The goals established by the EU in emissions reduction require a bet for the development of disruptive technologies enabling new transport systems more sustainable and efficient alternative to existing ones or helping to develop new high-value niche products and services for the society.
The mission of APERTURAS is the design and development of vehicle demonstrating turbomachine-based electric propulsion systems at different power levels (in order of magnitude) with the aim to assure coverage for most of the aeronautic applications and transport systems propelled by turbomachines, currently being developed and expected to reach the market in the coming years.
A first demonstrator will address a power level of a few tens of kilowatts (40-100), suitable for urban mobility applications (multiple distributed propulsors) and interurban commuters for a few passengers. A second demonstrator will address a power level of a few hundreds of kilowatts (500-1.000) and will allow an initial evaluation of a propulsion plant for regional aviation. Additionally, these larger power levels will pave the way towards new applications such as hyperloop, where propellers are in the range of megawatts.
The scope of APERTURAS will cover all technologies and system components for distributed propulsion, including the propeller (low-pressure compressor or helix), electric motor, power electronics, system control, and batteries. Additionally, and especially for interurban applications, aircrafts are required to develop vertical take-off and landing capabilities, in addition to horizontal displacement while in cruise. Thus, it is expected as part of APERTURAS to develop and demonstrate a propeller-plant-rotating system for this transition.
Zeleros will research in high-performing batteries to fulfil requirements for both use cases, and in addition will study the application of the turbomachine technology to the specific needs of the hyperloop system, evaluating scalability to the megawatt-range power levels, as well as specific aerodynamic aspects derived from tube pressure levels, and aerodynamic propulsion nozzle in a low-pressure tube.
Funding: Project subsidized by CDTI, supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and by the European Union co-financed with European funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism – NextGenerationEU.
