Larry Dighera
October 30th 15, 02:02 PM
<http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NASA-X-Plane-Project-Moves-Forward-225089-1.html>
NASA X-Plane Project Moves Forward
By Mary Grady
A group of NASA engineers and private-sector partners working in California is
moving forward with creating an X-Plane demonstrator they hope will prove the
efficiency of using an array of small electric-powered propellers for general
aviation aircraft. "This is a really important demonstrator for us," NASA's
Mark Moore, the leader of the research team, told AVweb
<http://www.avweb.com/podcast/Podcast-NASAs-All-Electric-X-Plane-225090-1.html>.
"There hasn't been a manned NASA X-plane for about 30 years. This is going to
be the first manned aircraft powered by distributed generation, so it's going
to be very meaningful." Moore said he believes the three-year, $15-million
project
<http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NASAs-Electric-Airplane-Project-Moves-Forward-223711-1.html>
will prove that the distributed-electric propulsion system can achieve up to
five times greater efficiency than conventional systems, with 30 percent lower
operating costs.
Moore said a lot has been going on since the project began about a year ago,
including local ground testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in
California, detailed design work for the wing and propellers, and building a
custom electric motor. They are just about to buy a Tecnam 2006T, and they will
remove the wing and replace it with their own wing and motors and an array of
small propellers. "We're really focusing in on distributed electric propulsion
as a key technology," he said. "Every one of us is just incredibly motivated to
make this happen … Seeing these analysis results, you just can't help but be
excited because the changes are so large." Their research so far is predicting
that a series of small motors distributed along the wing can improve aircraft
efficiency by 50 percent, compared to using a single electric motor as a direct
replacement for a reciprocating engine.
Flight testing with the Tecnam is scheduled for September or October in 2017.
Using currently available technology, Moore said he expects the aircraft will
be capable of about a 200-nm range. "The batteries are constraining the
practicality of this technology," he said. "But it seems credible that within
five to seven years batteries will be about twice as good as what we're using
now." And even a 200-nm range could make the technology useful for many
operators, he said. Commuter airline Cape Air, for example, operates a fleet of
Cessna 402s on routes shorter than 220 nm.
Eventually, Moore said, he hopes to expand the project to develop VTOL
aircraft, which he says would maximize the technology's potential for
efficiency and usefulness. "That's where things get really exciting," he said.
Small VTOL aircraft, with two to four seats, using this technology could
accomplish the same tasks as a helicopter, with 10 times the efficiency. "They
could make helicopters irrelevant and completely obsolete," he said.
A team headed by NASA engineer Mark Moore plans to fly a modified Tecnam P2006T
driven by an array of small propellers powered by electric batteries. Moore
explains to AVweb's Mary Grady how this project could completely upend the
design rules for GA aircraft of the future
<http://cdn.avweb.com/media/podcast/2015-10-29_MarkMoore-BatteryPropelledXPlane.mp3>
NASA X-Plane Project Moves Forward
By Mary Grady
A group of NASA engineers and private-sector partners working in California is
moving forward with creating an X-Plane demonstrator they hope will prove the
efficiency of using an array of small electric-powered propellers for general
aviation aircraft. "This is a really important demonstrator for us," NASA's
Mark Moore, the leader of the research team, told AVweb
<http://www.avweb.com/podcast/Podcast-NASAs-All-Electric-X-Plane-225090-1.html>.
"There hasn't been a manned NASA X-plane for about 30 years. This is going to
be the first manned aircraft powered by distributed generation, so it's going
to be very meaningful." Moore said he believes the three-year, $15-million
project
<http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NASAs-Electric-Airplane-Project-Moves-Forward-223711-1.html>
will prove that the distributed-electric propulsion system can achieve up to
five times greater efficiency than conventional systems, with 30 percent lower
operating costs.
Moore said a lot has been going on since the project began about a year ago,
including local ground testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in
California, detailed design work for the wing and propellers, and building a
custom electric motor. They are just about to buy a Tecnam 2006T, and they will
remove the wing and replace it with their own wing and motors and an array of
small propellers. "We're really focusing in on distributed electric propulsion
as a key technology," he said. "Every one of us is just incredibly motivated to
make this happen … Seeing these analysis results, you just can't help but be
excited because the changes are so large." Their research so far is predicting
that a series of small motors distributed along the wing can improve aircraft
efficiency by 50 percent, compared to using a single electric motor as a direct
replacement for a reciprocating engine.
Flight testing with the Tecnam is scheduled for September or October in 2017.
Using currently available technology, Moore said he expects the aircraft will
be capable of about a 200-nm range. "The batteries are constraining the
practicality of this technology," he said. "But it seems credible that within
five to seven years batteries will be about twice as good as what we're using
now." And even a 200-nm range could make the technology useful for many
operators, he said. Commuter airline Cape Air, for example, operates a fleet of
Cessna 402s on routes shorter than 220 nm.
Eventually, Moore said, he hopes to expand the project to develop VTOL
aircraft, which he says would maximize the technology's potential for
efficiency and usefulness. "That's where things get really exciting," he said.
Small VTOL aircraft, with two to four seats, using this technology could
accomplish the same tasks as a helicopter, with 10 times the efficiency. "They
could make helicopters irrelevant and completely obsolete," he said.
A team headed by NASA engineer Mark Moore plans to fly a modified Tecnam P2006T
driven by an array of small propellers powered by electric batteries. Moore
explains to AVweb's Mary Grady how this project could completely upend the
design rules for GA aircraft of the future
<http://cdn.avweb.com/media/podcast/2015-10-29_MarkMoore-BatteryPropelledXPlane.mp3>