Airbus said the collaborative project has provided unique experience in the design, certification, production, and operation of hybrid-electric aircraft.
In a statement, Jean-Baptiste Manchette, head of Propulsion of Tomorrow at Airbus, said: “This EcoPulse campaign allows us to advance certain hybrid-electric technologies, such as high-voltage batteries, and integrate them into future aircraft, helicopters, and air mobility solutions.
“With distributed electric propulsion, we achieved our goal of modelling flight physics and energy management at the aircraft level, key elements for shaping the next generation of aircraft.”
EcoPulse performed its first hybrid-electric test flight on November 29, 2023, from Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport.
Since its maiden flight, EcoPulse accumulated 100 flight hours and performed 50 test flights with the distributed hybrid propulsion system, the last of which took place in July 2024.
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These tests enabled the demonstration of onboard electric power levels for distributed electric propulsion, with a network voltage of approximately 800V DC and a power output of 350kW.
According to Airbus, the flight tests yielded significant findings, including an objective evaluation of hybridisation technologies' maturity, a performance assessment when integrated into the aircraft, and an identification of operational limitations.
The tests showed that the synchrophasing of the ePropellers (electric motors) can reduce interior noise. This synchrophasing is an additional benefit of the flight control computer, primarily designed to manoeuvre the aircraft – substituting traditional control surfaces – by adjusting the distribution of electric power among the ePropellers.
More broadly, EcoPulse identified key challenges in decarbonising aviation:
- Electric and hybrid-electric architectures;
- Development of key components: batteries (performance and operational range) and high-voltage management systems (>400V);
- Pilot assistance with specialised interfaces;
- Demonstration logic for airworthiness;
- Optimisation of weight and noise; and
- Skills associated with managing complexity.
The flight test campaign laid the groundwork for compliance documents to meet regulatory requirements for hybrid-electric propulsion flights, establishing the basis for certifying the safety of innovative aircraft configurations.
"We are particularly pleased with the success of the EcoPulse program and its results. This was the first time we tested a complete hybrid-electric propulsion system in flight, and these trials represented a significant milestone in our technology roadmap," said Eric Dalbiès, senior vice president - Strategy & Chief Technology Officer at Safran. "The lessons learned enable us to continue validating decarbonisation technologies."
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