Evolito announced a collaboration with Airbus, supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, to develop an on-aircraft, electric wheel taxi system. The system will enable aircraft to taxi independently from ground support equipment with the main engines switched off, resulting in considerable reductions in operating costs, noise and emissions. The project aims to decrease taxi emissions by 47%. Evolito has been selected to develop a low speed, high torque electric motor based on its proprietary axial flux motor technology for Project SONATA: System Optimisation of Non-propulsive energy in Aircraft Taxi technologies and Architectures.
Chris Harris, CEO of Evolito commented: “Evolito is thrilled to collaborate on project SONATA. By developing low speed, high torque motors for aircraft landing systems, we are extending the performance envelope of our technology and contributing to the reduction of aviation’s environmental impact whilst also reducing operating costs. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainability in the aerospace sector.”
Chris McDonald, Industry Minister, stated: “This cutting-edge project from Evolito could make an essential contribution to our journey towards Jet Zero, and this government is proud to back it through the Aerospace Technology Institute. We’re going further to back our world-class aerospace industry through our Modern Industrial Strategy, delivering good jobs whilst keeping the UK at the forefront of innovation.”
Evolito’s proprietary axial flux motors deliver best in class specific power and torque. Expected to deliver ~56Nm/kg and provide 350kW@ peak power, the proposed axial flux motor developed in Project SONATA will also meet the integration requirements for future landing gear applications.
Building on the successful outcome of project UToPEA, an ATI Programme funded project focused on advancing Evolito’s electric propulsion systems, this new collaboration will further enhance engineering capabilities and drive innovation in the aviation market. In addition to Evolito’s key role, Project SONATA brings together several other leading organisations: The University of Southampton, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Magnomatics, Drive System Design and DePe Gear.
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