RESEARCH PROJECTS
ADVANCED SUPERCONDUCTING MOTOR EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATOR

Project Goal:

The technical goal of this project is the development of an innovative, fully superconducting drive with a power density of up to 20 kW/kg. A stator with a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) winding system and a rotor with HTS stacks, equivalent to permanent magnets, will be constructed. To cool the superconducting components to -250 °C, a highly efficient cryostat with a cooling system will be integrated into the motor. Additionally, a modular power supply will be developed, which will also include improved protection features for the superconductors. Alongside the construction of the motor, novel cooling technologies for use in aircraft will be explored. At the test facility of Oswald, the developed drive is expected to demonstrate the potential and technological advantages that will serve as the foundation for future aircraft designs.

Project Description:

Global air traffic is expected to increase by approximately 5% annually, along with all the negative side effects such as emissions and noise pollution. To counteract this, the European Union has set goals in the Flightpath 2050 initiative aimed at advancements in civil aviation. Emissions and noise are to be reduced by over 60%. These objectives cannot be achieved with conventional turbine technology. A key technology is superconducting electric drives, which have four times the power density compared to traditional electric motors. With the higher efficiency of electric motors, completely new aircraft concepts can be envisioned, featuring lower drag and reduced energy consumption. However, no electric drive with the necessary power density is currently available.