A project to research novel superconducting motors for all-electric aircraft had its first meeting at NASA Glenn Research Center, Ohio last week. The goal is to develop superconducting motors that can generate between 200hp (150kW) and 2,000hp and power a small all-electric business aircraft as well as high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicles and airships, writes Rob Coppinger.
The motors will use high-temperature superconducting wire able to operate at up to -223ºC (-369ºF). “We are looking at novel concepts to tackle the main issues with superconducting machines,” says Edward Lovelace, mechanical/electromagnetic group leader at Massachusetts-based SatCon Technology.
The two motors developed so far, the synchronous AC and homopolar machines, both have drawbacks, Lovelace says. The AC motor uses a rotating member with superconducting coils, the cryo-cooling system for which also has to rotate. The homopolar motor avoids rotating members, but uses high-ampere electrics that Lovelace views as unwelcome complexity.
The meeting launched a small business innovation research contract won by Satcon, which aims to find a third approach. The six- to nine-month study, funded up to $100,000, could be followed by a contract worth up to $1 million to develop a prototype.
Source: Flight International
