Paragraf, TT Electronics, and Rolls-Royce Partner on Aerospace Sensors Project
The three companies announced a new project, dubbed High-T Hall, to demonstrate the effectiveness of graphene-based Hall Effect sensors in aerospace applications.
TT Electronics and Rolls-Royce have teamed up with graphene-based device startup Paragraf for a new project focused on Hall Effect sensors. Named High-T Hall, the project aims to show how graphene-based Hall Effect sensors can function at higher temperatures more reliably than traditional silicon-based Hall sensors.
The sensors will be produced by Paragraf, a University of Cambridge spin-out group that provides graphene-based electronic devices for the semiconductor, energy and sensor markets. Earlier this year, Paragraf landed a partnership with CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) to test its graphene sensors on magnetic measurement applications.
Through the High-T Hall project, Paragraf will build custom Hall Effect sensors to be integrated into Ross-Royce’s upcoming gas turbine products and TT Electronics’ modular current sensors for aerospace electrical systems. South Wales-based not-for-profit organization Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult will develop packaging and assembly processes to build the prototypes.
Paragraf says the project’s goal is to demonstrate how graphene Hall Effect sensors can operate at temperatures up to 180℃, at which point they can be mounted to a machine or power module within Power Electronics, Electric Machines and Drives (PEMD) applications for aerospace.
While the project focuses on using graphene-based Hall Effect sensors in aerospace environments, the process could also be replicated to improve efficiency and performance in automotive systems, specifically electric vehicles.
Paragraf Co-Founder Ivor Guiney stated in the announcement that High-T Hall aims to “lead to better efficiency in all-electric engines and help accelerate the adoption of e-planes and, more generally, electric vehicles.”
“Our graphene Hall Effect sensors have already proven to possess unique cryogenic properties, so their resistance to high temperatures will help demonstrate how uniquely versatile graphene devices are from a thermal standpoint,” Guiney added.
High-T Hall kicked off in July 2020 and will run for one year. The project is part of the Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge, an £08 million program launched last year by the U.K. 's Research and Innovation arm.
