Off-Design Performance Analysis of a Parallel Hybrid Electric Regional Turboprop Aircraft

Abstract

Hybrid electric propulsion is one of the alternative solutions for reducing fuel burn and lower emissions while keeping a reasonable battery mass for regional turboprop aircraft operating on short routes. Most studies reporting fuel burn reductions evaluate the aircraft on the design mission, although regional transport aircraft rarely operate under these conditions. Therefore, considering its off-design performance is essential for providing a more complete understanding of aircraft capabilities under various operating conditions. Under these flight conditions, the multi-energy management aspect of hybrid propulsion and the fixed size of the batteries could have a significant impact on the system robustness in off-design operation. In this study, the off-design performance of an existing regional turboprop aircraft retrofitted with a parallel hybrid electric powertrain is assessed. Fuel burn benefits are evaluated on the payload–range diagram for an initial hybrid design and compared to the baseline aircraft. Then, using a novel sizing approach, considering a typical mission operation, this study shows an average improvement of percentage point on fuel burn benefits relative to the initial hybrid aircraft, creating a more robust design.