The Quick Disconnect System (QUICK) project brings the world leading expertise in mechanical, electrical and control engineering focused on aerospace applications at the University of Nottingham (UNOTT) to design, develop, manufacture, test and qualify up to demonstrator test levels, a quick disconnect system intended to be installed on future energy-optimised aircraft. A novel, highly robust and reliable fault detection and mechanical isolation system will be developed aimed at reducing the risks associated with potentially highly dissipative failure modes that high-performance electrical power generator technologies will require in the near future.

Delivery of the QUICK system will be supported by UNOTT’s innovative design and prototyping capabilities and underpinned by UNOTT’s internal quality control (QC) and commercial experience. UNOTT has a proven record of working across the range of technology readiness levels (TRL), from fundamental research up to flight demonstrators for aircraft technologies, up to TRL 6. This includes the required simulations and physical hardware testing. UNOTT has world leading laboratory-based test facilities for electrical and mechanical systems including, electrical machines (EM), power electronics (PE) and aircraft electrical systems (see Section BII). Such examples include

• Electric taxiing motor realised up to TRL5
• FIRS3T power electronics for stop/start systems, realised up to TRL7
• AEGART starter-generator and associated PE, realised up to TRL5
• HEMAS actuator systems, realised up to TRL5
• Helicopter landing gear equipment for extraction/retraction and steering
• Various power generations products