A subsidiary of the United Technologies Corp., Sikorsky Aircraft has revealed its innovation at the Farnborough International Air Show – a demonstrator for an all-electric helicopter technology. The actual demonstration aircraft named The Firefly will be unveiled on July 26 at the Experimental Aircraft Association at their AirVenture exhibition to be held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. Being a part of the world symposium on electric aircraft, the demonstrator is expected to be one of the main attractions.
According to the Director of Sikorsky Innovations, Chris Van Buiten, the objectives of the Project Firefly are –
– Offering proof of principle concept for validating the benefits of an electrically powered rotorcraft
– Developing the technologies for enabling a manned flight of this technology
– Driving future development of improved, state-of-the-art green technologies and practices
The demonstrator is built around an S-300C helicopter. The Innovations team has replaced its legacy propulsion system. In its place, the team has used a highly efficient electric motor, which is controlled by a digital controller from US Hybrid. Power comes from a lithium ion energy storage system made by Gaia. Health information about the aircraft comes in real-time from integrated sensors via a panel integrated interactive LCD monitor. The Eagle Aviation Technologies, LLC, executed the custom airframe modifications and assembly of the demonstrator aircraft.
As the fossil fuel reserves of the world continue to dwindle with increasing demand, the supply/demand cycle is set to increase the operating costs of all vehicles running on such fuel. The aviation industry is particularly vulnerable, with the worst sufferer being the commercial helicopter market – spiraling fuel costs are set to threaten the critical role played by rotorcraft.
Transformations in the propulsion technology have being enabling most of the significant advancements in aviation so far. Electric propulsion technology for rotorcraft is especially exciting because this technology increases the efficiency of the aircraft nearly three times from the baseline. Because of electric propulsion, the reduction of the quantity of moving parts also reduces the inherent complexity of the propulsion system, thereby increasing the reliability and reducing the direct operating costs.
The demonstrator aircraft has a 200HP electric motor, its controller, cockpit controls and a battery system. Sikorsky has a standard practice in place for all aircraft programs. Only upon completion of all ground tests and reviews of safety of flight, they will plan for the first flight and this may happen only later this year.
Team Sikorsky anticipates that the current technology for energy storage will be unable to meet the payload and endurance levels of a typical helicopter performance. However, they expect to incorporate more mature technology as these values grow. Project Firefly has the following features –
− Fully electric drive system
− Highly efficient and safe high-density energy storage system
− Technologies for automate monitoring and alerting
− Cockpit displays suitable for the next generation
Sikorsky Innovations has set themselves a task involving redefining the future of vertical flight. They intend to mature and develop the technologies, involved products and processes to increase the scope of previous efforts.
