zepp.solutions has an Aeronautical Solution

Dean Sigler Announcements, Electric Aircraft Components, Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Working With the NLR zepp.solutions is a multi-faceted Dutch firm intent on finding ways to apply hydrogen propulsion systems to sea, land, and aeronautical applications.  Their ultimate product will be the conversion of an eighty-passenger fossil-fuel powered commuter liner into a zero-emission vehicle that loses a few paying passenger to the goal of flying in clean air.  Working with the The Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR), zepp will start with a Pipistrel Electro Velis as a proof-of-concept machine that will test new fuel cells and associated gear. zepp describes the large-scale partnership of which it is a part.  “This major Dutch partnership aims at building a hydrogen system for aircraft, completely green, from fuel to propulsion. The system will be scalable to larger aircraft. And it is entirely of Dutch origin. This will make the Netherlands the world’s leading supplier of hydrogen-powered aircraft,” according to zepp. “Hydrogen Aircraft Powertrain and Storage System (HAPSS)* is an entirely Dutch public-private partnership, set up …

Stellantis,  Zeta and Lyten’s Lithium Sulfur Battery

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

Stellantis, Zeta Energy, and Lyten are both working independently and  collaborating to develop Lithium-sulfur batteries in a move to reduce prices and increase output and cycle life. Electrive’s lead paragraph heralds the advantages.  “The automotive group Stellantis is entering into a partnership with the Texan battery specialist Zeta Energy to develop lithium-sulfur (LiS) batteries that should enable 50 per cent faster charging, among many other advantages. The new battery technology is said to be significantly more powerful and cheaper than lithium-ion batteries and does not require cobalt, graphite, manganese, or nickel.”  The duo is partnering with Lyten, which has achieved its own breakthroughs in lithium-sulfur technology. The group comprises a sizable investment base, with Stellantis having a $38.52 billion market cap; LG, $7.77 billion, and Zeta, $4.77 billion. Materials Because of the different materials, prices will drop, and availability will be enhanced.  Non-use of cobalt, graphite, manganese, or nickel will avoid sourcing from foreign entities, some of which use child …

December 17, 1903

Dean Sigler Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

December 17, 1903, is a day to be remembered for all who fly.  That was the day 121 years ago that two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio made history with the first powered, controlled flight of an airplane. The controlled part is most important.  Others had leaped off hills in early versions of hang gliders, their bodies thrashing about in various ways to try to maintain control.  The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, managed the trick with a combination of wing warping for banking, elevators for altitude control, and rudders to trim the turning motion of the airplane.  Their aerodynamic contributions came from careful study and clever adaptation of their cycling craft. Their powerplant, a 12-horsepower, 120-pound four cylinder engine, was the product of Charles E. Taylor, a machinist and mechanic in their shop.  Taylor was limited in the equipment at hand, and drilled holes around the outline of the crankshaft o for the engine on a steel slab.  He …

Stralis – Audacious Australian Startup

Dean Sigler Announcements, Electric Aircraft Components, Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Stralis is an Australian startup with great ambition and some pretty audacious ideas.  Bob Criner, the firm’s Co-founder and CEO (with Stuart Johnstone who is also Chief Technical Officer or CTO),  gives a quick overview of those ambitions and the unique solutions he and his team are developing. Solutions include hydrogen-powered aircraft powered by fuel cells that are six times lighter than competing types.  The  certainly thinner, based on images from the company.  Stralis has, “…filed our provisional patent application for our our high-temperature PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel stack design.”  The firm has also been completing several rounds of fund raising from investors and building a customer base, with, “$263M in Letters of Intent from a range of customers across 5 countries,” for propulsion systems and aircraft. Bonnie and Clyde With the power system ready, the team created an airborne test bed (Bonnie) and a ground-based power systems test unit (Clyde) to demonstrate what their systems can do. The …

Kasaero Flies a Hydrogen Amphibian

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Electric Aircraft Components, Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Kaesaero, a company specializing in unique aircraft, flew an ultralight hydrogen amphibian on September 23.  Often considered as too heavy and bulky for light aircraft, hydrogen has been seen recently on commercial commuter craft, but rarely on puddle-jumpers available at your local airport. The outing by a Dornier DS-2C, described by Dornier as, “a two-seat amphibious, light sports aircraft manufactured from lightweight, carbon fiber materials. Light by design, but incorporating structural integrity for safety of flight. The aircraft can host up to two occupants and 100 liters of fuel, which secures your next adventure.” Normally powered by a Rotax 912iS Sport engine of 73.5 kilowatts (95.5 horsepower), the two-seat, 650 kilogram (1,430 pound) craft has a maximum cruise speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) and a stall speed of 73 kilometers per hour (45 mph). Its 9.18 meter span gives it a rate of climb of 3.2 meters per second (630 feet per minute) and the ability to …

Beta Technologies Goes eVTOL and eCTOL

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Beta Technologies’ Alia comes in two variants, eVTOL and eCTOL.  The electric Vertical Take Off and Landing version and electric Conventional Take Off and Landing version have demonstrated their abilities in their full flight ranges, flown a total of 40,000 miles, and helped show off the company’s electric charging network.   Founded by Kyle Clark and Dr. Martine Rothblatt, head of United Therapeutics, Beta grew from the need to transport human organs quickly from donors to recipients. Dr. Rothblatt has a fascinating background, described in her medical company’s web site. “Dr. Rothblatt founded United Therapeutics in 1996 and has served as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer since its inception. Previously, she created the satellite radio company SiriusXM. She is an inventor or co-inventor on nine U.S. patents, with additional applications pending. Her pioneering book, Your Life or Mine: How Geoethics Can Resolve the Conflict Between Private and Public Interests in Xenotransplantation*, anticipated the need both for global virus bio-surveillance and …

Electra Aero Announces Nine-Seat uSTOL

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Diesel Powerplants, Electric Powerplants, Hybrid Aircraft, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Moving from a technology demonstrator to a full-scale nine-seat uSTOL (ultra Short Take Off and Landing) prototype, Electra Aero is showing significant progress in flight that can take advantage of unprepared fields, and pocket airparks that could conceivably serve neighborhoods. Since its introduction, the Electra Aero Goldfinch has demonstrated on a small scale what Electra hopes to achieve with its blown-wing technology on a nine-seat commuter craft.  The Goldfinch has drawn the attention of the military.  It repeatedly demonstrated its ability to take off and land within 150 feet, and its overall arrival and departure flight path emulates that of helicopters. Test pilot Cody Allee has shown the craft’s ability to land and take off on unprepared surfaces and to maintain control in 150-foot diameter turns before both the Air Force’s AFWERX  program and Navy audiences.  That maneuverability speaks well for its potential combat use. The video overview below of Electra’s history gives a good idea of the company’s design …

The Villiger Traveler – A Stunning Resemblance

Dean Sigler Batteries, Biofuels, Electric Aircraft Components, Electric Powerplants, Hybrid Aircraft, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

The Villiger Traveler is a Swiss aircraft that looks remarkably like the SmartFlyer SF-1 featured in our last posting.  Despite the similar styling, the Traveler has a unique history of its own, and a few stable mates that reflect its careful engineering. The Traveler 230 First introduced in 2017, the Traveler was derived from the TR230, a Cessna-like craft designed with assistance from Calin Cologan and others.  The conventional aircraft, based on other works from this group, was probably Swiss precise in its manufacture. But a different approach and less conventional look were on their way. Same Name, Different Approach Possibly taking the same approach as that taken by the SmartFlyer group, the Villiger team designed a similar appearing airplane, but with two initial variants that gave them some flexibility in choosing components. Carrying on e-Genius’ Platform By 2019, the Villiger craft was probably set in plastic, so to speak.  Such designs have to be “dialed in” early, and because …

Swiss Smartflyer – An Advanced Design

Dean Sigler Announcements, Batteries, Electric Aircraft Components, Electric Aircraft Materials, Electric Powerplants, Fuel Cells, GFC, Hybrid Aircraft, hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

The Swiss Smartflyer SF-1 is an advanced design showing links to the second-place finisher in the 2011 Green Flight Challenge. Launching an Airplane and an Event The creators of the Smartflyer were intent on developing a different kind of aircraft when they started in 2015.  Their hybrid aircraft had three different modes of power from the beginning: pure electric power from batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and a Rotax engine driving a generator that powers the motor’s batteries. They’ve retained those three configurations to this day, obviously modifying or upgrading them as technology changed.  That’s part of the beauty of electric aircraft.  Motors, components and batteries keep improving, and are easy to add or change. In pure electric version, batteries fill nose, promise 2.5 hours of flight. The overall design is close to that of the original, with three replaceable power sources available for the long nose and a high-mounted propeller on the vertical tail.  That “look” came from Dipl-Ing. Rudolf …

Dragonflies and CoFlow Technology

Dean Sigler Biomimicry, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

A Different Approach to Regional Aerial Mobility Dr. Gecheng Zha sees a relationship between dragonflies and his CoFlow technology.  Mimicking the look, and more importantly, the aerodynamics of the creature.  Director of the Aerodynamic and CFD Lab, University of Miami (UM), Zha is expanding his research into eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft, Martian exploration, and large scale sailing ships. His talk at the 2019 Sustainable Aviation Symposium at UC Berkeley was a revelation and his subsequent work shows the multiple directions in which his CoFlow technology can be applied. Urban and Regional Air Mobility CoFlow Jet does the improbable trick of pushing air over the wing, only to have it sucked in near the trailing edge, passed through an internal compressor and blown out through slots in the wing’s leading edge, creating a steady stream that increases the lift coefficient and lowers the drag coefficient.  Zha claims that this enables the use of battery power because the propulsors can …