Researchers at the University of Waterloo are envisioning the future of sustainable aviation – and it’s electric. With support from the Government of Canada, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) has been testing batteries that power one of Canada’s electric planes over the past two years. Their findings show these batteries perform effectively under the country's demanding and ever-changing weather conditions.

Aviation is a major contributor to climate change, with emissions exceeding one billion tonnes globally in 2018. This figure will continue to grow as the demand for flight rises. In response, the Government of Canada has developed an Aviation Climate Action Plan, investing more than $14 billion in capital infrastructure and improvements using renewable energy sources.

Mehrdad Pirnia wearing a black blazer and white collared shirt.

 Dr. Mehrdad Pirnia
> Professor, Faculty of Engineering
> Lead researcher at WISA 

Dr. Mehrdad Pirnia, a lead researcher at WISA and management science and engineering professor, is supporting these efforts by exploring how e-plane technology can advance pilot training while reducing emissions.

"The use of e-planes would enable Canada to expand its internationally competitive pilot-training industry without increasing emissions," Pirnia says. "And since running an e-plane costs less than planes using conventional fuels, there are opportunities for pilot training to be more environmentally friendly and affordable."

So far, his team has detailed data from more than 300 pilot-training flights in spring, summer and fall.

The analysis is based on battery measurements and other flight data taken every tenth of a second. Using AI to understand the data, the team was able to define flight phases — taxiing, take-off, climbing, cruising, descending and landing — rather than relying on conventional methods.
 

“The good news is that despite flying in all these conditions, the batteries never overheated and consistently delivered power from circuit height up to 10,000 feet,” says Dr. Paul Parker, WISA’s founding associate director and research team member. “Our tests verify the e-plane operates well in various weather conditions, which is a significant finding given that studies show that e-plans can offer a 99 percent reduction in operational carbon emissions.”

The team’s research could help Canada join other early adopters of e-plane technology. Already, select University of Waterloo aviation students with a private pilot’s licence have had “pseudo” lessons with the e-plane at the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre. The next step is to open the door for more Waterloo aviation students to gain e-plane experience. More flights will generate more data to study battery performance.

Looking ahead, Pirnia sees the potential electric planes have in regional transportation. "E-planes could be used for shorter flights between regional airports and provide services to remote Canadian communities," he says. "It is a pioneering area of research, with exciting opportunities for a more sustainable future."  

This project was partly funded by a $250,000 Research-for-Impact investment, provided by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Agency of Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).