Electric Drives Could Cut Carbon From Airliner Taxiing

Airbus is working with powertrain specialist Drive System Design (DSD) on new efforts to decarbonize aircraft taxiing operations using electric propulsion to partly replace the main engines. The Project Sonata work is supported by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and is targeting a 47% reduction in emissions for airport ground movements.

According to Steven Simmonds, DSD’s chief engineer of systems programs, new electrified ground drives could be introduced as well as changes to how engines are currently used for taxiing. “If you can avoid using the engines on the ground it can make a big difference, and also displaces [carbon dioxide] emissions at airports which improves air quality,” he told AIN.

DSD, which has extensive experience in the automotive sector, is developing a combined electric motor and gearbox system for inverters that can be integrated with aircraft landing gear and directly drive the wheels. Simmonds said the UK company is tapping its experience from motor sports to optimize the weight and size of the equipment.

“For this type of drive system, the motor is spinning and needs alternating current, so we are focused on how direct current from the batteries will convert to alternating current, and this needs to be tightly synchronized with what the motor is doing,” Simmonds explained. “We have new ways of switching current that gives cleaner signals and a less wobbly waveform that can cause interference.”

Project Sonata’s objective is to produce a system that is ready for a hardware demonstration on an aircraft. Other partners include electric motor manufacturer Evolito, DePe Gear, Magnomatics, CSA Catapult, and the University of Southampton, which is focusing on that airline mission profiles that are best suited to this approach to decarbonization.

According to Simmonds, the involvement of Airbus has meant that the work has become “a more serious project getting beyond reseach and development to the demonstration stage.” A key priority for DSD is making sure that the control system for the hardware and software is certifiable under DO178 rules, and with sufficient safety redundancy.

DSD has previously done work on propeller drives for smaller aircraft, including eVTOLs. It is involved in other work to increase the electrification of aircraft that need high power density.

Airbus's UpNext innovation unit has previously conducted work on technology that could automate airport ground movements and in 2012, Safran backed a venture called TaxiBot that was seeking to introduce electric actuators on landing gear. More currently, in the U.S. Green Taxi Aerospace is working to earn FAA supplemental type certificates to convert airliners to using its hybrid-electric taxiing system from 2027.