Hybrid Electric Propulsion System for a 4 Passenger VTOL Aircraft

The advancement of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for rotorcraft enables vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles to take advantage of aerodynamic efficiencies that can reduce fuel consumption and emissions compared to conventional rotorcraft vehicles. Unlike conventional internal combustion engines or high speed turbine engines, the high power-to-weight ratio and energy efficiency of electric motors is conserved when the motor is scaled to a smaller size. A distributed electric propulsion system for a VTOL aircraft can exploit aerodynamic benefits increasing the lift to drag ratio by 4 to 5 times (Fredericks et al, Intl Powered Lift Conf., Aug 2013) compared to that of convectional helicopters. This can yield a 4x increase in range while maintaining the VTOL and hover capabilities of a conventional helicopter. Using LaunchPoint Technologies' brushless electric motor optimization software, controller expertise, and battery technology, LaunchPoint proposes to design a hybrid propulsion system for a VTOL aircraft that has an extremely high power-to-weight ratio, to demonstrate the validity of a concept VTOL vehicle. LaunchPoint Technologies will seek robust system solutions for this hybrid electric propulsion including specifications for motor (propeller) distribution, motor power, lift, drag, a heavy-fuel combustion engine, alternator, battery pack, vehicle range and hover duration. LaunchPoint will then produce a detailed design of the Auxiliary Power Unit (combustion engine and alternator), motors, electrical systems, and power control systems for the aircraft. LaunchPoint will also further develop their dual-Halbach array brushless motor technology by building and testing a carbon fiber composite rotor to increase the specific power density of this propulsion system.

NASA has multiple uses for long range rotorcrafts with VTOL capability. We are in contact with NASA research groups developing concepts for fixed-wing distributed electric propulsion (DEP) and VTOL vehicles which would be enabled by our lightweight, efficient, and reliable hybrid electric propulsion system. Demonstrations of these technologies are planned in the next 2 to 3 years, and we expect that these programs will be customers for our hybrid electric propulsion system technology. A LaunchPoint Technologies hybrid propulsion system could directly be applied to long range UAVs that monitor the environment, survey landscapes, are used for telecommunication, or missions that have limited space for take-off and landing.

The technology of hybrid electric aircraft propulsion is a transformational technology that could have impacts on aircraft design for decades to come. However, as with any new technology, it will take some time for the technology to mature and the applications to be adopted. This is especially true in the field of manned aviation where there are relatively few and infrequent new designs being implemented due to the high cost of manned systems. In the short term the technology will be more readily adopted by smaller, less expensive and faster moving programs, including UAVs. These programs may use this hybrid propulsion system if VTOL or long range is important to the mission. The system could then be adopted by general aviation applications and possibly commercial jets and rotorcraft. Mark Moore and Bill Fredericks have shown that the range of the majority of daily rotorcraft flight segments is less than 200 miles. Helicopters have very poor flight efficiency while airplanes require a runway to take off. Therefore, creating a highly efficient VTOL aircraft that could hover for short periods of time, but has a longer than 200 mile range, will meet a need currently met by no other commercial aircraft. For example, almost all of the daily flights out to oil platforms would be much more efficiently met with VTOL rotorcrafts instead of helicopters.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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