Imagine trying to put a city's power grid inside a small plane without adding too much weight or causing electrical sparks. This work creates a smarter, lighter way to move massive amounts of electricity to the engines. It uses digital clones to test everything on a computer before building the real hardware.
Current regional aircraft rely on fuel-burning engines that fail to meet Green Deal emission targets. Existing electrical systems cannot safely handle the megawatt-level power and high voltage required for hybrid propulsion without excessive weight or safety risks.
A >500 kW electrical distribution architecture and associated technology bricks. This includes digital twins for design and a copper bird test facility for physical validation.
If you are a plane manufacturer dealing with high fuel burn and CO2 targets — this project developed a >500 kW electrical architecture that reduces fuel consumption. This allows for the design of a new hybrid regional aircraft by 2035.
If you are a component supplier dealing with electrical arcing and interference in flight — this project developed technology bricks to TRL5 that mitigate high voltage phenomena. This ensures your parts meet strict aviation safety standards.
If you are a software firm dealing with expensive physical prototyping — this project developed digital twins for electrical distribution. This reduces the need for physical tests by simulating system behavior digitally.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or cost figures for the technology are not provided.
The project is demonstrating a >500 kW architecture in a copper bird test facility in 2025.
Based on available project data, the specific licensing terms are not mentioned, though it involves a consortium of 40 partners including 23 industry players.
The project is aligning with EASA and EUROCAE standards to ensure the electrical distribution is certifiable.
The roadmap targets exploitation in a new built Hybrid Electric Regional aircraft by 2035.
The project is heavily industry-driven with a 57% industry ratio, comprising 23 companies including 5 SMEs. With 40 partners across 11 countries, the consortium integrates the entire supply chain from aircraft OEMs to subsystem suppliers, ensuring that the research is grounded in commercial viability and manufacturing capability.
Contact Collins Aerospace Ireland, Limited regarding high-voltage distribution TRL5 results.
Contact us to identify partners for the CAJU Phase 2 flight demonstrations.
