The most powerful generator for aviation will
provide compact and efficient power aboard the new hybrid-electric
airship
PHOENIX, April 5,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell's (NASDAQ:
HON) 1-megawatt generator has been selected by FLYING
WHALES QUEBEC to supply power for
its new hybrid-electric airship, the LCA60T. Both companies signed
a contract for the integration and supply of Honeywell's 1-megawatt
generator. Based in France and
Canada, FLYING WHALES is
developing the 200-meter-long vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
aircraft for the heavy load transport market.
The proven high-power density and efficiency of Honeywell's
1-megawatt generator system allows it to integrate smoothly with
propulsion and operational systems for piloted or autonomous
aircraft. It can also be used as a 1-megawatt motor without
modifications for electric propulsion engines. Aboard the LCA60T,
the 1-megawatt generator will create a hybrid propulsion system by
being integrated with a gearbox and a turbine that uses jet fuel
and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Honeywell generator will
supply electrical power to the electric engines, thereby creating a
more efficient and sustainable form of travel — similar to the way
hybrid-electric automobiles function.
"Honeywell's 1-megwatt generator is a perfect fit for a
transformational aircraft like the LCA60T," said Dave Marinick, president, Engines & Power
Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. "Our generator is four times as
powerful as any other generator flying today, and at unmatched
power density. We believe in creating a more sustainable future for
aviation, and our work with FLYING WHALES is helping bring that
future to life."
The LCA60T is a heavy-duty rigid airship with a 60-tonne payload
capacity. It is 200 meters (m) long with a 96m by 8m by
7m high cargo bay supported by 10
nonpressurized helium cells. It is powered by a 4-megawatt hybrid
electric propulsion chain. Like all aircraft, the LCA60T will be
certified to ensure maximum operating safety. Originally designed
to transport renewable wood resources from hard-to-access areas,
LCA60T's unique stationary hovering design for loading and
unloading is ideal for overcoming numerous logistical and technical
problems in remote areas, and it has a remarkably low environmental
footprint. This solution overcomes all ground constraints to
transport large and heavy loads at a low cost. Flying
Whales intends to fly the first LCA60T in 2025 and plans
to manufacture 150 aircraft in the next 10 years.
"We are pleased and proud to welcome Honeywell, which joins us
in developing the next generation of propulsion systems. This
important collaboration completes and strengthens our Canadian
consortium to develop and manufacture our high-power
turbogenerator. Today, we are building in Canada the expertise and technological
advancements for tomorrow's aeronautics," said Arnaud Thioulouse,
chief executive officer of FLYING WHALES QUEBEC.
"The signing of this contract with Honeywell, one of the world's
leading aerospace engineering companies, signals great
technological advances in high-power electrical systems and
demonstrates the key role of FLYING WHALES' product to trigger
innovation. Honeywell's 1-megawatt generator will be integrated
within the turbogenerator of the hybrid electric propulsion system.
With this collaboration, not only are we equipping the LCA60T with
the best technical solution for high-power onboard requirements, we
are paving the way for a revolution in air transport," said
Vincent Guibout, vice chief executive officer of FLYING
WHALES.
In May 2022, Honeywell announced
that the 1-megawatt generator had successfully completed its first
round of testing. Since then, subsequent tests have shown even more
powerful results. During the latest round of testing late in 2022,
the megawatt generator operated at 1.06 MVA (1MW) power levels. The
test demonstration ran continuously at 1,000 kilowatts,
highlighting the megawatt generator's high-power density (~8kw/kg)
and efficiency (~97%), which are key enablers in hybrid-electric
propulsion for both aerospace and ground applications.
About Honeywell
Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on virtually
every commercial, defense and space aircraft. The Aerospace
business unit builds aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin
electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components
and more. Its hardware and software solutions create more
fuel-efficient aircraft, more direct and on-time flights and safer
skies and airports. For more information, visit
www.honeywell.com or follow us at @Honeywell_Aero.
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) delivers industry-specific
solutions that include aerospace products and services; control
technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials
globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing
plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make
our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and
information on Honeywell, please visit
www.honeywell.com/newsroom.
About FLYING WHALES and FLYING WHALES QUÉBEC
FLYING WHALES is a French-Canadian company that develops an
ambitious and unique program thanks to its innovations and the
quality of its teams and industrial consortium: the LCA60T, a rigid
airship for heavy load transport with a carrying capacity of 60
tons. Originally designed to meet the needs of logging renewable
wood resources in hard-to-reach areas, the LCA60T's unique hovering
loading and unloading characteristics will provide solutions to
numerous logistical and landlocked problems around the world, with
a very low environmental footprint. This solution will allow, at
low cost, to free itself from all ground constraints for the
point-to-point transport of heavy or bulky loads. Finally, FLYING
WHALES is also developing FLYING WHALES SERVICES, the operating
company for the LCA60T. FLYING WHALES QUÉBEC is its Canadian
subsidiary, in which Investissement Québec is a shareholder, to
participate in the aeronautical program and, in the industrial
phase, to be able to address the American continent.
For more information, please visit:
https://fr.flying-whales.com/
Contacts:
Honeywell
Juliet Collins-Achong
+44 7787 282932
juliet.collins-achong@honeywell.com
FLYING WHALES
Romain Schalck
+ 33 6 34 25 48 50
romain.schalck@flying-whales.com
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SOURCE Honeywell