Wright Electric is preparing to start ground testing prototypes of the 2-megawatt WM2500 electric propulsion system (EPS) it is developing for commercial airliners. This week, the company reported that it now has a test stand to install at its facility in New York State with a view to expanding the scope of tests in the next few months.
The test stand has been constructed with the support of Polish company REA Space and the Rzeszow University of Technology. It incorporates a 7,000-pound-thrust Lycoming LF507-1 turbofan engine donated by Executive Jet Support, since this is representative of the propulsion loads required for regional jets.
With support from CFS Aeroproducts and Avalon Aero, Wright has converted the engine into a single-stream configuration that is compatible with electric motors. Initial testing with Wright’s first-generation EPS will be conducted with thrust settings limited to 500 kilowatts, but once the second-generation version is built, testing will be extended to full power.
Wright recently completed high-altitude chamber testing with the first example of the WM2500 using NASA’s ground-based Electric Aircraft Testbed. The test simulated operations at an altitude of 40,000 feet.
“We’re continuing testing different simulated flight conditions using our in-house dyno in our laboratory in Malta, New York,” said Jeff Engler, Wright Electric’s CEO. “Then we’ll shift to propulsion testing on the new stand, and after that we’ll shift to ground and flight testing on an aircraft.”
Initial plans envisage the WM2500 being used for 100-seater airliners, with the potential for the propulsion system to be scaled up for larger aircraft. Wright has received financial support for earlier work from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E ASCEND program.
According to Engler, it has had interest for possible applications of the EPS from three areas. These include large turboprop aircraft, such as the C-130 military transport; medium-sized regional airliners like the ATR72; and regional jets of the size of the BAe 146 family. The propulsion system is designed to work with either ducted fans or propellers.