S E R I A L H Y B R I D The serial hybrid is the
best answer to the age-old aviation problem of heavy batteries. This gas-electric powerplant was developed for a typical air cargo vehicle.
a generator to make the same electrical output as a battery but at a great savings on weight. The solution to the other barrier is to use helicopter rotors with collective and cyclic pitch — both requiring research and development we are currently investing in at Embry-Riddle. Ongoing research projects building hybrid powerplants and UAM- targeted rotor and motors support this need. Our newly developed hybrid powerplant, for instance, promises a ratio of electric power-to-weight that is 4.6 times better than any existing battery system on the market. The technology converts power from an efficient turbocharged engine to
a highly concentrated electrical power, which can then be transferred to eVTOL vehicles. Gasoline feeds into a lightweight, turbocharged aluminum engine, which transfers engine power from the crankshaft into a high performance electric generator. Using this method lowers emissions because the engine and generator are operating at their most efficient settings at all times. Couple that with UAM’s projected lack of traffic or stoplights and we can almost certainly expect a more environmentally friendly solution than traditional surface transportation.
4.6 x Newly Developed Hybrid Powerplant Promises a ratio of electric power-to-weight that is 4.6 times better than any existing battery system on the market.
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