HYPERWIN, A PROJECT TO ADVANCE SUPERCONDUCTING MOTOR WINDINGS FOR HYDROGEN-ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT

Eleven organisations from five European countries join forces to advance high-temperature superconducting motor winding technology from TRL3/TRL4 to TRL5 in a representative 2 MW-class hydrogen-electric propulsion environment

HYPERWIN will combine advanced superconducting winding design, cryogenic cooling, fast multiphysics modelling, repeatable manufacturing and motor-representative validation to support the next generation of high-efficiency electric aircraft propulsion

Edinburgh, November 10, 2026 - The HYPERWIN project has officially kicked off with the ambition of advancing a critical technology for future hydrogen-electric aircraft: lightweight, highly efficient superconducting motor windings. Coordinated by The University of Edinburgh, HYPERWIN brings together 11 organisations from five countries and will run for 24 months, combining universities, technology developers, SMEs and major aerospace industrial partners.

At its core, HYPERWIN - HYdrogen-powered suPErconducting motoR Windings for zero-emission aIrcraft propulsioN - will advance high-temperature superconducting, or HTS, alternating-current stator winding technology from existing Technology Readiness Level 3/4 to TRL5. The technology will be designed and validated in conditions representative of a 2 MW-class hydrogen-electric aircraft propulsion motor, creating the technical evidence required for future integration into complete superconducting motors and propulsion
systems.

Unlike conventional conductors, superconducting materials can carry very high electrical currents when operated at cryogenic temperatures. This offers significant potential for electric propulsion systems where low weight, compactness and efficiency are essential. HYPERWIN will address some of the main barriers currently limiting their aerospace application, including alternating-current losses, manufacturing repeatability, cryogenic integration, reliability and protection against loss of superconductivity, known as quench.

HYPERWIN will focus on four closely connected areas:
 Advanced superconducting winding design: developing a modular, multiphase, air-cored axial-flux motor concept with distributed pear-shaped windings based on laser-scribed superconducting tapes, designed to reduce electrical losses while supporting future scaling to multi-megawatt propulsion systems.
 Cryogenic integration and intelligent modelling: combining electromagnetic, thermal, structural and cryogenic modelling to optimise winding performance, cooling requirements, thermal stability and protection, supported by fast simulation methods and physics-informed design tools.
 Repeatable manufacturing: moving beyond one-off laboratory coils by establishing a controlled and quality-assured manufacturing route covering winding, insulation, conductor handling, interfaces, assembly and inspection for motor-representative HTS windings.
 Motor-representative testing and validation: manufacturing representative winding modules and validating them in a dedicated cryogenic test environment that reproduces key electrical, thermal and mechanical conditions of a 2 MW-class hydrogen-electric aircraft motor, without requiring a complete propulsion motor to be built within the project.

The project will also generate evidence on electro-thermal behaviour, alternating-current losses, mechanical robustness, quench protection, reliability and lifecycle performance. These results will be brought together into a structured TRL5 validation package, alongside a certification-readiness assessment and a roadmap towards future TRL6 motor-level integration. HYPERWIN will therefore act as a bridge between current superconducting component research and future integrated hydrogen-electric propulsion demonstrators.

Making a difference for Europe's aviation and citizens

Aviation decarbonisation requires propulsion technologies capable of delivering very high efficiency while keeping weight and size within the strict limits imposed by aircraft. HYPERWIN addresses this challenge by developing one of the critical components of future cryogenic electric propulsion systems: the
superconducting stator winding. Rather than delivering a complete propulsion system, the project will provide the design rules, manufacturing route, experimental validation evidence, safety and protection logic, and integration data required to reduce the technical risk of the next development stage. Its medium-term objective is an industrially relevant winding technology package that can be transferred into future MW-class motor and propulsion-system demonstrators. In the longer term, HYPERWIN is expected to strengthen Europe's capability to develop compact, efficient and scalable cryogenic electric propulsion systems for hydrogen-powered aircraft.

About High-Temperature Superconducting technology
High-temperature superconductors (HTS) are materials capable of conducting very high electrical currents with extremely low electrical resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures. In electric machines, this characteristic has the potential to enable motors that are lighter and more power-dense than conventional technologies, making superconductivity particularly attractive for applications such as future electric aircraft.
However, using superconductors in aircraft motors introduces new engineering challenges. Alternating-current operation can generate losses and heat; superconducting tapes are sensitive to mechanical stress and manufacturing conditions; and the winding must remain safely within its cryogenic operating range. A sudden transition out of the superconducting state - known as a quench - must also be detected and managed safely. HYPERWIN brings these issues together within a single design, manufacturing and validation pathway rather than treating them as separate laboratory challenges.

About hydrogen-electric aircraft propulsion
Hydrogen-electric aircraft concepts can use hydrogen as an energy source while relying on electric motors to provide propulsion. Future systems of this type require electrical machines capable of combining very high power, low mass and extremely high efficiency, while operating alongside cryogenic hydrogen and electrical power-system technologies. HYPERWIN focuses specifically on the superconducting motor winding needed within that future propulsion architecture. The reference environment is a 2 MW-class motor, and the
project targets technology relevant to future motor architectures with power density above 20 kW/kg and efficiency above 99%. These values are project design ambitions and performance targets, not achieved project results. By validating the winding technology first, HYPERWIN aims to reduce uncertainty before the more complex and costly step of integrating it into a complete superconducting propulsion motor. The project will also maintain links with other European and national hydrogen-electric propulsion activities to
support subsequent technology maturation and system integration.

University of Edinburgh Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK

About HYPERWIN
HYPERWIN - Hydrogen-powered superconducting motor windings for zero-emission aIrcraft propulsioN - is coordinated by The University of Edinburgh and brings together SUPRASYS SL, Université de Lorraine, The University of Nottingham, Politecnico di Milano, Sustainable Innovations Europe SL and HPDRIVE Technologies Limited, together with associated partners SAFRAN SA, GKN Aerospace Fokker Elmo BV, Futura Composites BV and Airbus UpNext. The consortium spans the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy and the
Netherlands. Airbus UpNext joins as an associated partner, contributing to the top-level requirements cascade and the certification-readiness roadmap, and taking part in the project's Technical Advisory Board.
The project is a 24-month Clean Aviation Fast Track Activity under Horizon Europe and has received total funding of 5 million.

This release was published on openPR.