104 The 2023 edition of the Paris Air Show was held from 19 to 25 June at Le Bourget exhibition centre, which over the week played host to 292,000 visitors and nearly 2500 exhibitors; close to $15 billion worth of contracts were signed as well, according to the show’s organisers. There were a number of themes at the event, including decarbonisation of air transport and developments in urban air mobility. Naturally, the show also played host to a range of tech start-ups bringing new innovations and perspectives for aviation. And with autonomy maturing and taking its place among traditional certified aerospace engineering disciplines, those innovations – from start-ups and primes alike – included new platforms and technologies for the uncrewed and autonomous sector. Here’s our selection of them. Saft attended the show to exhibit its aerospace battery technology, with particular emphasis on its ULM (ultralow maintenance) cells. These have plastic-bonded electrodes (PBEs) to reduce water consumption and hence improve sustainability compared with sintered electrodes. PBE technology also reduces overcharging during operations, enhancing the lifespan and safety of Saft’s batteries even if cycled repeatedly at high temperatures. The company uses mostly Ni-Cd cells, with the ULM solutions containing 12 to 53 Ah, although others optimised for power or energy are available. Nickelplated copper cell links and terminals are used for durability, with thermo-welding preventing leaks from cells into aircraft structures. For thermal runaway conditions, the Saft modules integrate temperature sensors for cell monitoring, proprietary membrane and separator components for isolation, as well as a nylon vent valve for evacuating any harmful gases. A stainless steel enclosure provides environmental ruggedness, although the cells are accessible and designed for easy individual replacement. Rory Jackson reports from the world’s largest aerospace exhibition with his highlights of the uncrewed systems it had on display French window October/November 2023 | Uncrewed Systems Technology The Paris Air Show unveiled a host of innovations across crewed and uncrewed aircraft alike (Courtesy of SIAE; photo by Jacques Gavard)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4