Collins Aerospace completes 1MW electric motor design for Pratt & Whitney’s hybrid-electric flight demonstrator

Collins Aerospace announced it has completed the preliminary design review of the 1 megawatt electric motor and motor controlled it is developing for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s regional hybrid-electric technology demonstrator programme. Prototypes of this demonstrator will be sent for ground testing in late 2022, with flight testing planned to take place in 2024.

Hybrid-electric propulsion technology is a core element of Collins’ and Pratt & Whitney’s strategies for enabling sustainable aviation. Both companies are also working on hybrid-electric propulsion solutions for advanced air mobility vehicles and single aisle aircraft.

Speaking on the sustainability panel at Farnborough Airshow, Collins Aerospace’s Chief Sustainability Officer LeAnne Ridgeway commented: “We’ve got the current and the voltage and the speed totally proven out [for the 1 megawatt electric motor] (…) what I love about this 1MW motor, it’s best in class today. We’re building off our legacy and technology that we built on the 787 and the F35.”

She also noted the exciting potential for this 1MW motor to scale across multiple markets, from the regional turboprop, to the unmanned market, all the way up to the single aisle market in the not too distant future.

Adding to this, Chief Sustainability Officer for Pratt & Whitney, Graham Webb, said: “It’s a very exciting time for us in terms of collaboration with Collins. Sustainability starts with our gear. We’re actually taking that one megawatt motor and looking on how to integrate that into an advanced future geared turbofan engine.”

The programme is targeting a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and reduction in Co2 emissions, compared to today’s more advanced turboprop for regional aircraft. The electric motor witll provide extra power during take-off and climb, and will also be designed to run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).