The Future of Sustainable Aviation Propulsion

The future of flight is electric, and Honeywell is enabling this sustainable future with integrated propulsion systems that make aviation safer, quieter, more efficient, and greener.

With more than 50 years of experience in propulsion, auxiliary power, power generation, and power controls, Honeywell has the capability to design and develop a broad range of state-of-the-art solutions across the entire propulsion system, including turbogenerators necessary to turn mechanical power into electricity, power distribution to move high voltages throughout the aircraft and deliver it to electric propulsion units (EPU). The EPU then converts electricity into mechanical power, which turns fans and rotors and allows for propulsion.

Our new 1-Megawatt generator will be combined with the Honeywell HGT1700 auxiliary power unit (APU), currently flown on every Airbus A350 XWB, to provide customers a megawatt-class turbogenerator. In addition to conventional jet fuel and diesel, this product will be able to run on aviation biofuel, including Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, which is chemically similar to fossil fuel but made from more sustainable alternatives.

As battery technology matures, electric and hybrid-electric aircraft can also use a combination of batteries and fuel cells to power the aircraft. Hydrogen fuel cells are the latest addition to Honeywell’s growing portfolio of power systems that improve the safety and efficiency of aircraft. In fact, Honeywell hydrogen fuel cells are already being used to create power for smaller Class I and Class II UAS (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) platforms.

Our proton exchange membrane fuel cells run up to three times longer than equivalent batteries and are five times more reliable than small engines. They work silently and emit no greenhouse gases. And, unlike batteries that need to be recharged, hydrogen fuel cells can be refueled in seconds.

“Protecting the environment for future generations is of utmost importance to all of us.  Sustainability means leaving the planet better than we inherited it,” said Taylor Alberstadt, Honeywell’s Senior Director of Business Development, Electric/Hybrid-Electric Propulsion. “Honeywell’s broad technology portfolio supports sustainability efforts across all aspects of the aviation industry.”

For more information on Honeywell's advanced solutions, visit the Electric and Hybrid-Electric Propulsion page on the Honeywell Aerospace website.