The LEAPTech project or Leading Asynchronous Propeller Technology project was recently initiated February of this year, with the goal of improving upon the current aircraft technology. This means that very soon, we could be seeing the transition from diesel engines to motors powered by electricity.
The basic premise behind the idea is to make aircraft more environmentally friendly by utilizing new motors to deliver added efficiency, while simultaneously ensuring consumer safety. The other obvious advantage to this new technology would be its economic benefits, as a lot of money will be saved by refraining from the use of the regular fuel.
As part of NASA’s new project, there has been plenty of testing on the ground to get a better idea of how this change in motor power will make a positive difference. Researchers have created the HEIST system, Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed, which gives space scientists the ability to see what would happen to an aircraft wings with the new motor technology in place. By attaching the wing to a specially mounted truck, and driving the truck at speeds over 60 miles an hour, the researchers are able to understand the effects of the new technology.
The objectives of the LEAPTech project is to be able to improve the efficiency of aircraft, to minimize the amount of noise created by the standard motors, and to reduce the dependency that the airline industry has on fossil fuels. As each motor can operate independently, the hopes are that this will greatly optimize performance. Since each motor can reach different speeds at different times, pilots will also be able to exercise more manual control over how fast the aircraft is going.
LEAPTech came to be when several NASA researchers partnered with two companies based in California in 2014. They are currently contracting one to work with the HEIST portion of the project, which will develop the test wings and make sure everything is integrated properly with the new technology. Meanwhile, the other company handles the design and manufacturing of the actual electric motors and other parts such as propellers.
The goal is to create a small plane that will be used for further testing. The concept is to use an existing aircraft frame with the objective of making the engineer’s work easier in regards to comparing the performance between the existing motors and the newer electrical models.
LEAPTech is a vital part of NASA’s plan to making this transition to electric propulsion and the goal is to have a vast majority of aircrafts using this new technology within the next decade. It can unleash previously untapped potential and to give the aircraft industry a much needed upgrade.
