Raytheon Technologies Announces Next Steps in Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Testing

Raytheon Technologies (RTX) kicked off this year's Paris Airshow announcing a significant milestone in its pursuit for widespread sustainable aviation. The company has finally completed a rated power test of its one-megawatt (1MW) electric motor intended to be fitted to Raytheon's De Havilland Dash 8-100 demonstrator as part of its hybrid-electric project.

Turboprops to Start

RTX is partnering with Collins Aerospace, De Havilland Canada, and Pratt & Whitney, as well as the Canadian government to help co-ordinate the project. Collins will be developing the electric motor which will be run in conjunction with a high-efficiency thermal engine developed by Pratt & Whitney. The goal is to use the combined technology to help power the turboprop Dash 8-100 through the takeoff and climb phases of flight.

Raytheon is looking at fuel efficiency and CO2 improvement figures in the region of 30% as compared to today's regional turboprops. The key to this is the engineering of the 1MW motor. Collins is currently focusing on this at its Solihull facility near Birmingham in the United Kingdom and is aiming for a power output of four-fold compared to its current motors, delivering twice the voltage and a 50% improvement on heat efficiency and weight.

"With its industry-leading power density and efficiency, our 1MW motor will help to significantly reduce aircraft carbon emissions by supporting hybrid-electric propulsion architectures on the next generation of commercial platforms," said Henry Brooks, President of Power and Controls for Collins Aerospace.

"As the motor's development continues apace, each milestone brings us one step closer to hybrid-electric flight and our industry's shared commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050."

Testing and Development

Whilst the first low-speed engine run was conducted last December at Pratt & Whitney Canada's testing facility in Quebec, testing of both the motor and the thermal engine will continue through 2023. This will include runs of the combined hybrid-electric system as a whole.

Upon completion of these tests, the system is destined to be fitted to a Dash 8-100 demonstrator with test flights due to begin in 2024. 

"Hybrid-electric propulsion technology offers significant potential to optimize aircraft efficiency across a range of future aircraft applications and is a key part of our technology roadmap for supporting more sustainable aviation," says Jean Thomassin, Pratt & Whitney Canada's executive director of new products and services.

"Aside from leveraging the deep expertise of Pratt & Whitney and Collins engineers within Raytheon Technologies, our project draws from extensive collaborations across Canada's aerospace ecosystem and around the world."

A More Sustainable Future

The European Union has expressed particular interest and sparked motivation in aerospace companies to strive for a zero-emissions future. The results of this hybrid-electric project will most definitely be the star of the show in this initiative with the 1MW motor spearheading this journey. 

The motor is also intended to form the foundations of the SWITCH project, a result of the European Union's Clean Aviation initiative. The project is to use Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan (GTF) hybrid-electric powertrain with testing bound for the United States. The Grid, a $50-million lab as part of Collins' Rockford, Illinois facility scheduled to open later this year will be home to the development and testing of the new powertrain.