Applied Superconductivity Laboratory Demonstrates 100 kW Fully Superconducting Aviation Motor

June 2, 2026

The Applied Superconductivity Lab (ASL) has demonstrated a 100 kW fully superconducting aviation motor, marking an important step towards future electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft propulsion.

Developed by the ASL team, the prototype represents one of the first attempts worldwide to realise a fully superconducting axial-flux motor for aviation applications. The motor uses high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technology to carry very large electrical currents with almost no resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures of around 20 K. This could enable aircraft motors to achieve much higher power density than conventional electrical machines, which is a key requirement for future low-emission aircraft.

Engineering Challenges
Electric propulsion could significantly reduce the environmental impact of aviation, but aircraft power systems must be lightweight, efficient and capable of delivering high power.

Superconducting machines offer a promising route to lighter propulsion systems, but they also bring major engineering challenges in cryogenic cooling, protection and system integration. The ASL team developed the demonstrator by integrating superconducting windings, brushless excitation and rotational cryogenic operation into a single platform.

Cryogenic Operation
Although described as high-temperature superconductors, HTS materials still require cryogenic operation. In this demonstrator, the superconducting components operate at around 20 K.

The proof-of-concept demonstrator is part of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) funded Zero Emissions for Sustainable Transport 1 (ZEST1) programme, led by Airbus. The work also builds on Professor Min Zhang’s Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship and ERC Starting Grant on superconducting machines for zero-emission aviation.

Future Aircraft
Future hydrogen-electric and fully electric aircraft will require propulsion systems with much higher power density than conventional electrical machines. Superconducting motors are therefore being explored as a potential enabling technology for larger low-emission aircraft.

Liquid hydrogen may also create opportunities to combine fuel storage, cryogenic cooling and superconducting electrical systems on board future aircraft.

This achievement supports the development of future megawatt-class superconducting machines and strengthens ASL’s work in superconducting power technologies for zero-emission transport.

Source:
University of Strathclyde, “Strathclyde researchers demonstrate 100kW fully superconducting aviation motor”