SBIR-STTR Award

Direct to Phase II

During our Phase I STTR effort, Balcones Technologies, LLC and The University of Texas Center for Electromechanics successfully achieved all Phase I objectives and developed an advanced concept for Mega-Watt (MW) class, high voltage, variable frequency, aircraft electric propulsor motors. Our concept exploits doubly fed generator technology that has received considerable development for wind energy applications and adapts it to the aircraft electric propulsor application. In particular, the wind application is low frequency, low speed, 600V, fixed frequency, MW class, slip-ring or brushless doubly fed generator technology. Our proposed effort adapts that technology to develop higher voltage (1kV), variable frequency, high speed aircraft electric brushless doubly fed motors (BDFM) for the advanced propulsor application. Important advantages of our propulsor technical solution, our team and our program plan are:1. Our Dual Fed Motor concept is brushless, which was identified as highly important by aircraft OEM/integrators when briefed on our approach.2. Our BDFM Propulsor motor results in a 40% reduction in mass of the propulsor unit (motor, converter, and gear system) compared to other approaches (including Permanent Magnet Propulsors) and also increases propulsor unit efficiency by 4%.3. Our BDFM Propulsor motor approach is feasible and viable because of its roots in Doubly Fed Generators for wind energy applications, but it also represents an advancement in the state of the art for Brushless Doubly Fed Machines and advancement in the state-of-the-art for electric propulsor units. 4. Our team is highly qualified to succeed in our proposed effort with world class subject matter experts in the key aspects of our BDFM propulsor motor.5. Our commercialization plan and transition to production plan sets the seeds for long term success by bringing on a future manufacturer as a strategic partner during our Phase II effort. Anticipated

Benefits:
The aircraft propulsor systems and technology developed under this proposed Phase I and potential Phase II STTR have applications in NASA focus areas of advanced aeronautics, especially those addressing the commercial aircraft industry of the future. Our proposed program also develops MW class motor and generator technology that advances the state of the art in efficiency, torque density, and power density for commercially available machines. This presents commercial opportunities within NASA for applications that benefit from these capabilities. Additionally, NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate lists Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles and Transition to Low-Carbon Propulsion as two of their six strategic thrusts. Within the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, the Advanced Air Transport Technology Project (AATTP) seeks to develop technologies and concepts to revolutionize the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of fixed wing transport aircraft in the 2025 to 2035 timeframe, three generations beyond the current state-of-the-art. The AATTP lists establishing a viable concept for 5-10 MW hybrid gas-electric propulsion system for a commercial transport aircraft as one of its seven technical challenges. Our proposed program directly addresses these thrusts and major technical challenges. Consequently it presents our company with associated commercial opportunities within these NASA programs. Our proposed project develops propulsor technology that enables a high voltage, variable frequency AC hybrid electric drivetrain topology for distributed propulsion aircraft that is being developed by NASA. The NASA goals for this effort are to revolutionize the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of fixed wing transport aircraft in the 2025 to 2035 timeframe, three generations beyond the current state-of-the-art. The focus aircraft are small single aisle aircraft (100-150 passengers) which accounts for one third of fuel used by commercial aircraft. As a result, the commercial potential for our technology is very large, especially as commercial and military aircraft move toward high efficiency, environmentally friendly propulsor technology/systems and distributed propulsion approaches. Additionally, the Doubly Fed Induction Machines (motors and generators), that are a focus of our proposed Phase I, effort have applications in many aspects of the power industry, including small grids and wind energy applications.