TOKYO - IHI Corporation (TOKYO: 7013) has announced the joint development of the world's first one-megawatt-class electric motor integrated within a jet engine's tail cone, marking a significant milestone in the More Electric Architecture for Aircraft and Propulsion (MEAAP) project. This initiative aims to enhance the energy efficiency of aircraft systems, including engines, to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The development is part of IHI's research into advanced electric and hybrid electric propulsion systems, under the auspices of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. This new engine-embedded electric motor is expected to contribute to powering aircraft and serve as a critical technology in the development of hybrid electric propulsion systems, a field that is seeing global research and development efforts.
In the context of the aviation industry's growth and the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization's target for virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions from passenger jets by 2050, IHI's innovation comes as a timely endeavor to improve existing technologies and develop more eco-friendly aircraft systems. The MEAAP project not only focuses on electrification but also on improving fuel efficiency by reusing cabin air to cool electrical equipment, which could lead to the elimination of complex conventional systems, thereby reducing weight and enhancing maintainability.
IHI's previous work includes the development of a 250-kilowatt-class engine-embedded electric motor in March 2020, which at the time offered the largest generator capacity for passenger aircraft in operation. The company has since improved upon this with advancements such as high-density molded coil technology and an exhaust heat system technology, enabling the creation of a motor with over one megawatt of power and scalable output.
The new motor's performance was validated at the Evaluation Laboratory for Next Generation Motors of the Akita University Joint Research Center for Electric Architecture, the largest facility of its kind in Japan. IHI plans to continue developing hybrid electric propulsion systems and aims to demonstrate the engine-embedded electric motor within the middle of this decade.
This announcement is based on a press release statement from IHI Corporation.
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