ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC …Or, indeed, with no tank aboard at all? In aiming to set a new world air speed record for an all-electric flight, our ACCEL team had to develop one of the most advanced battery systems ever conceived of for flight.
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When you hear the word battery, what do you think of? Those things you scrabble around in drawers for when the TV remote is playing up? The tiny cell that powers the wristwatch you refuse to give up, even though the phone in your pocket has largely made it defunct?
Chances are what you're not thinking about is the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft, capable of providing enough energy to fuel 250 homes or fly from London to Paris on a single charge. Or set a world air speed record of over 300mph, as the team behind Rolls-Royce's ACCEL programme - who most definitely are thinking about this type of battery - hope it will.
packaged for maximum lightness and thermal protection
target speed for the ACCEL world record attempt
powerplant propelling the aircraft to that speed
It's a hope, however, founded on months of hard work. Months of intensive planning, engineering and testing of the battery, driven by a commitment to finding meaningful, sustainable solutions to some of the greatest environmental challenges the world faces today. At the heart of this - alongside an equally impressive racing airframe, lightweight YASA e-motors and a state-of-the-art digital avionics bay - lies the battery.
"There are unique challenges to overcome. The battery will need to be powerful enough to beat a tough performance record, carry enough energy to complete those courses and light enough to fly."
Matheu Parr, ACCEL Project Manager, Rolls-Royce
Comprised of 6,000 cells and an advanced cooling system that can withstand the extreme temperatures and high-current demands during flight, the battery has undergone intensive testing to ensure it's able to not only push at the boundaries of what is possible, but do so in a way that is also safe and airworthy. That's where the 'ionBird' test-rig came into play, taking its name from the Li-ion technology that the battery is based on. Similar rigs have long been used in aviation for testing propulsion systems ahead of flight, and the ionBird represents an evolution in the system that will likely prove invaluable as we develop further clean energy solutions. The ionBird enabled the team, amidst the challenging and changing restrictions of the COVID-19 landscape, to increase and accelerate the level of testing on the battery. This ensured the battery was able to reach maximum possible performance before it was even integrated onto the plane.
In perfecting the battery for the Spirit of Innovation's world record attempt, the possibility for wider applications begin to emerge. We have particular high hopes for the impact such batteries will have on a new generation of 'Urban Air Mobility' concepts. It's an exciting new market that will rely on clean, quiet and energy efficient power, and perfectly ties in with our mission to reach net zero by 2050. So while today the aim for our ACCEL battery is to power a 300mph+ flight, tomorrow that same or similar technology might power an all-electric air taxi, capable of carrying four passengers through the busy city skyscapes of the future…
"The potential impact of the advanced battery and propulsion system, we have developed for ACCEL goes far beyond the chance to set an all-electric air speed record. As exciting as that is we are also focused on a future in which Rolls-Royce is looking to lead the way in sustainable power for new aviation markets. This technology will help enable us to become a #1 for all-electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems, which is incredibly exciting as these new markets develop and expand."
Rob Watson, Director Rolls-Royce Electrical
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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc published this content on 24 September 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 24 September 2021 11:21:01 UTC.
