The D250 listed on Evolito's website manages an eye-popping 28 kW/kg peak
power density, creating 230 kW (308 hp) from a package that weighs a mere
8.3 kg (18.3 lb).
https://newatlas.com/aircraft/evolito-axial-flux-aircraft-motors
Slim, stackable axial flux motor powers up world's largest aircraft
By C.C. Weiss
February 27, 2025
Evolito stacks together three of its D500 motors into a high-power drive
unit with 1 megawatt of continuous power
Evolito stacks together three of its D500 motors into a high-power drive
unit with 1 megawatt of continuous powerEvolito
View 7 Images
View gallery - 7 images
Earlier this month we looked at the Flying Whales airship, a hugely
ambitious project if ever there was one. A small but critical piece of that floating puzzle, the Evolito axial flux motor û or all 32 of them û will be responsible for powering the big, bloated behemoth forward.
Deriving directly from the electric motor technology that rather
spectacularly set speed records on land, on different land, on water and in
the air,
https://newatlas.com/rolls-royce-electric-airplane-fastest/57849
the flat-packed Evolito machine will bring world-beating levels of power-to-weight to set the course for the largest hunk of manmade mass
floating the friendly skies.
You may or may not be familiar with the name Evolito, but its originator
YASA has definitely made a name for itself in and beyond the automotive industry. It was YASA's motors that set those afore-linked world records, dominating every medium in which they applied torque.
Founded in 2009 as a spinoff out of research begun at Oxford University,
YASA has done some serious heavy lifting in the refinement of yokeless axial flux technology, both in terms of the motor topology itself and the manufacturing strategies and processes necessary to make it a viable
reality.
Compared to far more common radial flux motors, axial flux motors
essentially flip the magnetic field on its side, operating via magnetic flux that runs in parallel to the motor axis. This orientation utilizes flat rotor(s) that ultimately create a large torque-increasing radius in a
package that's slimmer and lighter than the cylindrical radial flux layout.
Evolito uses a yokeless axial flux design with two rotor plates on the
outside of its stator
Evolito uses a yokeless axial flux design with two rotor plates on the
outside of its statorEvolito
While axial flux configurations date back to Michael Faraday's very first electric motor from 1821, their advantages long recognized, they've been plagued by problems with materials, consistent operation, durability and cost-effective manufacturing. Those issues have ultimately resulted in
radial flux domination.
But as electric vehicles have gained momentum, interest in lighter, more power-dense axial flux motors has been running high, leading companies like YASA to apply serious R&D to developing high-performance motors and viable manufacturing methods.
While electric automobiles are one obvious use for a more compact,
lightweight and power/torque-dense motor, axial flux advantages are an even better fit for the aerospace industry. YASA recognized this early and worked
on aircraft applications before being scooped up by Mercedes-Benz, a company that was in it for the cars, not so much the aircraft. Before the ink was scrawled on those final acquisition papers in 2021, YASA spun off its
aerospace interests into Evolito.
Evolito stacks together two D250 motors and its MCX150 motor control unit
into a 400-kW propulsion system weighing in at 40 kg
Evolito stacks together two D250 motors and its MCX150 motor control unit
into a 400-kW propulsion system weighing in at 40 kgEvolito
Evolito was born with the brief of further developing and commercializing Yasa's compact, power-dense motor tech for the aerospace sector. In 2022, it purchased aerospace battery developer Electroflight to expand into full propulsion systems, and it's since worked on supplying propulsive power to Cranfield for its hydrogen-electric demonstrator. This month, it was
announced as the motor supplier of the Flying Whales airship project.
"When designing an airship, weight is critical," said Flying Whales CEO
Vincent Guibout. "In the three years we have been working together, Evolito
has demonstrated the ability to deliver best-in-class power density from its unique axial flux electric motors, along with the ability to ramp production
to meet our forecast requirements."
Evolito's D250 axial flux electric motor weighs as little as 8.3 kg and puts out over 300 hp
Evolito's D250 axial flux electric motor weighs as little as 8.3 kg and puts out over 300 hp Evolito
The Flying Whales LCA60T airship will use 32 Evolito D250 motors to power propellers all over its nose and sides. Evolito says the D250 motor is the smallest and lightest in its class, and the iteration being used for the
LCA60T develops 240 kW (322 hp) peak power and weighs in at just 13 kg (28.7 lb), giving it a peak power density of 18.5 kW/kg. That's more than any
motor we've covered, including the recently announced 15.8-kW/kg Donut Lab
hub motor and the 13.4-kW/kg H3X HPDM-250 e-aircraft motor.
What's more, a different iteration of the D250 listed on Evolito's website manages an eye-popping 28 kW/kg peak power density, creating 230 kW (308 hp) from a package that weighs a mere 8.3 kg (18.3 lb). That unit is able to run continuously at 90% peak power, boasting a highly impressive continuous
power density of 25 kW/kg. Torque numbers are nearly identical at 230 Nm
(170 lb-ft) peak and 208 Nm (153 lb-ft) continuous, resulting in the same 28 and 25 (Nm/kg) density figures for torque as for power.
That's one tiny, potent e-machine.
Just renderings for now, Flying Space is still developing the many
components and systems of a working prototype
Just renderings for now, Flying Space is still developing the many
components and systems of a working prototypeFlying Whales
It's fairly easy to see, then, why Evolito was the natural choice for a
startup aiming to make the world's largest aircraft. At 200 meters (656 ft) long, Flying Whales' LCA60T will more than double the length of the
84-m-long (276-ft) Antonov An-225 Mriya. It will fall short of some of the massive airships of the 20th century, including the infamous 245-m-long (804-ft) Hindenburg, but it will still be quite a massive hunk of skinned composite and cargo to move through the air.
Evolito builds its motors at a 3,716-sq-m (40,000-sq-ft) manufacturing and testing facility in Bicester, England. It received Design Organization
Approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2023 and will be working toward obtaining Production Organization Approval and ISO9001certification later this year, helping to reduce certification costs for the Flying Whales project. The two companies will then be working to ready the LCA60T for its first test flights in 2027.
Source: Evolito
https://evolito.aero/
3 comments
Username February 28, 2025 09:19 AM
Sounds perfect for small aircrafts and ultralights.
paul314 February 28, 2025 09:23 AM
For automative applications 20 kw/kg and up would certainly put the "too
much unsprung weight" argument to bed.
veryken February 28, 2025 10:46 AM
The cast nodule at the upper left of the motor is the flux capacitor.
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