MagniX engineers conducted a series of altitude tests for a battery-powered engine to demonstrate its capabilities to potentially support hybrid electric flight in the future.
The company used an altitude chamber at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed — a.k.a. NEAT — facility, to test the propulsion system at a simulated 27,500 feet and evaluate its performance under realistic flight conditions, the space agency said Tuesday.
The completion of the activity in April wrapped up the first phase of NEAT-hosted altitude tests under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration, or EPFD, project, which focuses on the feasibility of powering future commercial aircraft with hybrid electric propulsion.
Emphasizing the importance of the recent activity, Brad French, lead systems engineer for NASA EPFD, said, “The testing at NEAT is critical for high-power electrified aircraft propulsion technologies because many of the potential problems that a design might encounter only present themselves at higher altitudes.”
MagniX and NASA examined how the temperature at higher altitudes and high voltage could affect the electric engine when operational. Partial discharge tests were also performed to study the strength of the system’s electrical insulation.
Under EPFD, a De Havilland Dash 7 aircraft is being retrofitted with a new propulsion system with traditional turbo-propellor engines and electric motors.
The hybrid electric flight testing of the aircraft is planned for 2026.