Aviation energy storage company Electroflight has launched an energy storage unit designed to advance prototype development in electric aviation projects.
The modular unit can be rapidly deployed without the need for a bespoke battery system. The UK-based company believes this will be especially useful for smaller electric and hybrid aircraft entering early-stage product development.
The Scalable, Expandable, Energy Device (SEED) will carry 4.3kWh and offer 196 Wh/kg. It has an operating temperature of -20°C (-4°F) to +60 °C (140°F) at discharge and 0 (32°F) to +60 °C (140°F) at charge. The battery is able to contain and manage thermal runway, has a fast-charging capability, a self-contained ion, battery management system, and full individual cell temperature coverage.
Douglas Campbell, technical director of Electroflight said, “The technology in the SEED system has been built on the foundations of the ground-breaking innovation we developed for the world record-breaking ACCEL project and further strengthened from battery supply partnerships with eVTOL and CS23 aircraft customers.”
Designed to address industry standards for energy storage systems, it will be compliant to TSO C179b, which refers to industry battery standards such as DO-311A and DO-160. The battery is also compatible with liquid cooled applications to support fast charge and turn around when on the ground.
The SEED battery includes a front face for thermal management and electrical interface, and a rear face for venting and breathing to enable simple airframe integration (Photo: Electroflight)
Electroflight has reported high levels of demand for the SEED. Campbell said, “One leading operator in the electric aviation space has already placed a major order, requesting A samples by quarter one 2023 and B samples and first flight in quarter two 2023. ”
Stjohn Youngman, managing director UK of Electroflight said “We will need a significant and sustained influx of investment in battery technology if electric aviation is going to become a reality, and innovators in this space need to be empowered to prototype and test as effectively as possible without sacrificing safety or accuracy.
“SEED is designed to facilitate this and ultimately help the aviation sector to accelerate on its journey to decarbonization as quickly as possible.”
