Pratt & Whitney Develops High Voltage Charging Unit for Hybrid-Electric Flight

Press Release Issued: Jan 22, 2024 (9:00am EST)

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RTX's Pratt & Whitney Canada unveils high voltage bidirectional mobile
charging unit for hybrid-electric flight demonstrator



Photos(1)




Charger sets a new standard for supporting high voltage systems 

LONGUEUIL, QC, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney Canada today
announced the development of an advanced mobile charging unit (MCU) capable of
charging high-power batteries at up to 1500 volts, making it compatible with
Megawatt Charging System standards the industry is advancing for high voltage
power applications. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business.

The MCU was developed in collaboration with the National Research Council of
Canada (NRC) and the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI) as part of the RTX
hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project.

"This is the latest example of our hybrid-electric flight demonstrator
project, driving collaboration and innovation within Canada's aerospace
ecosystem to enable a more sustainable future for aviation," said Alexandre
Gagnon, vice president of corporate affairs, Pratt & Whitney Canada. "High
voltage, bidirectional charging systems will be critical for a growing number
of electric and hybrid-electric systems including aircraft, as well as other
transport applications."

The MCU is assembled from commercially available components and can deliver up
to 280 kW and 1500 volts. In collaboration with IVI, Pratt & Whitney Canada
developed a distributed control and protection strategy. The NRC focused on
the hardware design, assembly, testing and delivery of two charger units,
which will be used on the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project. The
charger's bidirectional capability enables it to both charge and discharge
batteries, which creates opportunities to recycle unused energy back into the
electrical grid.

Pratt & Whitney Canada continues to progress in testing the propulsion system
for the RTX hybrid-electric demonstrator, which targets a 30% improvement in
fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions compared to today's most advanced
regional turboprops. In 2024, the propulsion system will be linked to
batteries developed by H55 S.A., which will be charged using the new charger.

Hybrid-electric propulsion is a critical component of RTX's strategy for
enabling more sustainable aviation and supporting the industry's goal of
reaching net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of
aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit
www.prattwhitney.com.

About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than
180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to
redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading
businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are
advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational
success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing
to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company,
with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact corporatepr@rtx.com.


 

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