Solid-State Transformer for Electric Aircraft Patent Landscape
Solid-State Transformer for Electric Aircraft Patent Landscape in 2026
The solid-state transformer for electric aircraft space holds just 4 patent families in scope — an extremely early-stage field dominated equally by Rolls-Royce PLC and Central South University. Filing activity is sparse and intermittent, signaling that most foundational IP positions remain unclaimed.
Two filers hold every family; the field is wide open
Rolls-Royce PLC and Central South University each hold 2 patent families, together accounting for the entire ranked corpus. No third applicant has yet staked a position in this space.
The top five filers hold 100% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers — a concentration level that reflects the nascent size of the field rather than a mature oligopoly. The tier gap between the two leading applicants is effectively zero: both are tied at 2 patent families.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolls-Royce PLC | 2 | |
| 2 | Central South University | 2 |
This parity suggests neither player has achieved a commanding lead. An entrant with a focused filing program could realistically move into a co-leadership position with a modest portfolio investment.
Because patent applications typically publish 18–24 months after filing, the most recent data points in this landscape likely under-represent true activity levels; the full scope of filings from 2024 onward will only become visible over the next one to two years.
Sporadic filings and a single dominant IPC class
Two filing pulses — in 2021 and 2024 — account for all activity, with zero filings recorded in surrounding years. The technology composition is anchored almost entirely in power conversion.
Annual filing trend
Activity clusters in two discrete years (2021 and 2024, each with 2 families) and is absent in all other years from 2017 to 2026. The 2024 pulse and all subsequent years should be read with caution given publication lag; true 2025–2026 filings are not yet visible.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02M (Power conversion — AC/DC etc.) covers all 4 families and is the defining technical class. G01R (Electric and magnetic measurement) appears as a secondary class with 2 records, concentrated in Central South University’s diagnostic work. The near-absence of other IPC classes reflects how narrowly scoped existing IP is.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
ELEKTRISCHES ENERGIESYSTEM
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method for diagnosing fault of LLC resonant conver… | 10 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the IP structure means for R&D investment
A 4-family corpus split between two players across two technical classes defines a field that is simultaneously early-stage and technically narrow. The implications for strategy differ sharply depending on whether an entrant is a systems integrator or a power-electronics specialist.
Plateau stage with significant unclaimed territory
The lifecycle assessment places this field at a Maturity stage, with annual filings having plateaued near their peak. However, the absolute scale — 4 patent families globally — means ‘plateau’ here describes a very thin crust of IP rather than a saturated landscape. The plateau signals that early movers have paused, not that the opportunity has closed.
Lifecycle: MaturityPerfect duopoly, but neither player has a blocking position
With exactly 2 patent families each, Rolls-Royce and Central South University hold equal shares. Neither possesses the portfolio depth to enforce exclusivity across the full design space. A new entrant focusing on distinct converter topologies or aircraft-specific thermal management could carve out an independent position without immediately facing an IP thicket.
High concentration, low depthNo co-filing partnerships detected
Evidence pending — no co-applicant relationships appear in the current corpus. The absence of recorded collaboration between Rolls-Royce and any academic or supply-chain partner, and between Central South University and any industry counterpart, is itself informative: cross-sector alliances in this space remain an open strategic move for any party willing to lead.
No co-filers on recordUS leads; European filings are present but thin
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction with 2 records, followed by Germany and the European Patent Office with 1 record each. The EPO and German presence signals that Rolls-Royce has pursued European protection, consistent with its UK/EU aerospace manufacturing base. No Asian jurisdictions appear in the filing record despite Central South University’s involvement, which may indicate a domestic-first strategy or pending publications.
US-led, EU secondaryGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Rolls-Royce and Central South University: equal portfolios, different technical emphasis
The two ranked filers occupy distinct but partially overlapping technical positions. Rolls-Royce focuses on power conversion circuit implementation; Central South University combines power conversion with electrical measurement and fault diagnostics.
Rolls-Royce PLC
Rolls-Royce PLC holds 2 patent families, concentrated in H02M1 and H02M3 (power conversion — AC/DC circuits). The applicant momentum data records this as a new entrant with 2 families in the recent window, indicating that Rolls-Royce entered this specific sub-field recently and has not yet built a deep portfolio. Their filings are covered in the United States, Germany, and the EPO, reflecting a multi-jurisdictional protection strategy aligned with their civil aerospace program.
families: 2Central South University
Central South University also holds 2 patent families, with coverage spanning G01R19 and G01R31 (electric and magnetic measurement) in addition to H02M3 (power conversion). This broader IPC spread suggests a research orientation that pairs converter design with diagnostic and measurement capabilities — potentially relevant to in-service health monitoring of solid-state transformers in aircraft. No momentum data is available for the recent window beyond the family count.
families: 2| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Rolls-Royce PLC | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served technical areas adjacent to the core
With the existing corpus limited to H02M and G01R, a wide range of technically relevant IPC classes are entirely absent from the landscape. Two adjacent branches carry plausible engineering value for electric aircraft solid-state transformer development.
H01F · Magnetics, inductors, and transformer cores
No patents in the current corpus address the magnetic core design, high-frequency ferrite materials, or planar transformer geometries that are central to achieving the power density and weight targets required for airborne solid-state transformers. H01F is absent from the evidence, representing a sparse but technically foundational area. An entrant with materials or magnetics expertise could establish a differentiated position that neither current filer has claimed.
Search this in Eureka →H02J · Power network management and distribution
Solid-state transformers in electric aircraft must interface with the onboard DC or AC distribution bus, yet H02J (covering power network management, energy storage interfaces, and microgrid control) does not appear in the current IPC composition. This gap is notable because aircraft power distribution architecture is a system-level design challenge distinct from converter circuit implementation. Researchers or suppliers with aircraft electrical systems experience could address this adjacency.
Search this in Eureka →How Rolls-Royce and Central South University differ by technical route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02M 3 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | G01R 19 · Electric & magnetic measurement | G01R 31 · Electric & magnetic measurement | H02M 1 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central South University | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent |
| Rolls-Royce PLC | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 2 |
Frequently asked questions
The current evidence covers 4 patent families globally. This is an exceptionally small corpus, indicating that the field is at a very early stage of IP development.
Rolls-Royce PLC and Central South University each hold 2 patent families, making them the only ranked filers in the current corpus. They hold equal positions with no third applicant on record.
The United States has the highest filing count with 2 records, followed by Germany and the European Patent Office with 1 record each. No Asian jurisdictions appear in the current evidence.
H02M (Power conversion — AC/DC etc.) covers all 4 families and is the defining IPC class. G01R (Electric and magnetic measurement) appears as a secondary class with 2 records, associated with Central South University’s diagnostic research.
Activity has appeared in two discrete pulses — 2021 and 2024 — with zero filings in all other years from 2017 to 2026. The lifecycle assessment places the field at a Maturity stage with filings plateaued near their peak. Given publication lag, the 2024 and later data points may not yet reflect all recent filings.
No co-applicant relationships are recorded in the current evidence. Rolls-Royce and Central South University appear to be filing independently, with no cross-sector partnerships detected in this corpus.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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