Sat, Jun 01, 2019
NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed Will Work On Electric-Powered Airliners
As large airline companies compete to reduce emissions, fuel and noise, aircraft manufacturers are shifting more of their aircraft systems to electrical power. To help usher in the next revolution in aviation— hybrid electric and turboelectric aircraft – NASA is building and testing portions of a concept aircraft’s power systems with an eye toward the future.
NASA Glenn has repurposed its Hypersonic Tunnel Facility to create the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT). Located at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, NEAT is a world-class, reconfigurable facility that can accommodate power systems for large passenger airplanes like a Boeing 737, with megawatts of power. This testbed, which recently conducted its first megawatt-scale test, takes advantage of the facility’s massive amounts of available power to carry out research and technology development of aircraft electrical powertrains – like the power system seen here.
“We can layout an entire electric powertrain, not including the engines, in NEAT and test all of the key electrical systems for an electrified aircraft,” says Dr. Rodger Dyson, principal investigator.
NEAT also includes a vacuum chamber, where this photo perspective was taken from, which can currently simulate altitudes of up to 40,000 feet to test high-voltage power electronics, electric motors, and controls. Within the year, NASA plans to increase the altitude capability to over 50,000 feet.
“NEAT can make a difference in aviation because it has the power and size to investigate the full power capabilities of the next generation of hybrid and turboelectric aircraft,” says Dyson.
(Image provided with NASA news release)
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]