U.S. Energy Department Supports Hybrid Propulsion Programs With $33 Million Funding

The U.S. Department of Energy is committing $33 million in funding to support research and development of propulsion systems for hybrid electric aircraft. On August 26, it announced that 17 projects will share the investment as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s Aviation-class Synergistically Cooled Electric-motors with Integrated Drives (ASCEND) and Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH) programs.

Nine projects are being are sharing $14.5 million under phase one of the ASCEND program, which is focused on developing lightweight and ultra-efficient all-electric powertrains with advanced thermal management system intended for single-aisle passenger airliners. The eight REEACH projects have been allocated $18.5 million to deliver cost-effective, high-performance energy storage and power generation sub-systems for electric aircraft with a strong emphasis on fuel-to-electric power conversion technologies. A further $18 million will be available under phase two of ASCEND.

The organizations selected for funding under phase one of ASCEND include Texas A&M University for its work on co-axial motors and Hyper Tech Research in Columbus, Ohio, which is developing a high-power density, integrated electric propulsion motor, drive and thermal management system for hybrid electric aircraft. REEACH fund recipients include Fuceltech of Princeton, New Jersey, which is developing a low-cost, lightweight energy storage and power generation system and a team at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which is designing a new energy storage and power generation system.