Manufacturer Makes Turnkey, Custom Hybrid Electric Systems Available for Developers, Aircraft 

LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions announced the commercialization of its hybrid electric power system for aircraft. 

The aptly named Hybrid Power System (or HPS, since everything sounds better as a 3-letter acronym) is a combined motor and controller ecosystem designed for eVTOL aircraft of all types, geared towards boosting performance beyond what battery-only or engine-only powered flight can achieve. Just like hybrid systems in automobiles, the combination of a high-torque, instant-on electric motor and an internal combustion system manages to leverage the best of both worlds.

Their HPS will be available in Parallel and Series hybrid operations, from 1.5 kW to 40 kW. Systems for passenger or large air cargo mobility can be further customized up to the 250 kW range or more, where required. Customized solutions are modeled using LaunchPoint's proprietary modeling system for optimized powertrain and electrical architecture. The system will be an easy way for designers to forego a lot of development and trouble, getting their project off the ground with a range of options suited to their use.  

“Simply put, the LaunchPoint HPS is the brawn and brains of a power system of what would be characterized as the equivalent of a ‘flying Prius’ with cruise control – optimized for vehicle range, payload, flight/hover time and battery life,” said Rob Reali, CEO. “Our novel arrangements of component features and innovations meet the needs of the emerging Advanced Air Mobility market.”

“We’ve evolved the HPS over twelve years to meet the complexities of demanding flight and safety requirements for AAM and unmanned aerial systems,” said LaunchPoint’s chief tech officer, Mike Ricci. “The integrated electromechanical system utilizes our proprietary SmartPoint™ control software to coordinate complex, dynamic hardware components, including the engines/prime movers, and intelligently respond to a wide range of system requirements in real time. The system not only solves the problem of regulating variable voltage sources - such as PM generators and fuel cells - but it also works together as a microgrid power manager to optimally use energy resources on a vehicle. Power is rerouted to enable reliable, fault-tolerant flight. It is an excellent system for our customers that want to run generators and for those who are looking to develop power generation solutions based on LaunchPoint’s generators and controllers.”

FMI: www.launchpointeps.com