Story ID: 416
MagniX Offers Increased Energy Density Battery Cells
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: Batteries will have an energy density of 400 Watt hours per kilograms
Word Count: 221
MagniX this week launched an addition to its family of Samson battery cells, offering one with an energy density of 400 Wh/kg. The product announced on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show builds on the performance of the 300 Wh/kg cells the U.S. company introduced last June.
According to the company, the higher energy density will support a wider array of electric aircraft, as well as be useful beyond aviation in various defense, industrial, energy storage, and marine applications. At the Paris show, MagniX is displaying an example of the 300 Wh/kg battery cell alongside a model of the HeliStorm electric motor launched in March.
MagniX is developing the HeliStorm range in response to demand for faster rotor speed motors with between 6,000 and 7,000 rpm, compared with the 1,900- to 2,500-rpm powertrains it is working on for other applications. These include plans to electrify aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan and De Havilland Beaver, with its 350- to 650-kilowatt Magni350 and Magni650 electric propulsion units.
The company’s engineering team based near Seattle is working on direct drive applications with no gearbox. It has also garnered interest from other companies for its motor to be combined with a turbogenerator, which in some instances might be used to produce power for non-propulsive purposes.