SYLPHAERO

SYLPHAERO is a company based in Mérignac, France. It develops electric plasma jet engines. The company says it heats air with electricity rather than burning fuel. The site says the engine heats air to over 20,000 degrees Celsius, which turns the air into plasma. It says this produces no CO2.

The company says its approach differs from electric motors that turn a propeller. It says it electrifies the jet engine itself. The site describes the design as electrothermal. It says the engine can take an aircraft from a standstill to speeds beyond 10,000 km/h, and it lists supersonic and hypersonic use.

The site lists several performance claims. It says the engine has a specific power of more than 10 kW/kg. It says operating costs are about 65 percent lower. It says the engine combines electric and thermal engines for better reliability. The site says the engine can retrofit existing aircraft fleets.

The site names three target markets. These are civilian aircraft, military vehicles and drones, and hypersonic propulsion. The site also lists research and development, engine sales for new designs and retrofits, and maintenance. It says a 90 kW proof of concept turbojet is planned.

The team page names Damien Engemann as founder and CEO. It describes him as a UAV designer and pilot with an engineering background from UTBM. Tom Bernat is co-founder and COO. He is an industrial and mechanical engineer from the University of Strasbourg, and previously worked at Safran. The site says the team is mentored by researchers from ONERA and others.

The contact page lists a contact form and a company address in Mérignac. The site links to LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. The footer says the company is a SAS with share capital of 12,500 euros.

The site shows a power supply test for a proof of concept, dated 2 February 2024. The contact form asks for a name, email, subject and message.