Partnership Solar Impulse-ABB in order to circumnavigate the globe with a fed aircraft to solar energy



ABB, Helvetic group leader in the technologies for the energy and the automation, will support Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg in the attempt to on board circumnavigate the globe of a fed aircraft to solar energy in 2015. In occasion of the today's presentation of Solar Impulse 2, the new airplane that will try the flight record, the managing director of ABB, Ulrich Spiesshofer - it has emphasized that "this partnership joins two Helvetic leaders of world-wide stature joined from the passion to exceed new technological frontiers in order to construct a better world. We believe - Spiesshofer has explained - in the vision of Bertrand and are convinced that thanks to the technological innovation we will succeed to clear the economic increase from the energetic consumption and the environmental impact. ABB is total leader in the sustainable solutions that promote energy efficiency, transports and the renewable sources and as Solar Impulse we want to more and more ahead move the limit of that it is technologically possible".

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, with their society Solar Impulse that has realized the first airplane in a position to remaining in flight day and night without to consume fuel neither to pollute, have risen to the international notoriety thanks to the first night flight never tried with an airplane to solar energy so as graces to a series of missions from record through Europe, the Mediterranean and the United States. "To have ABB as first partner of Solar Impulse - Piccard has commented, president of Solar Impulse - was my dream. We have the same objective: to improve the world using the energy in more efficient way and protecting the natural resources". "We want - it has added André Borschberg, Co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse - to encourage the people to use the technologies clean. ABB and Solar Impulse will study with the applications of crucial technologies as the electronics of power for trare of a mutual advantage".

The revolutionary aircraft in carbon fiber of Solar Impulse has the wing span of a Boeing 747 (63,4 meters) and hung how much a small car (1,600 kg). It is I yield seven-year-old of intense job, I calculate, simulations and tests to work of a team composed from some 80 people and 100 partner and advisers. A large and so light airplane never was not constructed before now. In it tows are integrated 12,000 photovoltaic cells that feed four electric motors from 10 CV with totally renewable energy. During the day the cells recharge the A batteries lithium from 400 kg that they serve to make to work the night airplane.