TE Connectivity is applying its expertise to help electric aircraft developers cope with ever-increasing high-voltage direct current loads. The interconnect technology specialist’s stand at the Paris Airshow features an eye-catching transparent acrylic mockup featuring no fewer than 120 components the company produces for new eVTOL vehicles, including 50 different types of connectors.
Safety ranks as the top concern, according to Karl Kitts, TE’s senior engineering manager for advanced systems architecture. Electrical loads as high as 1,000 volts mean less time to react to a failure condition. Installing faster circuit protection can resolve that issue. “With these power levels, you could burn through a fuel line very quickly,” he warned.
Instinctively, aircraft manufacturers address such challenges by adding a lot of redundancy, using multiple power control boxes and motors. But, especially for small aircraft like eVTOLs, space and weight are at a premium, meaning compromised performance if designers do not carefully integrate systems with the airframe.
TE Connectivity supports Textron eAviation by providing power distribution equipment, contactors, over-current relays, and fuses for its Nexus eVTOL design. “It’s small so everything has to be lightweight, and we’re helping to install it where it’s needed and working with the geometry,” Kitts explained. Later this year, the company expects to supply the power distribution unit ready for flight testing with a Nexus technology demonstrator. TE Connectivity also supports Vertical Aerospace with its eVTOL program.
At the same time, TE’s engineering team also focuses on how electric aircraft developers can maximize every bit of the power available in today’s batteries. That involves developing solid-state power controllers that automatically assess the state of the charge and control how much gets through to limit surge currents.
The company provides interconnect solutions for airliners, supporting equipment such as reclining seats and inflight entertainment systems. It also serves as a supplier for commercial space platforms.