MagniX, an electric aviation company, has announced the launch of the Samson battery for electric flying. Samson batteries will be certifiable under aviation regulations.
In a press release, magniX said the Samson battery for electric engines “provides customers with a fully optimised and integrated electric powertrain for aerospace”.
According to the company, the battery has an energy density of 300 watt-hours per kilogram and a life cycle of more than 1,000 full-depth discharge cycles, reducing operating costs.
It added that the battery enables “fast aircraft turnaround time, with active on ground cooling during charging, and the option for passive cooling in flight, minimising weight and complexity in the aircraft”.
The new battery also has modular battery architecture that can power larger aircrafts and allow for simple replacement.
Ben Loxton, VP of Energy Storage Systems and the NASA Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration Programme at magniX, said: “With unrivalled energy density, cycle life and safety features, magniX’s Samson batteries will help to unlock the tremendous potential of electric flight – enabling many eVTOLs and electric programmes on the edge of viability to become viable.”
Preceding the announcement of the Samson battery, magniX recently demonstrated the capabilities of its battery-powered engine.
The milestone was achieved in April 2024, marking the end of the first phase in a series of altitude tests at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed facility under the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project (EPFD).
EPFD brought together expertise from NASA and various industry partners to test the feasibility of hybrid electric propulsion for future commercial aircrafts.
Brad French, lead systems engineer for NASA EPFD, said: “The testing at NEAT is critical for high-power electrified aircraft propulsion technologies because many of the potential problems that a design might encounter only present themselves at higher altitudes.”
Aircraft engines are exposed to thinner air and greater temperature shifts at higher altitudes, which can impede performance.
Under the EPFD, researchers carried out partial discharge tests to mitigate the risk of failure that might occur due to excessive stress on engine components.
Despite the push for more sustainable aviation, the aviation industry still accounts for around 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions and this share is expected to grow steadily in the coming years.
