ARCTRACK · Project

Preventing Electrical Arc Fires in Next-Generation Electric and Hybrid Aircraft

transportTestedTRL 5

Imagine your home wiring was designed for a toaster, but now you need to run an industrial oven through it — that's what's happening in aviation. Aircraft are moving from low-voltage systems (like a car battery) to high-voltage systems needed for electric flight, but nobody fully understands how dangerous electrical arcing becomes at these higher voltages. This project built test equipment and ran experiments to figure out exactly when and how electrical faults turn into fire hazards in these new aircraft power systems, especially with voltages jumping from 115V up to 3,000V. The goal: give aircraft designers clear rules for keeping passengers safe as aviation goes electric.

By the numbers

0.75-3kV

Target voltage range for next-generation aircraft electrical systems

115V AC / 28V DC

Traditional aircraft wiring voltage levels being replaced

Consortium partners (1 industry, 2 universities)

Total project deliverables produced

Demonstrated experimental test capability for arc fault experiments

The business problem

What needed solving

As aviation moves toward electric and hybrid-electric propulsion, aircraft voltage levels are jumping from 115V AC to as high as 3kV. At these voltages, electrical arc faults — the kind that caused the loss of an F35B fighter — become far more dangerous and harder to predict. Aircraft manufacturers and suppliers currently lack validated test methods and hazard data for arc tracking at these elevated voltages, creating a safety and certification gap.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated experimental test capability for conducting arc fault experiments at elevated voltages relevant to electric aircraft (0.75-3kV). Across 8 deliverables, the team produced arc tracking hazard assessments, quantification methods, and mitigation strategies for high-voltage aerospace wiring systems.

Audience

Who needs this

Aircraft electrical wiring harness manufacturers scaling to high-voltage systemseVTOL and hybrid-electric aircraft developers designing power distributionAerospace certification bodies developing standards for electric aviationAircraft component suppliers transitioning from 115V to kV-class productsAviation safety consultancies advising on next-generation electrical architectures

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace electrical systems

enterprise

Target: Aircraft wiring harness manufacturers and electrical system integrators

If you are an aerospace wiring manufacturer preparing products for hybrid-electric aircraft — this project developed experimental test methods and arc tracking data for voltage systems up to 3kV that can help you validate your insulation designs against arc fault hazards before certification. With aircraft voltages jumping from 115V AC to 0.75-3kV, your existing qualification tests may not cover the new failure modes.

Electric aviation / eVTOL

mid-size

Target: Urban air mobility and electric vertical takeoff companies

If you are an eVTOL developer designing electrical architectures at 0.75-3kV — this project produced arc tracking hazard assessments and mitigation strategies specifically for higher voltage aerospace systems. Understanding arc fault behavior in your power distribution helps you avoid catastrophic failures like the F35B incident caused by a single incorrectly installed bracket.

Aerospace certification and testing

any

Target: Independent test labs and certification bodies for aviation electrical systems

If you are a test laboratory that qualifies aerospace electrical components — this project demonstrated new experimental test capability for arc fault experiments at elevated voltages. As regulations evolve for hybrid-electric aircraft operating at 0.75-3kV, your test procedures will need to cover arc tracking scenarios that current standards don't address.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access this arc tracking test methodology?

The project does not disclose pricing or licensing terms in the available data. The University of Manchester coordinated the work, so any commercial access to test methods or datasets would need to be negotiated directly with them. Given it was publicly funded, some results may be available through academic channels.

Can this be applied at industrial scale for production testing?

The project delivered a demonstration of experimental test capability for arc fault experiments. This suggests the methods are validated at lab scale. Scaling to routine production testing would likely require further engineering to integrate into manufacturing quality assurance processes.

What is the IP situation — can we license the results?

As a publicly funded Innovation Action with 3 UK-based partners including 1 industry partner and 2 universities, IP ownership would be governed by the consortium agreement. The University of Manchester as coordinator would be the first point of contact for licensing discussions.

Does this cover the voltage ranges relevant to our electric aircraft program?

Yes — the project specifically targeted the 0.75-3kV range expected in next-generation aircraft. Lower voltages apply to VTOL air taxis, while higher voltages cover regional jet applications such as the E-Fan X demonstrator class. Traditional 115V AC / 28V DC systems were used as the baseline.

How does this help with certification and airworthiness?

The project aimed to deliver a clear understanding of arc tracking hazards and describe ways to quantify and mitigate them. This kind of evidence base is exactly what regulators need to develop certification standards for high-voltage aircraft electrical systems. Based on available project data, 8 deliverables were produced covering the research findings.

What's the timeline — is this ready to use now?

The project ran from October 2019 to March 2022 and is now closed. The experimental test capability was demonstrated and an interim report was produced. The knowledge base is available, though adaptation to specific aircraft programs would require further work.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a compact, UK-only consortium of 3 partners — the University of Manchester as coordinator, one additional university, and one industry partner (33% industry ratio). The tight consortium suggests focused, deep technical work rather than broad multi-country deployment. Having industry involved means the research was grounded in real manufacturing needs, though the academic majority indicates the work leaned toward building the scientific evidence base. For a business looking to adopt these results, the single-country setup simplifies IP negotiations but may mean the findings need validation across different regulatory jurisdictions.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERCoordinator · UK
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDEparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

The University of Manchester coordinated this project. Their aerospace electrical engineering group would be the entry point for technical discussions or licensing.

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can connect you directly with the ARCTRACK research team and help structure a technology transfer or testing partnership. Contact us for a detailed briefing.

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