In another hybrid-electric update in Paris, Raytheon Technologies said that subsidiary Collins Aerospace has successfully completed a power test at one megawatt of its hybrid-electric flight demonstrator program. This electromotor will be part of the power system that includes an engine developed by Pratt & Whitney Canada. Collins reaches 1 megawatt with new hybrid-electric system.
“With its industry-leading power density and efficiency, our 1MW motor will help to significantly reduce aircraft carbon emissions by supporting hybrid-electric propulsion architectures on the next generation of commercial platforms,” said Henry Brooks, president of Power & Controls for Collins Aerospace.
“As the motor’s development continues apace, each milestone brings us one step closer to hybrid-electric flight and our industry’s shared commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Collins says that compared to its most advanced electric motor generators flying today, the 1MW motor is four times more powerful and runs at twice the voltage, with half the heat loss and half the weight. In Farnborough last year, Collins and P&W said a 1 MW engine for urban air mobility. they would be developingÂ
The motor is developed at Collins’ facility in Solihull (UK) and tested at the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Aerospace Technology. The first low-speed engine run was done in December in Longueuil in Quebec, which included the combined thermal engine and the 1MW motor. Following more ground tests, the system will be flight-tested next year on a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100.
The  1MW motor will be part of the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan hybrid-electric powertrain planned SWITCH technology demonstrator engine that is developed by MTU and other partners under the European Union’s Clean Aviation program.
