French manufacturer VoltAero last week unveiled a new hybrid engine designed for the experimental and very light aircraft (VLA) categories.
The HPU 210 links a Kawasaki 150 kW (210 hp) thermal engine and a 50 kW (67 hp) VoltAero electric engine, using the avgas engine for cruise augmented by the electric motor when extra power is needed, such as to improve take-off distance or increase cruise speed.
"With the HPU 210, a new category of airplanes will benefit from the patented, proven hybrid propulsion technology pioneered by VoltAero for our Cassio family of regional aircraft, which are now advancing into their pre-production phase,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero CEO and Chief Technology Officer.
“We’ve validated our hybrid propulsion architecture on our in-house Cassio S flying testbed, which has logged more than 185 flight hours and flown approximately 25,000 kilometers in a full range of operating conditions.”
The avgas engine is based on Kawasaki's super-charged H2SX engine that also powers the Ninja H2 SX motorcycle. The H2SX is an four-cylinder in-line motor that has a projected TBO of 1500 hours.
VoltAero’s HPU 210 hybrid-electric propulsion unit is controlled by a single lever, with the Kawasaki engine generating the power from zero to 70%, and the additional boost power delivered by the electric motor and its battery.
VoltAero will supply the HPU 210 as a turnkey solution, with the kit including a complete powertrain composed of the thermal engine, electric motor, gearbox and electronic control unit (ECU).
The entire kit, including both engines, gearbox, exhaust system, alternator, cooling system and engine mounts, weighs in at 173.2 kg.
VoltAero says the Kawasaki engine can deliver a cruise fuel consumption of 38 lph, and can run on avgas, biofuel or standard unleaded automotive petrol.
More information is on the VoltAero website.