By joining the hydrogen fuel cell market, the American electric motor maker MagniX has increased its efforts to make aviation more environmentally friendly.
Since 2009, Everett, Washington-based MagniX has been creating electric motors, often known as electric propulsion units (EPUs). The company claims that all of its propulsion systems for airplanes are power source-agnostic, or adaptable to any kind of power source. The company wants to offer hydrogen fuel cells in addition to its electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems.
The 650-kilowatt Magni650 and the 350-kilowatt Magni350 are the two EPUs that MagniX is seeking to certify. The latter was used to power Eviation’s nine-seat Alice commuter jet during its maiden flight over Washington state’s desert in September.
The Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, which intends to test electric propulsion technology on a hybrid-electric De Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft, has chosen MagniX to take part in it in 2021. The maiden flight is expected to take off in 2025.
The first-ever test flight of a regional aircraft fueled by hydrogen, a De Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprop that was modified by California-based Universal Hydrogen, will mark the next significant milestone for MagniX. That flight, which is expected to happen by the end of this month, will combine electric motors from MagniX with hydrogen fuel cells from Plug Power.
