Among the many dots that need joining up to make electric aviation a reality are power management, data connectivity, and high-speed communications—all of which will be much in evidence at TE Connectivity’s Paris Air Show exhibit. The group will display a plexiglass representation of how technology including high-power connectors and new flat cables could be key parts of the new electric fixed-wing regional airliners.
According to Martin Cullen, the group’s senior business development manager, supporting the reinvention of regional air services in markets like Europe is a high priority. TE wants to play a leading role in delivering game-changing reductions in operating costs for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, which have been assessed as costing as much as 50% to 60% more than today’s airliners.
The company has invested in developing high-voltage connection hardware that can handle between 800 and 1,000 volts. “Whether an aircraft uses batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or hybrid [propulsion], we’re agnostic because, to work well, these powertrains all need really effective connectivity,” Cullen told AIN.
TE has been supporting several eVTOL aircraft developers to meet their power management needs. A key difference with so-called eCTOL fixed-wing aircraft is that typically, they will fly at more than twice the altitude, at around 20,000 feet. “At those altitudes, operators can encounter some odd electrical phenomena as the current is increased, such as electrons moving to the outer diameter of the copper wire, decreasing the transmission material as the resistance increases,” Cullen explained. “That means more potential for electrical arcing, and so more insulation is needed with special cables.”
Safety Critical Connections
Focusing on the rapidly emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) sector has drawn TE closer to many of the start-ups leading the charge. This has spurred the group, which has long supported countless legacy aerospace and defense OEMs, to new levels of innovation, exemplified by its 987 connector developed for high-voltage and high-vibration operating environments needed for eVTOL vehicles. “We’re now taking this technology to the traditional companies, and they like it, plus it’s also helped us to get new products to market sooner,” Cullen said.
Among the other challenges TE is addressing in the AAM space are developing connectors that are suitable for production in small volumes, and also hardware that can be readily adapted to fit the compact and somewhat complex architecture of the new aircraft. The latter requirement has prompted innovation such as 90-degree connectors that can be installed at right angles in airframes and around propulsion systems, as well as ultra-compact battery connectors, and harnesses and clips that are easy to assemble.
Also featured in TE’s Paris show exhibit this year are the connectivity solutions it provides for commercial airliners to support items such as fully-reclining seats and the latest entertainment systems in the cabin. The group is active in the space sector, supporting and contributing to satellites and launch vehicles.