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Scientists Just Built a Superconductor Motor for Aircraft And It Runs at -253°C

A major step toward clean aviation has been achieved by researchers in Scotland, who have developed a 100 kW fully superconducting aviation motor. This experimental technology could become a key building block for future electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, potentially transforming how the world flies.

The prototype has been created by the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASL) at the University of Strathclyde. It represents one of the first successful attempts in the world to build a fully superconducting axial-flux motor designed specifically for aviation use.

Why This Motor Is So Important

Modern aircraft rely heavily on gas turbines, which burn large amounts of fuel and produce significant carbon emissions. As the aviation industry looks for ways to reduce its environmental impact, electric propulsion has emerged as a promising solution.

However, there is a big challenge:
Aircraft need extremely powerful motors, but these motors must also be lightweight, compact, and highly efficient.

This is where superconducting technology becomes revolutionary.

The new 100 kW motor uses high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials, which can carry extremely large electrical currents with almost zero resistance when cooled to very low temperatures—around 20 Kelvin (-253°C).

This near-zero resistance means:

  • Very little energy is wasted as heat

  • Much higher efficiency is possible

  • Motors can become significantly lighter for the same power output

In aviation, reducing weight is just as important as increasing power, making this development especially valuable.

What Makes It “Superconducting”?

In normal electrical systems, wires always have resistance. This resistance causes energy loss in the form of heat. To prevent overheating, systems require thicker wires, cooling systems, and additional insulation—all of which add weight.

Superconductors behave differently.

When cooled to cryogenic temperatures:

  • Electrical resistance drops to nearly zero

  • Electricity flows without energy loss

  • Extremely high current densities become possible

The motor developed by the Strathclyde team uses rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) tape, a material that becomes superconducting at temperatures between 20K and 77K.

Although called “high-temperature superconductors,” these materials still require extremely cold conditions. However, they are easier to manage compared to older superconductors, which need cooling to around 4K (-269°C) using liquid helium.

Inside the 100 kW Prototype Motor

The research team at the University of Strathclyde designed the system as a fully integrated superconducting axial-flux motor, meaning both the rotor and stator are optimized for superconducting operation.

Key innovations include:

1. Superconducting Windings

The motor uses specially designed windings made from HTS tapes. These windings carry very high currents with minimal losses, allowing strong magnetic fields to be generated without heavy copper coils.

2. Brushless Excitation System

Instead of traditional mechanical or contact-based excitation systems, the motor uses a brushless design, reducing wear, improving reliability, and making it suitable for long-duration flight applications.

3. Cryogenic Rotating System

One of the most complex parts of the design is the cryogenic cooling system, which keeps the superconducting materials at extremely low temperatures even while the motor is rotating.

4. Low AC Loss Design

In alternating current systems, energy losses can still occur even in superconductors. The team engineered the motor to minimize these losses, improving efficiency during real-world operation.

Engineering Challenges Behind the Breakthrough

Despite its promise, superconducting aviation technology is not easy to build or operate.

Professor Min Zhang, who leads the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory at Strathclyde, explained that superconducting propulsion systems offer a path toward lighter and more efficient aircraft, but they also introduce major engineering challenges.

Some of the biggest challenges include:

Cryogenic Cooling

The system must be cooled to around 20 Kelvin (-253°C). Maintaining such low temperatures in an aircraft environment is extremely complex.

System Integration

Aviation motors are not standalone devices. They must integrate with power electronics, fuel systems, and aircraft structures—all while remaining safe and reliable.

Mechanical Stress

Rotating superconducting components must withstand vibration, acceleration, and changes in pressure during flight.

Safety and Protection

Superconducting systems can lose their superconducting state suddenly (a process called “quenching”), so engineers must design protection systems to handle such events safely.

From Research to Real-World Demonstrator

What makes this development especially significant is that it is not just theoretical. The Strathclyde team has built a working prototype demonstrator, combining physics, engineering, and cryogenic systems into a single platform.

The project brings together experts in:

  • Superconductor physics

  • Electrical engineering

  • Cryogenic engineering

  • Mechanical design

  • Electromagnetic modeling

This multidisciplinary approach allowed the researchers to move from laboratory concepts to a functional motor system capable of real testing.

Professor Zhang emphasized that this achievement shows superconducting aviation motors are no longer just ideas on paper. They are becoming real engineering systems that can be tested, refined, and scaled.

Connection to Zero-Emission Aviation Programs

The demonstrator is part of the Zero Emissions for Sustainable Transport 1 (ZEST1) program, led by Airbus. The program focuses on developing technologies that can support future carbon-free aviation.

The ZEST1 project has already received recognition at the 2025 ATI Aerospace Technology Innovation Awards, where Airbus UpNext was honored for advancing zero-emission flight technologies.

This shows that superconducting propulsion is not just a university experiment—it is part of a global industrial push toward sustainable aviation.

Why Hydrogen and Superconductors May Work Together

One of the most promising ideas in future aviation is the use of liquid hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen must be stored at extremely low temperatures to remain in liquid form.

This creates a unique opportunity.

Since superconducting motors also require cryogenic cooling, engineers believe that future aircraft could:

  • Share cooling systems between fuel storage and motors

  • Reduce overall system complexity

  • Improve energy efficiency

This integration could make hydrogen-electric aircraft more practical and efficient than previously thought.

Industry Perspective and Future Outlook

According to Ludovic Ybanex, who works on cryogenic electric propulsion systems at Airbus UpNext, projects like this represent a key step toward megawatt-class superconducting machines.

Such powerful motors would be essential for:

  • Regional electric aircraft

  • Hybrid-electric commercial planes

  • Large zero-emission aircraft in the future

However, scaling from a 100 kW prototype to megawatt-level systems will require major advances in:

  • Cooling technology

  • Material durability

  • System reliability

  • Manufacturing techniques

What This Means for the Future of Flight

If successful at scale, superconducting motors could change aviation in several ways:

  • Zero-emission flights become more realistic

  • Aircraft become lighter and more energy efficient

  • Long-distance electric aviation becomes possible

  • Dependence on fossil fuels is reduced significantly

While commercial deployment is still years away, this breakthrough marks an important milestone.

It shows that superconducting propulsion is moving from experimental physics into practical aerospace engineering.

Conclusion

The development of a 100 kW fully superconducting aviation motor by researchers at the University of Strathclyde is a major step forward in clean aviation technology.

Supported by programs like ZEST1 and industrial partners such as Airbus and Airbus UpNext, this innovation demonstrates how superconducting technology could redefine aircraft propulsion.

Although significant engineering challenges remain, the direction is clear:
The future of aviation may be electric, hydrogen-powered, and driven by superconducting motors operating at cryogenic temperatures.

What once sounded like science fiction is slowly becoming a real engineering possibility.

Provided by University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

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