RTX has developed and demonstrated a solid-state circuit breaker designed to support all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems in future aerial platforms.
The RTX Technology Research Center has worked with Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney to build the circuit breaker through NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program, the company said Wednesday.
The circuit breaker technology can manage five times the power of the largest circuit breaker onboard existing aircratft, according to the company.
RTX concluded design, altitude and functional testing of the circuit breaker and plans to further develop the technology through flight demonstration and system integration work at Collins Aerospace’s electric power systems lab, called The Grid.
“Without new circuit breakers that can manage higher loads, hybrid-electric aircraft won’t be possible,” said Andreas Roelofs, vice president of research at RTX and director of RTRC.
