EcoPulse Moves Forward with Air Transport Decarbonisation

• Airbus designed the battery, which is rated for 800 volts DC and can deliver up to 350 kilowatts of power.
• The frontrunners—Airbus, Daher, and Safran—are working together to address the environmental challenges of future air transport.

EcoPulse, a hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator jointly developed by Airbus, Daher, and Safran, is advancing towards its goal of decarbonising the aviation sector by 2050.

EcoPulse is an innovative project supported by CORAC (the French Civil Aeronautics Research Council) and co-financed by the DGAC (French Civil Aviation Authority) through France Relance and NextGeneration EU. Its goals include improving aircraft performance, reducing cabin noise, saving energy, contributing to decarbonisation efforts in the aviation industry, and developing hybrid-electric test flights.

EcoPulse performed its first hybrid-electric test flight on November 29, 2023, at Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport. So far, the aircraft has completed over 100 flight hours, including 50 test flights.

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"We are particularly pleased with the success of the EcoPulse program and its results. This was the first time we tested a complete hybrid-electric propulsion system in flight, and these trials represented a significant milestone in our technology roadmap," said Eric Dalbiès, Senior Vice President - Strategy & Chief Technology Officer at Safran. "The lessons learned enable us to continue validating decarbonization technologies."

The tests were conducted on the new hybrid-electric propulsion system, which combines electric and traditional engines, proving the feasibility of using electric propulsion in aircraft. They provided insights into the maturity of hybrid-electric technologies. For instance, they found that electric motors, also known as ePropellers, could reduce interior noise when properly synchronised.

Pascal Laguerre, Chief Technology Officer of Daher, said: "EcoPulse has enabled Daher to take a crucial step forward in developing a low-carbon aircraft. This project not only helped us design an operational system for a demonstration prototype but also tackle critical technological hurdles. Thanks to this rich and unprecedented collaboration, we have made significant progress toward hybridization."

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However, technological challenges, among others, include improving battery performance, managing high-voltage systems, developing better pilot interfaces, and optimising or reducing the weight and noise of the aircraft.

“This EcoPulse campaign allows us to advance certain hybrid-electric technologies, such as high-voltage batteries, and integrate them into future aircraft, helicopters, and air mobility solutions,” said Jean-Baptiste Manchette, Head of Propulsion of Tomorrow at Airbus. “With distributed electric propulsion, we achieved our goal of modeling flight physics and energy management at the aircraft level, key elements for shaping the next generation of aircraft."

The EcoPulse has come this far due to the collaboration and efforts among Daher, Safran, and Airbus. The companies have combined their expertise in the testing and development of hybrid-electric aircraft to decarbonise the aviation industry by 2050.

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Source: Airbus