Hybrid Powerplants for Electric Aircraft

VerdeGo Aero is seeking Direct-to-Phase II SBIR funds to advance the mechanical development of the VH-3-185 hybrid powerplant to a state of maturity just short of Critical Design Review. Background:  VerdeGo has developed two generations of high-performance prototype hybrid-electric powerplants, bringing them to TRL 7.  Three of VerdeGo’s 2nd generation systems, the VH-2-150, were delivered to a customer on 31 Jan 2022, two of which will be installed in an experimental aircraft for flight testing.  VerdeGo is now developing its first production hybrid powerplant design, the 3rd-generation VH-3-185.  There is a significant opportunity to leverage the capabilities already developed with more than $3M of commercial funding to address USAF electric propulsion needs for eVTOL aircraft and other electric power generation needs. Description:  VerdeGo's commercial VH-3-185 hybrid powerplant is a highly integrated 185 kW power system that includes the engine, generator, power electronics, and cooling systems in a single unit to provide electric power for propulsion of electric aircraft.  The engine inside the VH-3-185 is a custom modified variant of the SMA SR305-260E certified aerospace diesel engine that uses jet fuel or sustainable aviation fuel, and it is combined with a proprietary generator design with integrated power electronics and cooling systems.  The VH-3-185 will be capable of both parallel-hybrid and series-hybrid operation.  In a parallel-hybrid architecture, the powerplant can provide both mechanical power for driving propellers, rotors, fans, or gearboxes and electrical power for driving electric motors or charging batteries at the same time.  In a series-hybrid architecture, the powerplant provides only electrical power to the high voltage bus for distribution to any combination of electric motors and batteries. The work plan includes design and analysis of required modifications to the SR305 crankcase, engine durability testing to confirm operation at a slightly higher power level and RPM, design and dynamic analysis of the drive train that connects the engine to the generator, and design, analysis, and testing of the thermal management system.  Development of the supervisory controller including both hardware and software will be completed in a future phase.