{"id":12266,"date":"2019-10-14T16:48:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T23:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=12266"},"modified":"2019-10-14T16:48:55","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T23:48:55","slug":"sas-2019-gabriel-devaults-clean-commute-and-electric-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/sas-2019-gabriel-devaults-clean-commute-and-electric-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"SAS 2019 \u2013 Gabriel DeVault\u2019s Clean Commute and Electric Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

An electric ultralight developer brought some hopeful notes to the Sustainable Aviation Symposium audience at the University of California Berkeley.\u00a0 Gabriel DeVault is the powertrain development specialist for ZeroAvia, bringing hydrogen power to regional air commuting.\u00a0 He does a lot of commuting in his own electric aircraft, showing that one doesn\u2019t need huge investments in aircraft and infrastructure to enjoy green flight.<\/p>\n

The Paul MacCready Honorary Lecture: Doing More with Less, Right Now! <\/strong><\/h4>\n

An Aerospace Engineer and EV systems architect, Gabriel was a founding member of Zero Motorcycles, running R&D for the world\u2019s largest and most successful electric motorcycle company.\u00a0 He now works for ZeroAvia<\/a>, a firm in Hollister, California working with a hydrogen-powered electric Piper Malibu as the first step toward developing clean aerial commuters.<\/p>\n

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NASA\u2019s Hybrid Electric Integrated Systems Testbed (HEIST) is an experimental wing initially mounted on a specially modified truck. It is used for a series of research projects intended to integrate complex electric propulsion systems.<\/p><\/div>\n

He has worked for JOBY Aviation and designed the HEIST (Hybrid-Electric Integrated Systems Testbed), a Peterbuilt semi pulling a rolling wind tunnel with the high-mounted X-57 Maxwell wing and power system helping pull things along.\u00a0 The rig was taken to speeds of 73 mph with the motors spinning.<\/p>\n

Even though he left Zero Motorcycles years ago, he saw the potential for using the power system for that vehicle in motivating small aircraft.\u00a0 His Thundergull became the \u201cprototype\u201d for conversion from using a Rotax two-stroke engine for power to using a Zero Motorcycle motor, controller, and battery pack.\u00a0 He noted in his talk that a \u201cdonor cycle\u201d can be found for $10,000 to $15,000.\u00a0 With the cost of Mark Beierle\u2019s kit for an e-Gull, the total remains below $40,000.<\/p>\n

Gabriel shows us his electric Thundergull with a thorough review of its salient features.\u00a0 In his talk, he explained that cruising at 55 knots (63 mph) consumed about eight to nine kilowatts (10.72 to 12 horsepower) per hour.\u00a0 This is borne out by two friends who report similar performance with their eGulls.<\/p>\n