RICARDO AND GREENJETS CELEBRATE IMPORTANT EVTOL PROPULSION MILESTONE

Ricardo has supported Greenjets, pioneers of bespoke, compact jet engines for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) applications, to create the first generation of an electric fully operational demonstrator propulsion module (InCEPTion) for use in aircraft weighing less than five tonnes.

The design is fully scalable, and efficient and aims to reduce operating costs. It is the culmination of an 18-month project involving design engineers, electrification specialists and project engineers to deliver a bespoke wrap-around, immersion-cooled, ultra-high-performance battery, using 32 connected modules. In addition to the design and build of the fully integrated module, Ricardo has been responsible for the complete thermal management system, incorporating increased safety aspects from the initial design stage.

Matt Beasley, Director of Global Engineering and Operations at Ricardo, said: “We’re delighted to have supported Greenjets on this innovative design and build system that will deliver future sustainable electric propulsion in the aerospace industry. Our engineers have designed, developed and built a system that is fully scalable which also enables different combinations of the same module to power multiple aircraft concepts, from large drones, electric vertical take-off and landing applications, general aviation aircraft and sub-regional aircraft. The system is versatile and can be 100% battery or fuel cell hybrid powered.”

InCEPTion incorporates 20 kWh worth of battery pack capacity into a very constrained toroidal shape and has been designed to form part of the structure of a propulsion system, with shared cooling and structural elements, making its delivery challenging and complex. The composite module is lightweight, power-dense and enables rapid charging. Its cutting-edge design is configured in a 360-degree orientation, with bonded composites and a foam structure to help reduce weight.

Greenjets now plans to undertake ground and wind tunnel tests to support eventual integration into an engine, with the aim of eventual use in commercial aircraft.