With the launch of ACCEL project aircraft at Gloucestershire Airport, Rolls-Royce has taken an important step in its goal of producing the world's fastest fully powered aircraft.
The aircraft is an important part of the Rolls-Royce front girişim Accelerating Flight Electrification girişim (ACCEL) initiative and its strategy to become a leader in electrification. The project includes several partners, including the electric motor and control manufacturer YASA and the aviation start-up Electroflight. Half of the project funding is provided by the Institute of Aeronautical Technology (ATI) in partnership with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK.
Work will be underway to integrate the groundbreaking electric drive system so that the zero-emission aircraft will enter the record book with a speed target of 300+ MPS (480+ KMS) in late spring 2020.
The ionBird test plane frame, which bears the name of the aircraft's electronic propulsion technology, is also on display. ionBird will be used for testing before the drive system is fully integrated into the aircraft. Tests for the next few months include full power operation of the propulsion system and checks for important flight availability.
ACCEL will have the most powerful battery case ever installed on an airplane. The battery pack will supply 250 homes with a single charge or provide enough energy to fly from London to Paris. The 6,000 cells of the battery box are combined to minimize weight and maximize thermal protection. The advanced cooling system provides optimum performance by directly cooling the cells during high power record attempts.
The impeller is cooled by three axial electric motors with high power density. The speed of the impeller blades per minute is much lower than the standard airplane. This ensures a more stable and much quieter ride. Combined, a record attempt to consistently exceed 500 horsepower will be provided. The fully electrically powered powertrain delivers 90% energy efficiency and zero emissions even in the record attempt. (By comparison, a Formula 1 racing car can achieve energy efficiency of up to 50%).
The ACCEL project is just one of Rolls-Royce's initiatives to develop lower carbon energy. These include a partnership with Airbus in the E-Fan X technology test vehicle project, an important step towards hybrid electric commercial aircraft on the scale of today's single-aisle jet family. At the same time, Widerøe, Scandinavia's largest regional airline, is working on a joint research program on zero-emission aviation. The program aims to electrify the airline's regional fleet of more than 30 aircraft by 2030.
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