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An aircraft powered by a megawatt-class hybrid-electric engine developed in collaboration with NASA and built by GE Aerospace, demonstrated flight of an innovation that can inform new generations of fuel-saving aircraft power systems.<\/p>\n
Mounted to a Saab 340B aircraft, the engine flew at Farnborough International Air Show in the United Kingdom. It was the public debut of a system that has in recent months made historic test flights, becoming the first hybrid electric-powered aircraft to fly above 30,000 feet and making the longest hybrid electric flight of over two hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis achievement reflects what NASA does best in aeronautics: we explore bold possibilities, validate them through rigorous research and testing, and work with industry to turn breakthrough ideas into technologies that bring real value for the American people,\u201d said Laurie Grindle, director of the Aeronautics Division within the agency\u2019s Research and Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n
The testing leveraged work done through NASA\u2019s former Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project and the agency\u2019s ongoing Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools project \u2013 years of collaborative research that included key testing at NASA test facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The engine integrates electric motors, a gas turbine, and energy storage capabilities. It was designed to demonstrate the capacity to power an aircraft around the size of a regional-class jet, reducing fuel burn and costs without sacrificing performance. The unit\u2019s technology and designs are expected to be used to help develop future hybrid systems that could lower airline operating costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The demonstration flight came after years of rapid development for the technology. For NASA, it also validates work that stretches back to a time when hybrid aviation propulsion seemed almost beyond the horizon of possibility.<\/p>\n
LAURIE A. GRINDLE<\/p>\n
Director of the Aeronautics Division within the agency’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThis is the culmination of more than 15 years of work, and we did that because it\u2019s going to have an impact for aircraft that will help reduce energy use and help U.S. companies and the public,\u201d said Ralph Jansen, aerospace engineer at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. \u201cIt\u2019s about having a vision that no one believes can happen and then doing the work to define and execute the research and development needed to make it happen.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
This accomplishment was possible because of the collaborative effort of hundreds of people working on Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration and Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools projects across NASA centers, in conjunction with GE Aerospace and its partner companies.<\/p>\n
In recent years, aviation has seen a boom in small aircraft and drones powered by electrical systems drawing from batteries. But large passenger and cargo planes require complex engines capable of supplying massive amounts of power. So more than a decade ago when NASA began contemplating hybrid systems, just the possibility of using electric motors to supplement some energy was a daunting engineering challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA spent about seven years performing preliminary research, working with small businesses and other partners to consider technological obstacles and the potential commercial viability of hybrid systems. During that time, the agency addressed several barriers to implementation including the power, thermal, and battery technology, and the integration of the power system, engine, and aircraft.<\/p>\n
Through the agency\u2019s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration award, GE Aerospace and NASA worked with researchers to develop lighter and more efficient power systems and shrink key components \u2013 sometimes dramatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA and GE Aerospace also leveraged agency facilities and resources to further their research. In 2022, GE Aerospace tested an integrated version of its propulsion system at NASA\u2019s Electric Aircraft Testbed at the agency\u2019s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Testing allowed the system to operate in conditions simulating 45,000 feet in altitude, the range in which commercial single-aisle aircraft fly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The team added components, including electric motors, power converters, propellers, and a GE Aerospace commercial engine, followed by more ground tests and eventual flight tests. For the researchers who\u2019d spent years on the concept, seeing the engine powering an aircraft in flight was a major step in a long journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to say, I was pretty touched seeing it fly. It was just awesome,\u201d Jansen said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just like a regular plane, which is probably the best thing of all.\u201d<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s current support for this research is through the Aeronautics Division of its Research and Technology Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n