AIN online.
  93. ^ a b c Graham Warwick (Sep 28, 2018). "MagniX Advances Electric Propulsion System Tests". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  94. ^ "The largest electric plane ever to fly". BBC. 18 June 2020.
  95. ^ Mark, Rob (22 December 2020). "An Electrically Powered Cessna Caravan Continues Progress". flying magazine.
  96. ^ Jon Hemmerdinger (10 December 2019). "Harbour Air flies 'first' all-electric commercial aircraft, a DHC-2 Beaver". FlightGlobal.
  97. ^ a b Dominic Perry (27 April 2022). "Harbour Air plans first flight of certifiable electric Beaver by end-2023". Flightglobal.
  98. ^ a b c d Pilar Wolfsteller (24 September 2020). "Sweden's Heart Aerospace presents all-electric regional aircraft". Flightglobal.
  99. ^ Charles Bremner (27 March 2021). "French electric airliner will take to the skies in five years".
  100. ^ Broadbent, Mark (13 February 2020). "Do airlines dream of electric fleets?". www.airinternational.com. Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  101. ^ "Aviation is responsible for 3.5 percent of climate change, study finds". NOAA Research. 2020-09-03.
  102. ^ a b c Sigler, Dean (12 December 2019). "Electric Beaver Flies in Vancouver, B. C." sustainableskies.org.
  103. ^ Catlow, Amy (26 May 2020). "How Much Electricity Can I Generate with Solar Panels?". www.theecoexperts.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  104. ISBN 978-0578867175
    .
  105. ISBN 978-9292602444
    . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  106. ^ Han, Amos. "Efficiency Of Solar PV, Then, Now And Future". lafayette.edu. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  107. ^ Murmson, Serm (April 24, 2017). "Does a Solar Panel Stop Working When It Gets Too Cold?". sciencing.com. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  108. ^ Luntz, Stephen (8 January 2019). "How Solar At High Altitudes Could Power Entire Countries, Even In Winter". Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  109. ISBN 9789291940042
    . Doc 7488-CD.
  110. ^ "Power Beaming". Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  111. S2CID 201069705
    .
  112. doi:10.3390/drones1010002
    .
  113. ^
    S2CID 115445306
    .
  114. ^ Bjorn Fehrm (June 30, 2017). "Bjorn's Corner: Electric aircraft". Leeham.
  115. ^ a b Philip E. Ross (1 Jun 2018). "Hybrid Electric Airliners Will Cut Emissions—and Noise". IEEE Spectrum.
  116. ^ Stephen Trimble (28 May 2018). "Cessna short-circuits talk of electric-powered aircraft". Flightglobal.
  117. ^ a b Seidenman, Paul (Jan 10, 2019). "How Batteries Need To Develop To Match Jet Fuel". Aviation Week Network. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019.
  118. S2CID 134741946
    .
  119. ^ Lineberger, R. (3 June 2019). "Change is in the air: The elevated future of mobility: What's next on the horizon?". Deloitte. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26.
  120. doi:10.2514/6.2018-2005
    .
  121. doi:10.3390/drones1010002
    .
  122. ^ "3 alternatieve oplossingen voor schonere luchtvaart" (in Dutch). 5 March 2019.
  123. S2CID 244619978
    .
  124. S2CID 234033882
    .
  125. ^ "SAE Standards Works".
  126. ^ a b c d Johnsen, Frederick (11 August 2019). "Electric aircraft await juice jockeys". General Aviation News. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  127. S2CID 64526195
    . Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  128. ^ Brown, Nicholas (11 May 2011). "Cheaper Ultracapacitors For Electric Vehicles". cleantechnica.com. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  129. S2CID 115439116. Archived from the original
    on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
  130. ^ "Ultra lightweight motors for electric drones and airliners". www.idtechex.com. 10 April 2015.
  131. ^ Nicolas Zart (January 28, 2018). "The "Extra Aircraft 330LE" Two-Seat Electric Airplane — Another Electric Airplane Moving The Clean Air Race Forward". cleantechnica (Press release).
  132. ^ "TYPE-CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET No. IM.E.027" (PDF). European Union Aviation Safety Agency. 7 May 2020.
  133. ^ "EXTRA 330LT". Extra Flugzeugproduktions – und Vertriebs – GmbH.
  134. ^ "I0-580-B1A Operation and Installation Manual" (PDF). Lycoming. April 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  135. ^ Bjorn Fehrm (July 1, 2021). "The true cost of Electric Aircraft". Leeham News.
  136. ^ Jake Richardson (24 October 2019). "750 Horsepower Electric Aviation Engine Tested By MagniX". cleantechnica.
  137. ^ "Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 Series Type Certificate" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 2007-06-21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-10. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  138. ^ Stephen Trimble (Oct 5, 2017). "Zunum launches hybrid-electric aircraft for regional market". Flightglobal.
  139. ^ "Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens team up for electric future" (PDF) (Press release). Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Siemens. 28 Nov 2017. (Airbus, Rolls-Royce Archived 2023-11-06 at the Wayback Machine, Siemens)
  140. ^ Graham Warwick (Oct 25, 2018). "E-Fan Experience Spawns French Hybrid-Electric Startup". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  141. ^ Graham Warwick (Mar 26, 2019). "UTC's Dash 8 Hybrid-Electric X-Plane Targets Commercial Market". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  142. ^ "Ampaire Announces First Public Electric Flight" (Press release). Ampaire. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  143. ^ Jennifer Chu (November 21, 2018). "MIT engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts". MIT News.
  144. S2CID 53714800
    .
  145. ^ "Quarterly Shipments and Billings – GAMA". gama.aero. Retrieved 2020-11-21..

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aircraft with electric engines.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_aircraft&oldid=1220400776"