Chief Technology Officer Jackie Castle joined industry colleagues on the Innovate UK Battery Caffè podcast to discuss the role of batteries in aerospace’s journey to Destination Zero.

ATI CTO Jackie Castle and fellow industry experts Kate Cooke from Collins Aerospace, and Jack Nicholas from Qdot Technology joined the Battery Caffé podcast exploring the advancements and challenges of battery technology in the aerospace sector.

The first episode of series 2 discusses the varied applications, unique aerospace requirements and UK commercialisation opportunities for battery electric technology in aerospace.

Click here to listen to the Battery Caffè Series 2 Episode 1: Batteries in Aerospace

The discussion covers the latest advancements in battery technology, including the development of high-energy-density batteries and their applications in hybrid and electric aircraft. The guests highlighted the importance of collaboration between industries to drive innovation and overcome technical trade-offs between weight vs energy density vs cycle life.

Battery-electric aircraft technologies feature in the zero-carbon roadmap as part of the ATI’s technology strategy and the podcast discusses some of the main applications. In all-electric flight, recent milestones include Vertical Aerospace’s piloted thrustborne testing of its full scale VX4 eVTOL prototype. Jackie shares on the podcast how Vertical Aerospace’s focus is not just “on the cells of the batteries themselves, but on integrating the existing high-grade, mass-produced cells into highly sophisticated battery packs, which are then designed specifically to address the stringent safety needs that you would have for an aerospace application.”

The guests also discuss utilising batteries as complementary power sources in hybrid propulsion systems or on more-electric aircraft where applications in larger commercial aircraft could reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions. A hybrid propulsion system could also help prolong powerplant life for example by maintaining a steady operating point, or power demand, for fuel cells with the potential for similar benefits in a hybrid gas turbine system.

The use of batteries in aerospace brings unique requirements around weight reduction and operating in extreme conditions at altitude, which presents a challenge to demonstrate the system meets rigorous aerospace safety standards. Meeting these standards will rely on lightweight advanced materials in battery and thermal management systems, advanced battery health monitoring and safe high-voltage batteries.

In the podcast, Jackie also shares how the ATI is working in partnership with The Faraday Institution which is the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, skills development, market analysis and early-stage commercialisation. This work is mapping a route to new batteries with significantly higher energy densities than exist today, potentially up to 5 times more energy dense, with the aim of unlocking larger and more capable battery-electric aircraft.

Supporting organisations like Vertical Aerospace, Safran Electrical & Power, Evolito and others through the ATI Programme. the ATI is advancing UK capability to overcome challenges and unlock the economic and environmental opportunities battery-electric technologies represent. Discover more on our projects page.

Click here to listen to the Battery Caffè Series 2 Episode 1: Batteries in Aerospace

Hosted by Debra Jones and Silvia Boschetto from Innovate UK Business Connect, the Battery Caffè is created by the Cross-Sector Battery Systems Innovation Network, a community funded by Innovate UK Business Connect and the Faraday Battery Challenge. The Innovation Network aims to open new markets for the battery industry and promote lots of innovation in batteries and help to decarbonise, from a wide range of end users.

Guests

Jacqueline Castle | Chief Technology Officer | Aerospace Technology Institute

Kate Cooke | Energy Sources Senior Manager | Collins Aerospace

Dr Jack Nicholas | Director | Qdot Technology

Hosted by

Debra Jones | Knowledge Transfer Manager – Chemistry | Innovate UK Business Connect

Silvia Boschetto | Maternity Cover – Knowledge Transfer Manager – Energy & Infrastructure | Innovate UK Business Connect