Researchers have demonstrated a 100kW fully superconducting axial-flux motor that could help pave the way for lighter, more efficient hydrogen-electric aircraft.
Developed by researchers at the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASL) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, the prototype system uses high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology to carry very large electrical currents with almost no resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures: 20 Kelvin (K) or -253°C.
This could allow aircraft motors to achieve much higher power density than conventional electrical machines, a key requirement for future hydrogen-electric and fully electric aircraft.
One of the main challenges with developing electric aircraft is ensuring sufficient power is generated while keeping propulsion and energy storage systems lightweight.
Although termed ‘high temperature’, HTS materials still operate at cryogenic temperatures. So although HTS technology offers a route to much lighter and more efficient...