Electric aircraft
An electric aircraft is an aircraft which is driven by an electric motor.
Apart from solar aircraft, the electric drive usually comes only as an auxiliary drive for gliders used. Due to the low energy density and high weight of batteries or accumulators, electrical aircraft engines can not reach, the power density of combustion engines.
Features
The flight performance, in particular the scope of the new developments is not enough approach to conventional drives, the operating costs - especially for energy use - but are considerably lower. The main advantage of an electric drive is its low maintenance. This accounts for a significant share of the operating costs for conventional propulsion. An additional advantage is the material and environmentally friendly smoothness due to the almost total absence of vibrations. In addition, completely eliminated all maintenance and inspection work related to oil, coolant, fuel and air filter, exhaust system and transmission, as well as to transport the immense danger highly flammable, explosive liquid in an airplane. In addition, electric drives afford the desired torque at each temperature, air density and speed. This is especially critical for the start-up phase of aircraft of major safety significance, but also in the rise in energy-efficient altitude.
More information can be found at the CAFE foundation, which has announced a price for the energy- efficient aircraft. From Germany it took part in the electric aircraft e -Genius of the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart.
History
Electrically driven aircraft have been around since at least 1884, when Arthur Constantin Krebs took off with the airship La France. Until the first manned electric powered plane took off, but it still took almost 90 years: The first flight of an electric aircraft is generally considered the first flight of the MB -1E on 21 October 1973 with the Austrian Heiner Brditschka a long time does not botenen entry in the Guinness Book of World Records held. The information on the length of the flight vary from 9:05 min to 14 min.
In Germany there are already two self-launch gliders with type certification, the Lange Antares 20E and the Silent AE -1. New impulses are expected from the planned in Friedrichshafen in spring 2009 exhibition specifically on the topic " e-flight ".
Electric Airplanes find a common use in the form of model airplanes, for example, Shock flyers and slow flyers.
Pipistrel developed since 2006, the electric motor glider Pipistrel Taurus in UL class. First flight was in December 2007, series production of the second generation Taurus Electro G2 was recorded in early 2011.
Since the year 2009, the UL Yuneec is in flight testing. It features a 30 kW motor and the standard equipment on a battery capacity of 1.5 hours. The launch has been announced for the year 2011, which is competitive with conventional UL 's and motor gliders to date price mentioned.
In the U.S., a new project in the works: From the already airworthy kit plane prototype (kit airplane) Electra Flyer C shall show the two-seater Elektra -Flyer -X.
Hybrid aircraft
To obtain longer-range efforts are being made also to develop hybrid aircraft, in which an internal combustion engine according to exhaustion of the battery will subsequently supply electricity via a generator. On such a prototype is working designer Burt Rutan legend.
Siemens, Diamond Aircraft and EADS have already shown such a hybrid aircraft at the air show in Le Bourget operation. The DA36 E-Star motor glider based on a Diamond HK36 Super Dimona uses as power train for the first time a serial hybrid electric drive.
Examples
- Lange Antares 20E
- Pipistrel Taurus
- PC - Aero Elektra One
- Yuneec Electric UL
- Electra flyer
- Icaré 2, Hydrogenius, e -Genius, Electric research aircraft of the University of Stuttgart