Rolls-Royce - Powering New Ways to Fly

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Rolls-Royce - Powering New Ways to Fly

Rolls-Royce - Powering New Ways to Fly

Powering Advanced Air Mobility

Electrical power and propulsion systems will lead the way for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), enabling silent short and vertical take-off and landing capabilities while lowering emissions and reducing fuel consumption.

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Air taxis eVTOL

Urban air mobility (UAM) such as air taxis and electric take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) are due to take to the skies by the mid-2020s, creating a billion-pound market size.

Designed to carry up to four people or transport light cargo, the urban air mobility industry will revolutionise intracity travel and supply chains.

As battery technology improves and new hybrid-electric concepts are introduced, eVTOL will become even more sustainable and able to fly for longer ranges at higher speeds. The drive to go further and faster will see hybrid eVTOL move into the longer-ranging inter-city aviation market, allowing them to become testbeds for newly emerging autonomous technologies.

Our electrical portfolio

We are developing complete power and propulsion systems for Advanced Air Mobility, i.e. not only the electrical machines but also the power electronics, cooling, cabling, power distribution and protection, power generation and control systems. We are further expanding our system solution offerings to include energy storage. Our ultimate objective is to launch the commercialisation of certified systems for these markets within the next 3-5 years.

Electric Propulsion Unit for Urban Air Mobility
  • Direct-drive 150 kW electric motor with corresponding power electronics and control
  • Transverse Flux topology delivers highest torque density for air cooling at UAM rpm levels
  • Multi-lane architecture in combination with air cooling enables highest safety standards
  • TFM and power electronics architecture enables air-cooling reducing overall system complexity, costs and weight.
  • Adaptable to a variety of eVTOL configurations

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Electric Propulsion Unit for Regional Air Mobility
  • Direct-drive 350 kW electric motor with integrated power electronics and control
  • Power dense, compact modular & adaptable design for single, twin and quad engine aircraft platforms
  • Patented multi-lane architecture and air-cooling to achieve the highest safety standards
  • Integrated inverters and light-weight materials enable compactness and high power density
  • Governor drive unit (GDU) and other pitch actuation systems allow for high platform adaptability and modularity and support fast time-to-market
  • Air-cooling and high efficiency reduce maintenance and operating costs

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Electrical Distribution System for Advanced Air Mobility
  • Modular and scalable high-voltage power distribution system, distributes high-voltage, direct-current power to interconnect energy sources and loads within the aircraft.
  • Robust control architecture and health monitoring with logging and transmission of critical parameters help to achieve the highest industry safety standards and increase in-service availability
  • Compact, custom design of modular hardware and small footprint HV DC connectors enable high power density
  • Passive air-cooled design and thermal-optimised copper busbars contribute to mechanical integrity and high product efficiency
  • PDU controller can be tailored with custom interfaces, microcontroller and power supply boards
Turbogenerator System
  • High efficiency, dual-fuel capable turbogenerator system for hybrid-electric aircraft platforms
  • 600 kW to > 1 MW scalable power output adaptable platform requirement
  • Highly integrated design with power to weight ration
    <= 4 kW/kg 
  • SAF capable, provision for H2



Technology demonstration and research

ACCEL

The ACCEL project has excited and inspired the aviation world with the all-electric “Spirit of Innovation” aircraft, claiming to have broken three world records in speed for electric aircraft.

Electrical H3PS

H3PS

Together with Tecnam and Rotax we modified a Tecnam P2010 aircraft with the H3PS propulsion system, the first parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for General Aviation. The focus of this project is on developing the design of the hybrid-electric propulsion system and conducting extensive ground-testing to build our technological capabilities. Our colleagues have mastered the complex task of coupling an electric machine with a combustion engine in such a way that it participates in the propulsion system and can serve both as a motor or a generator. In this way, a significantly smaller combustion engine is enough for propulsion and fuel consumption is reduced.

Image source: Airbus Helicopters

The CityAirbus demonstrator

For our development of electrical products for the Urban Air Mobility market we build on our experience gained during test flights of the CityAirbus demonstrator.

For this all-electric octocopter developed by Airbus we have contributed an electric motor comprising a 200 kW electric motor and associated power electronics, controller and the power protection and distribution system to generate, distribute and manage the required high electro-mechanical torque. The CityAirbus successfully finalized its flight campaign in 2021, providing valuable learnings to the teams.

½ MW propulsion prototypes

Based on a concept study for a hybrid-electric Dornier 228 we have developed electric machine prototypes for this power-class and have obtained lab results from a 480kW electric motor and a 500kW generator.

ELICA

As part of a consortium that includes among others: the University of Naples, SmartUp Engineering, Siemens Industry Software NV and Air s.Pace GmbH, we work on the project ELICA - (ELectric Innovative Commuter Aircraft). The objective of this project is to develop a concept design for a 19 PAX commuter aircraft. While the University of Naples will carry out multidisciplinary optimisation and performance benefit analysis at the aircraft level, we will provide expertise in the area of the propulsion system architecture and electric machine design.

Get in touch

Contact us if you are interested in our electric portfolio and would like to partner with us in
making sustainable flight a reality.

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Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land.







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