August 19, 2022, ©. Leeham News: This is a summary of article Part 33P, eVTOL batteries. This article discusses the trickiest system on an eVTOL, the battery system.
The battery system supplies the energy to the VTOL, and given today’s and tomorrow’s battery technology; it’s a tight resource that needs a lot of pampering.
Figure 1. We use graphs in the Pipistrel spare parts catalog to show the battery system of the Pipistrel Velis Electro. Source: Pipistrel and Leeham Co.
The eVTOL battery system
In the article, we go through the buildup of the battery system for the Pipistrel Velis Electro trainer, Figure 1, the only electric flying vehicle that has passed certification. It has a liquid-cooled two-pack battery system of 24.8kWh, giving the trainer 50 minutes of endurance with 10 minutes of reserves.
The system operates at a nominal 345V with a peak potential of 395V and…