ROCKFORD, Ill. - Collins Aerospace has begun initial testing of electric motor drive systems for the European Union’s SWITCH project, advancing efforts to demonstrate hybrid-electric propulsion technology on a full-scale Pratt & Whitney GTF engine.
Integrated laboratory testing of the hybrid-electric powertrain subsystem is underway at "The Grid," the company’s electric power systems laboratory in Rockford, Ill. The tests include motor generators, controllers, and power distribution systems designed to support hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion. Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are businesses of RTX in Arlington County, Va.
Project goals
The SWITCH project aims to demonstrate how hybrid-electric technologies can improve engine efficiency across different phases of flight for future short- and medium-range aircraft. Key subsystems validated during testing include two megawatt-class motor generators, which are slated for integration into a hybrid-electric GTF engine demonstrator in the next phase of the program.
Related: Collins to upgrade and sustain Army UH-60M helicopter glass cockpit multifunction display avionics
"The start of powertrain subsystem testing is a key step towards demonstrating the potential of applying more electric systems to future commercial aircraft," said Kristin Smith, vice president of Electric Power Systems at Collins Aerospace. "Hybrid-electric technology has the potential to transform aviation by enabling greater fuel efficiency across multiple future platforms, including next-generation single-aisle aircraft."
The SWITCH powertrain incorporates components developed across multiple European facilities. Collins Aerospace designed and produced megawatt-class electric motors and controllers in Solihull, UK, while power distribution components, including a solid-state power controller and power distribution panel, were developed in Nördlingen, Germany. A high-voltage electrical wiring interconnection system from GKN Aerospace was produced in Papendrecht, Netherlands.
SWITCH is a collaborative effort involving MTU Aero Engines AG, Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, Airbus, and several European research institutions. The project operates under the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, a European public-private partnership that advances sustainable aviation technologies.
Program officials say the Clean Aviation initiative is targeting carbon dioxide reductions of at least 30 percent for short- and medium-range aircraft and up to 50 percent for regional aircraft through the development of hybrid-electric and other advanced propulsion technologies.
