Abstract
The potential environmental benefits of hybrid electric regional turboprop aircraft in terms of fuel consumption are investigated. Lithium–air batteries are used as energy source in combination with conventional fuel. A validated design and analysis framework is extended with sizing and analysis modules for hybrid electric propulsion system components. In addition, a modified Bréguet range equation, suitable for hybrid electric aircraft, is introduced. The results quantify the limits in range and performance for this type of aircraft as a function of battery technology level. A typical design for 70 passengers with a design range of 1528 km, based on batteries with a specific energy of 1000 Wh/kg, providing 34% of the shaft power throughout the mission, yields a reduction in emissions by 28%.
Highlights
The potential for hybrid electric or even full electric commercial aircraft has received a great deal of attention over the past years
Lithium–air batteries are used as energy source in combination with conventional fuel
A validated design and analysis framework is extended with sizing and analysis modules for hybrid electric propulsion system components
Summary
The potential for hybrid electric or even full electric commercial aircraft has received a great deal of attention over the past years. Pornet et al [9] investigated the use of batteries as energy source alongside conventional jet fuel as a retrofit for short-to-mediumrange single-aisle turbofan aircraft. The VOLTAIR design, is based on the beneficial effects of other technologies; (1) a propulsive fuselage configuration featuring boundary layer ingestion, (2) a low slenderness fuselage with reduced structural weight and (3) a 60% natural laminar flow wing. These combined technologies are claimed to yield a 25% improvement in energy efficiency.
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