13 Oct 2023

Sensata Technologies, a pioneer in aerospace sensing technology, is excited to announce its participation in the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) 2023, taking place from October 17 to 19 in Las Vegas, NV.

At booth N2815, Sensata Technologies will display its innovative Electrified Flight Portfolio, featuring a range of groundbreaking products including Inceptors, Insulation Monitoring Devices (IMDS), Electric Drive Sensors, and its latest additions to the portfolio Electrified Flight Contactors.

Critical circuit protection

Sensata Technologies has a rich heritage of consistently delivering millions of critical circuit protection, position, pressure, and temperature sensors to the aerospace industry. The company has expanded its product offering to support the evolution of electric aircraft, playing a pivotal role in advancing the future of aviation. Today, Sensata leads in electric aviation with its:

Sensata Technologies has a rich heritage of consistently delivering millions of critical circuit protection

Inceptors: Sensata is the pioneer in high-volume inceptor manufacturing, boasting their ultra-light weight and compact aerospace inceptors which weigh just over 6 pounds. It leverages their industry leading RVDT (Rotary Variable Differential Transformer) sensors which deliver the precision and accuracy demanded by pilots to ensure electrified flight success. Sensata’s inceptors offer customizable grips, analog or digital outputs and provide pilots with control options spanning from one to four axes.

Electric propulsion units

Electric Drive Sensors: Designed for use inside aviation's axial flux electric propulsion units (EPUs), these sensors offer superior positional accuracy of <+/-1% throughout their operational lifespan. Sensor installation is easy and straightforward, while also offering high redundancy and magnetic field immunity.

Insulation Monitoring Devices (IMDS): Essential for high-voltage safety, these devices provide continuous monitoring and early fault detection for deterioration of insulation between the aircraft power system and chassis. Sensata’s next generation insulation monitoring devices measure voltage, resistance, and capacitance of the system. Proving the first estimate on startup at 2 seconds, the devices include dedicated digital signal outputs for fault, warning, fault condition / HW error. Sensata’s insulation monitoring devices are ASIL-B rated for isolation state report function per ISO 26262.

Exceptional performance and reliability

Sensata Technologies will introduce its new Electrified Flight (SELF) contactors at NBAA BACE 2023

In addition to above mentioned products, Sensata Technologies will introduce its new Electrified Flight (SELF) contactors at NBAA BACE 2023, representing a new era in high-voltage component technology. These contactors are meticulously designed and tested to meet the demands of electric aircrafts, offering exceptional performance and reliability proven through testing to DO-160 (Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment) environmental requirements and compliance to AS9100 quality management standards: 

SELF-C350 800V Contactors: Utilizing a ceramic-brazed header, the SELF-C350 is the lightest weight, 800V contactor rated to 350A continuous current on the market making them ideal for applications for battery mains, pre-charge circuits, and cross-links between batteries and EPUs. he SELF-CL350 latching contactor is ideal for applications requiring lower power consumption. 

High voltage handling capacity

SELF-CM 1500 V Contactors: Sensata's SELF-CM Contactors are the world's smallest UL508 (Safety Standard for Industrial Control Equipment) approved contactors for 800V and 1000V hot switching. Their sealed design and high voltage handling capacity make them a game-changer for high power applications including charging infrastructure, inverter systems and battery packs.

These features make the SELF-CP series the ideal choice for pre-charge circuits

SELF-CP: Weighing less than 140 grams, the patented SELF-CP power contactors can easily be installed in any orientation on a panel or PCB in a matter of seconds. Safe make and break power switching can be achieved at any voltage up to 1500Vdc and at currents up to 80 amps. These features make the SELF-CP series the ideal choice for pre-charge circuits, battery chargers, and many other applications.

Electrified flight portfolio

SELF-CBG Contactors: Sensata's SELF-CBG contactor family is ushering in a new era in contactor design with proprietary glass-to-metal seals (GTMS), a groundbreaking innovation in the industry. Leveraging over 50 years of GTMS expertise, these contactors are engineered for best-in-class performance and reliability, ensuring the highest level of electrical insulation. Products feature fully bi-directional switching and are ideal for DC Fast Charging and applications requiring continuous current of 400 amps and power switching up to 1500VDC.

We are excited to display our Electrified Flight Portfolio at NBAA BACE 2023," said Stuart Parker, Aerospace General Manager at Sensata Technologies. "Our commitment to creating a cleaner, more efficient, electrified, and connected world is at the heart of everything we do. We invite all NBAA BACE attendees to visit our booth: N2815 and explore the future of aviation technology together." Visit Sensata Technologies at booth N2815 at NBAA 2023 from October 17 to 19 in Las Vegas, NV to learn more about their electrified flight portfolio.