Holistic Design of Electric Propulsion Systems for Urban Air Mobility Applications (in planning)
The planned propulsion system family is intended to cover a continuous shaft power range of 35–100 kW at approximately 280–400 V DC. All commercially available controllers in this power class are water-cooled, making them bulky and heavy. The required cooling system further increases the total weight of the aircraft and significantly adds to system complexity. A particularly critical requirement—precise alignment of the propeller after motor shutdown—is currently not met by any available controller.
The goal is to develop an integrated platform for a complete propulsion system, comprising a highly efficient electric motor and associated SiC-based power electronics. These components will be thermally and mechanically integrated into the existing aircraft structure. The target power class is designed for aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of up to 2 tons.
A novel control and regulation system will be developed, capable of self-optimization through machine learning (AI). This system will monitor and optimize system parameters, flight and weather data, and communicate with the pilot via an interface/HMI. All power components will be designed to achieve maximum possible efficiency in order to minimize thermal losses and enable air-cooling solutions tailored to specific load conditions. This approach results in a significant weight advantage compared to water-cooled systems.
Furthermore, all components must be designed to be as compact as possible to fit into the limited installation space of the aircraft. The potential replacement of the Wankel engine with a hydrogen fuel cell will also be extensively evaluated during the project.
The innovative propulsion unit platform, jointly developed by the project partners, will ultimately be publicly demonstrated and flight-tested using a dedicated demonstrator aircraft.
The project is currently in its initial phase; further information available upon request.