Development of a Lumped Parameter Model for an Aeronautic Hybrid Electric Propulsion System

Abstract

This paper describes a case study for applying a hybrid electric propulsion system for general aviation aircraft. The work was performed by a joint team from the Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali (CIRA) and the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Naples Federico II. The use of electric and hybrid electric propulsion for aircraft has gained widespread and significant attention over the past decade. The driver of industry interest has principally been the need to reduce the emissions of combustion engine exhaust products and noise; however, studies have revealed the potential for overall improvement in the energy efficiency and mission flexibility of new aircraft types. The goal of the present study was to demonstrate the feasibility of aeronautic parallel hybrid electric propulsion for light aircraft, varying mission profiles and electric configurations. Through the creation and application of a global model with AMESim® software, in which every aspect of the components chosen by the industrial partners can be represented, some interesting studies were carried out. The numerical model used was more complete and more accurate compared to some others available in the literature. In particular, it was confirmed that, for particular missions, integrating state-of-the-art technologies provides notable advantages for aircraft hybrid electric propulsion for light aircraft.