en.Wedoany.com Reported - Safran Aircraft Engines is about to begin ground tests of a hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator based on a modified Silvercrest business jet engine, aiming to mature key technologies for next-generation narrowbody aircraft engines.

The demonstrator, named PHILEAS, developed with support from the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), is equipped with a 250-kilowatt electric motor-generator on each of its high-pressure and low-pressure rotors. Safran stated that the dimensions of these motors are suitable for next-generation short- and medium-range aircraft engines.

Testing is being conducted at Safran's open-air test stand at the Istres Air Base in southern France. According to the company, the tests will last approximately six months, with a cumulative test duration of about 300 hours, and operations are expected to begin within the coming days.

The PHILEAS demonstrator also integrates onboard power electronics and a power distribution system, designed to validate the integration of this technology suite within the engine under conditions Safran considers close to real-world operations. The test plan includes "advanced power management scenarios," such as balancing power extraction between the two shafts, transferring power from one shaft to the other, and managing power exchange between the engine and the aircraft.

Pierre Cottenceau, Vice President of Engineering, Research, and Technology at Safran Aircraft Engines, stated that the company is proud to launch this ground test campaign, marking another milestone in the maturation of hybrid-electric propulsion technology and a key step toward integrating it into future aircraft engines.

Safran believes that hybridization is a key factor in achieving the 20% fuel consumption reduction target required for next-generation narrowbody engines. For example, the RISE open fan demonstrator developed by the company through its joint venture with GE Aerospace, CFM International, incorporates a hybrid-electric propulsion system to optimize performance across all flight phases.

The electrical equipment for the PHILEAS demonstrator was developed by sister company Safran Electrical & Power (SE&P). SE&P previously contributed to the early DOPEE project in 2023, which validated the operation of a SE&P 300-kilowatt electric motor-generator installed on the high-pressure shaft of another Silvercrest engine, accumulating approximately 300 hours of operation.

Additionally, since the end of 2025, SE&P has been conducting system-level tests on a test bench at its Niort facility in France, simulating the operating environment of an 800-volt aircraft electrical grid. The Silvercrest is a business jet engine project in the 10,000-pound-force (44 kN) thrust class that Safran discontinued development of in the previous decade.