Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023 - 16

FEATURE ARTICLE
Companies to Watch: Wright Electric Innovates Propulsion
2023 promises to be an important year for electric propulsion
innovator Wright Electric. Plans call for initial flight testing of
its Wright Spirit regional aircraft retrofit technology, this stage
employing one electric propulsor enroute to graduating to two
of the propulsion systems in 2024 and targeting a fully electric
flightworthy craft in 2026 powered by four propulsors.
Its full propulsion system is compatible with any energy source
from batteries to fuel cells and can serve other industries from
maritime to surface transportation. Wright is also working on an
ambitious ground vehicle development project for the U.S. Army.
The Wright Spirit incorporates the company's megawatt-class
electric propulsion system to serve the 100-passenger market for
one-hour flights. It is designed as a retrofit for the BAE 4-engine,
100 passenger platform.
" Aviation has committed to net-zero
carbon emissions by 2050, but Wright
is committed to a 100% reduction in all
emissions starting in 2026, " says Jeff
Engler, CEO. " Because we built the
world's largest aerospace propulsive
powertrain, we can build the world's
largest zero-emissions retrofit directly
serving the world's busiest routes. "
In the past three years, the company
has been proving key components of
the system for commercial aviation
Jeff Engler, CEO of
Wright Electric
including a high-efficiency, high-power density inverter and a 2
MW, 2,700 HP permanent-magnet motor. Designed with careful
thermal mitigation for its power density and relatively high voltage,
the motor is rated at an efficiency of about 10 kilowatts per
kilogram. It provides a 2x improvement compared to available
aircraft propulsion motors, says the company, and is scalable
from 500 kW to 4 MW for different applications, allowing application
of the motor up to single-aisle class aircraft.
Wright plans to use ten 2MW motors on its Wright 1 aircraft for a
total of 20 MW, which is as powerful as an A320 Airbus aircraft.
Its flagship airplane also under development, the Wright 1 is
a 186-seat airliner with an 800-mile range, targeting entry into
commercial service in 2030.
16 Magnetics Business & Technology * January/February 2023
Lightweight but powerful 2MW permanent-magnet motor
Recently, the U.S. Army picked Wright as one of six companies
to develop ways to power electric vehicles as part of its NextGeneration
Combat Vehicle modernization effort. Spearheaded
by the Army Applications Laboratory, the project seeks to power
a future fleet of roughly 225,000 electric vehicles while operating
in a field where infrastructure for such capability would likely not
exist.
Also coming up for testing is the company's light but powerful
megawatt generator. Built upon its motor technology used for
aerospace, the generator is positioned as ideal for fleet electrification
in austere and remote environments. Rated at 2 MW and
scalable to 15 MW, it is half the weight and volume of existing
generators. It has been selected by AFWERX for development
testing as a tactical battlefield recharger in support of the Department
of Defense's fleet electrification goals. AFWERX is the
innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force which is operated by the Air
Force Research Laboratory.
Two key partners, Honeywell and EaglePicher, are taking part
in the Joint Technical Assessment Phase (JTAP) for the Wright
Spirit powertrain.
" Wright and Honeywell are partnering to explore various techwww.MagneticsMag.com
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Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023

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