Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is ready to test its small gas turbine developed specifically to power hybrid-electric flight. Testing will take place in the coming months and will be used for the commissioning of Rolls-Royce’s test facility in Dahlewitz.
The engine is part of a turbogenerator system that is being developed for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft applications with up to 19 seats.
As well as complementing the Rolls-Royce Electrical propulsion portfolio by delivering an on-board power source enabling extended range on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the turbogenerator system will also eventually be compatible with hydrogen combustion.
Commenting on how the testing phase of the small engine will advance hybrid-electric flight, Olaf Otto, President, Rolls-Royce Electrical, said: “The Pass-To-Test (PTT) of our brand-new small engine that will power our turbogenerator system is an important step forward. This product will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low to net zero emissions aircraft.”
The combustion engine uses recent technology developments to achieve a step change in efficiency of small gas turbines. The turbogenerator can be used in serial or parallel hybrid applications and is well suited to recharge batteries as well as to provide energy to electrical propulsion units directly, enabling aircraft to switch between power sources while in flight.
Rolls-Royce is developing complete power and propulsion systems for all-electric and hybrid-electric applications. Its systems under design feature the latest technology, from power generation and energy storage via power electronics and control systems to electric motors.
