Pipistrel and Siemens power up 'most powerful' hybrid

+VIDEO It seems Slovenian aircraft maker Pipistrel and German electric motor maker Siemens have kissed and made up after last summer’s spat over a proposed cross-Channel flight. Earlier this month, what’s claimed to be the world’s most powerful hybrid electric powertrain for aviation powered up for the first time in a project led  by Pipistrel.

The 200kW propulsion unit has been developed as part of an EU-funded project called Hypstair. It can deliver the power equivalent to a typical general aviation piston engine and can run in three modes: electric-only mode using batteries, generator-only mode or hybrid mode combining both power sources.

All powertrain components were developed by Siemens. The drive motor, delivering 200kW take-off power and 150kW continuous, and the generator, delivering 100kW,  feature a power density exceeding 5kW per kg. A single lever is used to apply power and a new integrated cockpit display monitors the powertrain status and performance.

Powering up the propulsion unit followed extensive laboratory testing, said Pipistrel. The power-up tested all propulsion modes at low and high power, driving a specially developed five-blade low-rpm, low-noise propeller. Tests of take-off power were performed using combined output of the generator driven by a turbonormalised engine and a high-performance battery.

Pipistrel CEO, Ivo Boscarol, said, “We are proud of what Hypstair represents for the development of electric flight. It demonstrates the possibility for general aviation aircraft to be electrically powered. It confirms the vision of Pipistrel. We were the first to design a four-seat aircraft, the Panthera, which can be alternatively equipped with three different propulsion types: piston engine, electric motor or hybrid powertrain.”

It’s the most poweful electric hybrid unit yet for general aviation. Motor by Siemens, aircraft by Pipistrel.

Frank Anton, Head of e-Aircraft and the initiator of electric aircraft development at Siemens AG, said, “Siemens is developing electric drive systems with highest power-to-weight ratio for aircraft propulsion. Only with innovation can we solve the problems of rising fuel costs, rising passenger demand and rising environmental regulation.

“Innovations developed for the Hypstair hybrid-electric powertrain will be instrumental in making aviation more sustainable in the long run. As electric drives are scalable, we can expect that in the future larger aircraft will use electric propulsion. The world is becoming electric, whether in the air, on land or at sea.”

In coming months, testing will continue to simulate typical mission profiles and validate the hybrid drive concept and performance.

Project Hypstair