ACCEL research choice Zuken’s E3.series software for all-electric aircraft

Zuken Electroflight

UK-based Electroflight has recently selected E3.series, Zuken’s electrical and fluid engineering solution to design, build, test and commercialize an all-electric aircraft.

Specialists in high performance electric powertrains, Electroflight is using E3.series as part of the Accelerating the Electrification of Flight (ACCEL) research initiative – all within a 24-month timeframe.

ACCEL involves a consortium of partners which aims to address the technical challenges associated with all-electric flight, to develop a more robust supply chain and ultimately contribute to cleaner, greener flight.

Stjohn Youngman, Electroflight’s Programme Manager, comments:

With such a compressed timeframe for the ACCEL aerospace initiative, speed is everything. E3.series was selected because of its ease-of-use, flexibility, and output capability for all data needed to manufacture wiring harnesses, including bills of materials.

E3.series is already popular in the aerospace industry, and it is fast becoming the wiring harness tool-of-choice within the motorsport industry, where it helps meet racing deadlines. Electroflight plans to take advantage of E3.series’ aerospace/motorsport synergies as it will use System 25 mil-spec motorsport connectors and harness construction techniques on the ACCEL aircraft.

Youngman adds:

We’re at the start of an extremely ambitious R&D project. To get from concept to commercial offering in just two years is unheard of in the aerospace industry. Our learning curve has to be incredibly fast, another reason for selecting Zuken’s E3.series.

Optimization will be key for many aspects of the design of the ACCEL aircraft as, for all-electric flight, it is necessary to tackle the twin challenges of energy storage capacity and powertrain performance. To keep the weight of the aircraft down, Electroflight will be trying to keep cable runs as short as possible – through the smart placement of sources, switches and loads. In this respect, E3.series’ ability to integrate well with leading MCAD tools was another reason for selection.

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