UK Electric Aircraft Propulsion Test Facility

Over the past 20 years, the University of Nottingham has been working on research and technology development. It has built a team of over 170 people with expertise in Power Electronics, Machines and Control and collaborated with local, national and international partners across a range of industrial sectors including aerospace, automotive, electric power generation, industrial drives, marine, off-highway and others. An in-depth scientific understanding of key technology bricks has been developed through fundamental modelling and experimental works on issues such as power management, performance, reliability, degradation, cost, and other factors relevant for successful deployment of technology. The core development has been driven by a need to make the most out of limited and high value materials, creating lighter and more efficient products and systems.

The new facility, with support from the D2N2 LEP, has added the ability to take the research and development activities into industrial applications through investments in manufacturing and testing facilities. This has already leveraged over £5m of private investment with an ambition to accelerate the deployment of electrical machines and power electronics into industrial products. The LEP investment into the UK Electric Aircraft Propulsion Test Facility has already created more than 50 jobs and recruited more than 150 new learners. 

This is to be complemented by a new investment in a pre-pilot production line for hydrogen electric propulsion motors that will create a pathway for more investment into this critical technology area. The University has also founded Nottingham Drives Specialist Services, a new business unit that packages the knowledge and infrastructure investments which is designed to work at industry pace.