Defence company BAE Systems is to provide batteries to Airbus for a micro-hybridization demonstration project the European planemaker is working on for commercial aircraft.
BAE Systems is to develop, test, and supply the energy storage packs to Airbus for lab testing and system integration for hybridization technology demonstration.
Work on the energy storage system will be performed at BAE Systems’ engineering and manufacturing facility in Endicott, New York.
BAE Systems is developing energy storage systems for electric aircraft in the megawatt power class, which will offer two hundred-kilowatt-hour energy capacity to enhance energy efficiency and performance. The batteries will provide electric propulsion assist to the engine during various phases of flight.
Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of controls and avionics solutions at BAE Systems said, “Our collaboration with Airbus will help future developments in air travel—advancing sustainable aviation with leading-edge energy management solutions.
“Our experience in flight-critical systems and vehicle electrification equips us to meet aerospace’s demands, allowing us to optimize performance, work towards more responsible aircraft operations, and address safe electric flight.”
BAE Systems said it has made investments in aircraft electrification and energy management, leveraging its expertise in safety-critical systems to mature technologies that meet energy storage system performance and certification requirements. Its technology is certifiable, fault-tolerant, and designed to address the highest levels of safety, including solutions for thermal runaway mitigation and containment.
The company has developed solutions to meet key challenges of energy storage in electric aviation and is offering a family of energy storage products to 300Wh/kg energy density using high-volume standard format cells. The plan is to give aircraft OEMs a cost-effective and scalable upgrade path as battery technology matures.
