Flexcompute to power Elysian’s 90-seat electric airliner design with Flow360 simulation
Summary points:
- Elysian’s E9X battery-electric aircraft is designed for 90 passengers with a range of 800–1,000 km, powered by 360 Wh/kg batteries housed within its 42-meter wing featuring folding wingtips.
- Elysian’s E9X battery-electric aircraft is designed for 90 passengers with a range of 800–1,000 km, powered by 360 Wh/kg batteries housed within its 42-meter wing featuring folding wingtips.
- Service entry is targeted for 2033.
WATERTOWN, Mass., - Flexcompute in Watertown, Mass., announced that Elysian Aircraft in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, has selected its Flow360 as the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform for developing its battery-electric E9X aircraft.
The E9X is designed to carry 90 passengers across distances of 800 to 1,000 km, powered by a 360 Wh/kg battery pack integrated into its wings, enhancing aerodynamic efficiency and structural weight distribution. It features a 42-meter wingspan - larger than that of a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 - with folding wingtips to fit existing airport gates.
The design incorporates eight 1.4 MW electric motors distributed across the wing and a turbogenerator-based reserve energy system for emergency power during diversion or loitering scenarios. The aircraft’s slimmer fuselage and optimized lift-to-drag profile aim to achieve up to five times greater energy efficiency per passenger-kilometer compared to hydrogen or SAF-powered aircraft. Elysian targets a 2033 entry into service and anticipates 30 to 45-minute battery recharge turnaround.
Simulation tech
Flow360’s GPU-native architecture slashes aerodynamic simulation times from hours or days to minutes, enabling rapid iteration without the need for expensive on-site hardware. Elysian emphasized Flow360’s performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency as key factors in the selection.
"Elysian is building the world’s first 90-seat, battery-electric aircraft,” said Amar Bansal, head of flight physics at Elysian. “Flow360 gives us high-fidelity answers in minutes, keeping our team focused on pushing the boundaries of battery-electric aviation."
Vera Yang, president of Flexcompute, added, "Their selection of Flow360 underscores our shared vision that air travel’s future will be faster, quieter, and cleaner."