Astro Mechanica, an aerospace startup founded in 2021 by Ian Brooke, is making waves in the aviation industry with its groundbreaking turboelectric adaptive engine. With a dedicated team of just eight employees, the company is poised to transform both subsonic and supersonic flight, integrating electric car motor technology into aerospace engineering for enhanced efficiency and performance.
Astro Mechanica’s innovative turboelectric adaptive engine combines the functionalities of both turbojet and turbofan engines into a single unit. The engine is divided into two parts: a turbogenerator that powers an electric motor to produce electricity, which then drives a second set of electric motors. These motors independently control the compressor and turbofan, allowing for precise adjustment of the air compression levels. This unique design enables the engine to optimize its performance for different flight conditions, enhancing both efficiency and operability.
On October 11, 2024, Astro Mechanica achieved a significant milestone with the successful hot-fire test of its Gen3 engine. Running at 30% power, this test demonstrated the engine’s ability to perform under real-world conditions, marking a crucial step towards proving the viability of this advanced technology.
Traditional turbojets, commonly used in fighter jets, rely on exhaust gases to spin the compressor fan, drawing in air. While efficient at supersonic speeds, these engines struggle at low speeds, wasting fuel due to insufficient air compression. This inefficiency is particularly evident during takeoff and landing, as exemplified by the Concorde.
The Concorde, a supersonic commercial airliner that operated from 1976 to 2003, consumed approximately 2 tons (627 gallons or 2,372 liters) of fuel just to taxi from the gate to the runway. This astonishing fuel consumption highlighted the inefficiencies of turbojets at low speeds, contributing to the Concorde’s operational challenges.
Turbofan engines, designed to move large amounts of air for propulsion, are more efficient at subsonic speeds than turbojets. However, their large fan blades create significant aerodynamic drag at higher speeds, leading to reduced efficiency and performance as the aircraft accelerates.
According to newatlas, Astro Mechanica’s turboelectric adaptive engine operates in three distinct modes. In Mode 1, the electric motor spins the “blisk” (a bladed disk that serves as both compressor and turbofan) without active combustion. This mode is ideal for ground operations and subsonic flight.
Mode 2 introduces combustion, with the electric motor driving the compressor to ensure efficient air compression, enabling supersonic speeds without relying on exhaust gases like traditional turbojets. In Mode 3, the engine functions like a ramjet, using the Ram Pressure effect to compress air at high speeds, potentially reaching Mach 3 or faster without any moving parts.
Astro Mechanica claims that the Concorde could have achieved a 61% greater range with the new turboelectric adaptive engine. This improvement would have significantly enhanced the aircraft’s efficiency and operational performance, especially on long-haul flights.
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One of Astro Mechanica’s primary goals is to develop a more affordable and efficient engine. The CFM LEAP-1B engine used in the Boeing 737 MAX costs around $14 million per unit. In contrast, Astro Mechanica’s turboelectric adaptive engine promises to be less expensive, with fewer moving parts and lower maintenance costs.
These engines are designed to run on liquid natural gas (LNG), which is about 1/10th the price of traditional jet fuel, offers more energy per unit weight, and produces 30% less CO2 when burned. The engine can also operate on synthetic methane, a sustainable fuel produced using CO2 and hydrogen through a process called methanation.
Ian Brooke plans to build an experimental airframe powered by four turboelectric adaptive engines. This aircraft will fly non-stop from San Francisco to Tokyo, reaching supersonic speeds while collecting valuable data for further research and development. With this ambitious project, Astro Mechanica aims to solidify its position at the forefront of aerospace engineering, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable aviation technologies.
