SBIR/STTR Award attributes
We are solving the need to exceed 12kW/kg power density at takeoff for the motor, drive and thermal management system (TMS) for aircraft propulsion systems, In order to reach the overall systems targets called for in this solicitation, our program goal is to design and demonstrate an electric propulsion motor, drive, and TMS with a takeoff power of 17-20 kW/kg for a 2MW motor that can be scaled to higher 20 MW capacity. We are specifically targeting an electric induction motor relevant for propulsion application to a single aisle passenger aircraft. We will achieve this by incorporating advanced thermal management techniques for synergistic cooling, all while safely using liquefied bio-natural gas (Bio-LNG), a carbon neutral liquid fuel (CNLF). Our design meets all the requirements of solicitation DE-FOA-0002239 and 0002238, but is also compatible with system developments in the REACH solicitation. Our approach to high power density motors and drives with synergistic cooling is transformational because we use the CNLF Bio-LNG both as the energy source (for turbine-generator) but also as a large thermal-battery cooling system (operating at 113-120K) to provide a highly compact, light, and efficient thermal management system capability. This will allow us to develop a motor which can operate at high current density over the best conventional non-cryo motors, thus achieving the high power densities with cryo-cooling of the motor and the electric drive. During this proposal we will design and demonstrate cryo-cooling in Motor 1 and optimize power density for Motor 2 with s cryo-cooled drive.
