European aviation research and industry initiative on Hybrid Electric Propulsion
IMOTHEP (“Investigation and Maturation of Technologies for Hybrid Electric Propulsion”) will perform an in-depth investigation of electric technologies for hybrid electric aircraft in close connexion with advanced aircraft configurations design and innovative propulsion architectures taking advantages of synergies between propulsion and airframe.
Analysing potential technologies and technical issues at the relevant scale is fundamental for hybrid electric propulsion and addressing the challenge of climate change requires exploring the technology for commercial aircraft that represents the bulk of current airlines' fleets and aviation’s emissions. This is the central focus of IMOTHEP.
AIT Center for Transport Technologies will perform research on emerging all-solid-state battery technology suitable for future aircraft propulsion and power systems while AIT Center for Energy is in charge of power electronics topologies and pre-design.
The ultimate goal of the project is to achieve a key step in assessing the potential of hybrid electric propulsion for reducing the emissions of commercial aviation and eventually to build the technology roadmap for its development.
Under the leadership of ONERA, the French aerospace research lab, a consortium of thirty-three key aviation industry and research stakeholders is engaging in an ambitious research project on hybrid electric propulsion for commercial aviation, a technology that opens a new design space for aircraft and may provide a revolutionary step in improving their efficiency.
The IMOTHEP consortium gathers the major European aircraft manufacturers (Airbus and Leonardo), leading engines manufacturers (Safran, GE Avio, MTU, ITP, and GKN), European aeronautic research organisations from EREA (ONERA, CIRA, DLR, AIT, ILOT, INCAS and NLR), higher education organisations (Université de Lorraine, ISAE/Sup'Aéro, Strathclyde University, TU Braunschweig, Politecnico di Bari, Chalmers University, and University of Nottingham), a think tank (Bauhaus Luftfahrt), an intergovernmental organisation (Eurocontrol), and a consulting company in innovation management (L’Up). IMOTHEP receives support also from EASA as third party.
In addition, IMOTHEP develops international cooperation with Russia, with the involvement of five leading research organisations (CIAM, GosNIIAS, MAI, NRC, TsAGI), as well as with Canada (NRC-CNRC).
Imothep official video
Project Partners
- AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS, https://www.airbus.com/
- CENTRO ITALIANO RICERCHE AEROSPAZIALI SCPA, http://www.cira.it/
- DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV, http://www.dlr.de/
- LEONARDO - SOCIETA PER AZIONI, https://www.leonardocompany.com/
- SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, http://www.safran-aircraft-engines.com/
- GE AVIO SRL, http://www.avioaero.com/
- SAFRAN SA, http://www.safran.com/
- L - UP SAS, http://www.l-up.com/
- AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH, http://www.ait.ac.at/
- GKN AEROSPACE SWEDEN AB, http://www.gknaerospace.com/
- CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB, http://www.chalmers.se/
- SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ-INSTYTUTLOTNICTWA, www.ilot.edu.pl
- "INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE AEROSPATIALA ""ELIE CARAFOLI""- INCAS BUCURESTI", http://www.incas.ro/
- INDUSTRIA DE TURBO PROPULSORES S.A.U. , http://www.itp.es/
- STICHTING NATIONAAL LUCHT- EN RUIMTEVAARTLABORATORIUM, http://www.nlr.nl/
- SAFRAN AERO BOOSTERS, https://www.safran-aero-boosters.com/
- SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER, http://www.labinal.com/
- MTU AERO ENGINES AG, http://www.mtu.de/
- BAUHAUS LUFTFAHRT EV, http://www.bauhaus-luftfahrt.net/
- UNIVERSITE DE LORRAINE, http://www.isae.fr/
- TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BRAUNSCHWEIG, http://www.tu-braunschweig.de/
- UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, http://www.strath.ac.uk/
- POLITECNICO DI BARI, http://www.poliba.it/
- THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM , http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/
- EUROCONTROL - EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE SAFETY OF AIR NAVIGATION, http://www.eurocontrol.int/
- FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE THE CENTRAL AEROHYDRODYNAMIC INSTITUTE NAMED AFTER PROF. N.E. ZHUKOVSKY, http://www.tsagi.ru/
- FEDERALNOE GOSUDARSTVENNOE UNITARNOE PREDPRIYATIE CENTRALNII INSTITUTAVIACIONOGO MOTOROSTROENIYA IMENI PI BARANOVA, http://www.ciam.ru/
- STATE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF AVIATION SYSTEMS, www.gosniias.ru
- NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER INSTITUTE
- STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION MOSCOW AVIATION INSTITUTE STATE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, http://www.mai.ru/
