Electric Future: Siemens providing software platform to support nascent electric airplane market

Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace has selected the Capital product lifecycle management suite from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of software and services to support its design, development, and certification of zero emission electric aircraft.

Siemens’ Capital will provide electrical and electronic (E/E) system design and support as Heart Aerospace addresses the market and regulatory demands of escalating performance and commercial certification requirements.

As part of the extensive electrification in these aircraft, Heart Aerospace must address the complexity of the Electrical Wiring Interconnect System (EWIS) while also addressing electrical system compliance risk.

The Capital tool’s strong compliance functionality can help Heart Aerospace to leverage automation and digital data continuity to facilitate faster regulatory compliance. This was a key reason for selecting Capital software from Siemens

Anthony Nicoli, senior director for aerospace and defense, Siemens Digital Industries Software, says: “Heart Aerospace’s adoption of Capital from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio gives them the advantage inherent in digitalized E/E system development out of the starting gate.

“To successfully compete for air transport routes, eAircraft must achieve demanding performance goals using fully certified, power and weight optimized E/E systems. Siemens is excited to help Heart Aerospace accelerate aircraft design to meet both performance and certification requirements.”

John Rader, section lead EWIS Engineer, Heart Aerospace, says: “As a young company with a new project, Heart Aerospace decided to adopt Capital software, which was the only tool we evaluated that supports creation of electrical and avionic system deliverables and seamlessly flows them downstream into the physical products of the EWIS for each development phase.

“The improvement in workflow, especially when considering that configuration management within Capital is both strong and intuitive, allows focus on the engineering and not the tool.

“With sophisticated additional analysis models such as voltage drop calculation and the great support available, Heart Aerospace is confident we made the best choice.”

Water glide

Additionally, Siemens Digital Industries Software also has other customers in the nascent electric airplane market.

A Boston, Massachusetts-based startup company called Regent has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of cloud-based software and services to help pioneer a new category of vehicle called the seaglider (pictured above).

The seaglider is a high-speed zero emission vehicle that operates exclusively over the water to drastically reduce the time and cost of moving people and goods between coastal cities.

With 40 percent of the world’s population living in coastal communities, Regent’s electric seagliders will be the first vehicles to offer safe, low-cost, high-speed, zero-emission vehicles for this segment. As a manufacturer or OEM, Regent’s launch customers span aviation, ferry, and logistics transportation operators.

The Regent seaglider operates exclusively over the water as an all-electric wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle. It travels the sea in one of three modes – floating on its hull near the dock, foiling on its hydrofoils at up to 40 knots (kts) as it comes in and out of port, or flying above the waves at 160 kts while cruising to its destination.

When in flight, it operates a few meters off the surface of the water, relying on the ground effect phenomenon, flying on a cushion of air. It combines the high speed and comfort of an airplane with the low operating cost of an electric vehicle.

Seagliders differ from past WIGs due to their hydrofoils, distributed electric propulsion, and aerospace fly-by-wire controls. These elements enable safe harbor operations, increased wave tolerance, and a comfortable passenger experience.

At the heart of its design, engineering and development toolset is the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, which has been fundamental to Regent since its founding in 2020.

Mike Klinker, CTO and cofounder of Regent, says: “At Regent we are focused on bringing a revolutionary new vehicle to the transportation market with the potential to change how both people and freight move over the water.

“As our seagliders approach certification and full-scale commercial production, we need a robust, modern digital tools platform that supports the pace of our innovation cycles with the rigor to encompass a product as complex as ours. Siemens Xcelerator as a Service was a perfect fit for a digital-first startup like ours.

“Cloud native solutions, such as Teamcenter X, minimize administrative overhead and allow us to focus 100 percent on design, engineering, manufacturing, and innovation. Siemens’ valued collaboration and the subscription model provide significant cash flow benefits that are vital to any startup.”

Regent’s flagship seaglider, the 12-passenger Viceroy, will be built to the highest safety standards. It will be able to service routes up to 180 miles with existing battery technology and routes up to 500 miles with next-generation batteries, all via existing dock infrastructure.

Additionally, its operation as a wing-in-ground effect vehicle above the water enables maritime testing and certification. This is an efficient pathway to entry-into-service, allowing customers to experience high-speed, zero-emission coastal mobility sooner than electric aviation options, while maintaining similar levels of safety.

Dale Tutt, vice president of industry strategy, Siemens Digital Industries Software, says: “The revolution of both mobility and electrification is continuing at an exciting pace across the entire spectrum of the industry, but it’s not often that the two combine with such spectacularly innovative product design to address a specific challenge like the one faced by coastal communities across the globe.

“Regent is pioneering innovative high-speed coastal transportation while targeting net zero from the very beginning. Our Xcelerator as a Service portfolio is instrumental in helping them get there faster.”

Main image: Heart Aerospace aircraft