Theoretically, yes I think so. There are some key enabling technologies (energy storage and electric propulsion) that need to be developed further before something like that could be built.
The motor inductance is relatively low so we're running a high switching frequency (40-60kHz) to maintain reasonable phase current ripple. No output filter is used. Also, our phase busbars are very short so we don't run into the transmission line effects you typically see with fast switching SiC/GaN and phase cables.
We are looking into some advanced modulation schemes and switching topologies to reduce CM bearing current. Also looking into hybrid bearings with ceramic balls. This is definitely an area of active research, but we are trying to get away from a CM input filter as they can be bulky and heavy.
I dunno man, there is no silver bullet for high dV/dt, and SiC are harsher than most. Low-permeability core material and high switching frequency can help keep an LC filter compact.
As long as people are considering radically different markets, go all the way to the extreme. E-bikes, one-wheels, e-motorcycles. Something's got to carry you over the desert of waiting for aviation certification.
Love the brainstorming. As you mentioned, "decoupling" the cruise mode from the takeoff mode could make a lot of sense. One of the most innovative and feasible solutions I've seen is from a former YC company called Talyn Air https://www.talyn.com/
They have a nice animation showing the lifter and the cruiser vehicles.
Love what they are doing. I would consider them one of the leaders in the pack right now. Val has a practical vision to get to market on a timeline that is very compelling. Hydrogen FC is very promising for long-range flight applications due to its high energy density so I think they are focusing on the right things.
The big advantage of using existing airframes is that you dramatically reduce certification costs and commercialization time. If you can "retrofit" an existing airframe with electric propulsion, then you can get to market a lot faster.
You're absolutely right though - changing the airframe design and moving to distributed propulsion can lead to improvements in aerodynamic efficiency, L/D, and fault tolerance.
I appreciate the advice here. We are actively investigating the FAA Part 33 cert, but a standalone cert for a commercial electric drive hasn't been fully defined yet.
This is a good question. Aviation has the largest market space for this motor application. The aviation certification time frames are quite laborious, but we are mitigating this by diving into some other markets in the short term.
1. There are parts that are certainly harder and there is one part I can think of that may be easier.
- Harder: Longer and more expensive iteration cycles, MVP can be expensive, manufacturing and production required to scale, expensive certification
- Easier: Raising money (sometimes) especially if you are a moonshot with a big vision. Good example is Boom Supersonic.
Good news is there has never been a better time to start a hardware company than today. Iteration cycles are becoming shorter due to advances in rapid prototyping and there is a lot of capital available, especially in electric vehicles and sustainable tech.
Peter Thiel talks a lot about this in Zero to One, but much of the innovation that’s been done in the past decades has been in the digital space. We have so many problems that require innovative hardware solutions and I think now we are just beginning to scratch the surface.
2. We all met through Formula SAE in college. This is a great place to meet super talented engineers and is why Tesla, SpaceX, and the other top companies in the world recruit heavily from these programs. It teaches you both the hard skills and the soft skills. If you are still in college, I would recommend getting involved in teams like this.
3. I haven't really read anything hardware-startup specific, but I love Zero to One and find myself rereading it all the time.
Would love to hear other peoples thoughts on this as well. Good questions
I'm not in the field, but from my perspective, aviation is super, super conservative. That is one of the reasons why we have GA still using leaded gasoline in engines that are largely unchanged from the 1950s. F1 is basically the exact opposite, they are pushing the bleeding edge of technology all the time.
Also, cargo UAV is a big one right now. Many UAM companies are using this as a stepping stone to start generating revenue while they certify their aircraft.
Marine is a big one though.. especially in Scandinavia. Lots of interest in electrifying boats and ships there.
Is the scale of the engine for marine applications very different to aviation? Ferries usually have huge hulking diesels so I'm curious what the equivalent electric powertrain is like.
I'm also assuming that a scaled down version would be ideal for personal watercraft?
We are planning to add a MW-class machine to our portfolio in the next five years which could serve as a nice replacement for the dirty diesel engines on these larger ships.
Looking at Taiga Motor's electric jet ski, 250kW would be a bit on the high-side. It would also be a very expensive jet ski :)
https://taigamotors.ca/watercraft/
In marine use, as a former ship driver (naval, not commercial, so needs could vary), I would prefer a larger number of small engines I can vector rather than one or two larger engines. It removes the need for tugs from both the maneuverability standpoint since you have vectoring and the safety standpoint since you could have redundant systems.
Don’t many modern ships already have this? I recall watching “Big Ships” or some such on
Discovery Channel about 15-20 years ago where they explained ships already having multiple stern and aft, starboard and port, “pods” either with jet streams or rotors.
Sure, but having driven ships with those, they're not as maneuverable as they could be. It takes time to deploy the pods and often they aren't available at high speed.
Now that makes a lot of sense. Unlike side thrusters, you'd be able to use all engines to provide forward movement for max speed while also using the same engines for low speed maneuvering.
Thanks! Yes, high-altitude UAVs is a great application for our motors. We're developing a new insulation system for our coils so we have spent a lot of time looking into the challenges high altitude poses - corona, cooling, all sorts of fun stuff. Lots of altitude chamber testing in our future!
