Safran Tests Phileas Hybrid-electric Demonstrator

Safran Aircraft Engines has begun ground tests of its Phileas hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator on open-air test stands at its Istres facility in southern France. The company announced the move on Friday, explaining that the technology could be used for a new generation of engines for short- and medium-range aircraft.

Phileas is a full-scale demonstrator that includes a pair of electric motors mounted on the powertrain’s high- and low-pressure shafts, which can directly drive the engine or serve as power generators. It also incorporates onboard power electronics and an electrical power distribution system.

Over six months, Safran will run nearly 300 hours of tests to validate the physical and functional integration of the technologies in conditions it says will be representative of real-world operations. The work is part of its decarbonization efforts along with the development of the open-fan engine and the expanded use of sustainable aviation fuels.

The tests will evaluate power extraction from and injection into the high- and low-pressure shafts under various engine operating conditions and during different phases of flight. They will include advanced power management scenarios such as balancing power extraction between the shafts, transferring power between the shafts, and managing power exchanges between the engine and the aircraft.

According to Safran, the Phileas project’s objectives align with those of the RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program, which it is pursuing through the CFM International joint venture with GE Aerospace. The RISE program aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% compared with current aircraft engines.

The design of the electrical equipment for the Phileas demonstrator is being handled by the group’s Safran Electrical & Power business unit. Earlier work conducted under the DOPEE program in 2023 validated operations with 300-kilowatt electric propulsion motors in conjunction with the Silvercrest engine that Safran had developed for various business jets.