Electric Aircraft Technology Research Articles

Comparative study on the impact of different E-J relations on the performance of resistive superconducting fault current limiters under high and low impedance faults in cryo-electric aircraft

To achieve the goal of zero emission in aviation, it is critical to advance electric aircraft technologies, especially in short to medium range flights. Superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) have shown promising potential in electric aircraft system as a protection solution to limit the peak of fault current. Many research works focused on the SFCL performance under low impedance faults, where the fault current is much higher than the nominal current and the SFCL will transit to normal (metal) state quickly. However, there are limited reports on investigating the SFCL reacting to high impedance faults for electric aircraft system, where the SFCL does not abruptly transit to normal state. In this paper, we built an electric-thermal coupled model in MATLAB which simulates the behaviour of a resistive type SFCL both under low and high impedance faults. We investigated three mathematical relations of local electric field E and local current density J representing the transition from superconducting state to normal state, both under high and low impedance fault. The three mathematical relations are classic E-J power-law, modified E-J power-law and two- stage E-J power law. The electric-thermal model of the SFCL incorporating all these three types of mathematical relations, respectively, have been used to calculate the SFCL responses under high and low impedance faults, and compared with each other, as well as testing results. The limited fault current, voltage drop, resistance and temperature variations in the SFCL are observed and analysed. The results have shown that the proposed SFCL model is able to accurately characterise a resistive type SFCL under both high impedance and low impedance fault.

More Electric Planes Analyses of the Difficulties and Possibilities for Business Transport Aircraft Using WSM Method

More electric aircraft (MEA) and the transition to electric vehicles has been the subject of extensive study. The objectives of this research include lowering emissions and fuel consumption, which are comparable to those for automobiles. Many components in traditional airplanes may make use of one or more types of power, such as electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, or pneumatic power. However, each form of energy has its own disadvantages, such as sacrificing overall mechanical efficiency when capturing a particular energy, as in the case of hydraulic and pneumatic systems.The majority of the primary non-electric systems, like environmental controls, Old electrical systems will be replaced with new electrical systems in future aircraft to improve "a variety of aerospace characteristics such as engine start, efficiency, emissions, reliability, and maintenance". This essay offers a thorough examination of how systems alter or will alter. Future aviation innovations like gas-electric propulsion for planes and electric taxis are also discussed. Modern state-of-the-art electric aircraft technology is used in the most recent commercial transport planes. Test results on the WSM method show results with a classification of the best and worst aircraft alternatives.

New-Energy Electric Aircraft: A Review of the Developments and Challenges of Core Technologies

In light of the escalating global energy crisis and exacerbating environmental dilemmas, nations worldwide are amplifying their investments and research endeavors in advanced aircraft energy systems. The collective objective is the realization of aircraft that epitomize low-emission, low-noise, and minimal pollution, ensuring enhanced safety and comfort while championing energy efficiency. This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the pivotal technology underpinning electric aircraft, offering a detailed exposition of the current developmental landscape and the inherent challenges encountered. The discussion delves into the transition from multi-electric and all-electric aircraft to entirely electric aircraft, underscoring the technological advancements and innovations propelling this shift. The paper meticulously examines the multifaceted aspects of electric aircraft technology, highlighting the significant strides made and the obstacles that persist. In addition to presenting a coherent overview of the existing state of electric aircraft technology, the paper ventures to propose potential, viable solutions to the challenges identified. This exploration contributes to the burgeoning body of knowledge, aiding the ongoing efforts to enhance the sustainability, efficiency, and efficacy of aircraft energy systems, ultimately contributing to global environmental conservation and energy sustainability.

Electric aircraft charging network design for regional routes: A novel mathematical formulation and kernel search heuristic

The uptake of electric aircraft appears faster today than predicted. Given the prominent electric aircraft technologies, short- and medium-haul routes are the ones that will benefit first, with the promise to revolutionize regional aviation at short notice. This paper proposes an optimization model to support the strategic design of charging networks for electric aircraft as a key enabling factor to prepare for and take full advantage of aviation electrification. The model, named Electric Aircraft Charging Network for Regional Routes, defines a network of airports and flight paths to optimally trade-off the number of charging bases (and associated investment costs) with connectivity and population coverage targets typical of regional routes serving remote regions. Due to computational challenges in large problem instances, we propose a Kernel Search heuristic and illustrate how it can deliver high quality solutions for large cases in a shorter computational time than the branch-and-cut algorithms. A real-world application to Sweden then demonstrates the practical insights of the proposed approach. We find that leveraging the many currently under-utilized regional airports has connectivity and investment benefits (on average +12.1% in number of origins covered, +5.8% in population coverage, and −7.3% reduction of travel times). Furthermore, increasing the maximum aircraft range on a single charge implies significantly fewer charging bases and more feasible travel options, thus favoring network resilience and granting higher flexibility for later planning stages.

Design of a Coreless Multi-Phase Electric Motor Using Magnetic Resonant Coupling

With the emergence of electric vehicles and electric aircraft technologies, lightweight motors have become a requirement. Conventional motors are generally made up of coils, permanent magnets, heavy iron stators, and rotor cores. This article presents complete analytical modeling and design of a novel coreless multi-phase magnetic resonant motor (MMRM), conceptualized through the approach of magnetic resonance coupling. The removal of magnetic iron cores drastically reduces the weight of the resulting motor. The stator and rotor cores of the motor are made of reinforced plastic fibers and can be 3-D printed. Unrelated to the general operating principle of the existing conventional electric motors, resonant wireless power transfer (WPT) is the key feature of these motors. All the essential machine characteristics, such as self-inductance, mutual inductance, torque, and frequency domains, are fully developed. The mathematical modeling of the machine’s physical phenomena is linked to its operation by simulation. This article shows the design concept and discusses the simulation procedure used to verify the developed analytical model through a finite-element analysis (FEA) from the established modeling topology equivalent to the proposed configuration motor model. Although the design is straightforward, an accurate analytical modeling and analysis are significant challenges to consider.

Design Method for Variable Frequency Brushless Synchronous Generators

Brushless synchronous generators, which have the structure of three-stage generators to realize brushless excitation, are the most commonly used aero-generators. With the development of more electric aircraft technology, the output frequency of aero-generators is changing from constant to variable, and the characteristics of generators are also changed. To make sure that the generators can be adapted to the variable frequency operation, this paper analyzes the effects of different operating conditions on generator performance and proposes corresponding design methods. The design and verification of the electromagnetic field, fluid field, temperature field and stress field are carried out for the variable frequency generator. A prototype generator is manufactured according to the design results. An experimental platform is set up to test the performances of the designed generator. The final experimental results show that the generator can work well in variable frequency generation systems, which proves the design method proposed in this paper is effective and feasible.

Potential Coatings for Aircraft Brakes Application. Part I: Thermal Spray Coatings

Over the last years, in the context of the electric aircraft technology trend, the development of electric brakes in replacing hydraulic systems has gained great interest due to its several potential benefits. Currently, materials for brakes for aircrafts range from the low-cost sintered friction pad/liner material vs sintered rotor disc material to the high cost carbon fiber material vs carbon fiber material.

Commercial Aircraft Electrification—Current State and Future Scope

Electric and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion are rapidly revolutionising mobility technologies. Air travel has become a major focus point with respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The electrification of aircraft components can bring several benefits such as reduced mass, environmental impact, fuel consumption, increased reliability and quicker failure resolution. Propulsion, actuation and power generation are the three key areas of focus in more electric aircraft technologies, due to the increasing demand for power-dense, efficient and fault-tolerant flight components. The necessity of having environmentally friendly aircraft systems has promoted the aerospace industry to use electrically powered drive systems, rather than the conventional mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic systems. In this context, this paper reviews the current state of art and future advances in more electric technologies, in conjunction with a number of industrially relevant discussions. In this study, a permanent magnet motor was identified as the most efficient machine for aircraft subsystems. It is found to be 78% and 60% more power dense than switch-reluctant and induction machines. Several development methods to close the gap between existing and future design were also analysed, including the embedded cooling system, high-thermal-conductivity insulation materials, thin-gauge and high-strength electrical steel and integrated motor drive topology.

ITEC+: The IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo and AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium [Newsfeed

ITEC+: The IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo and AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium [Newsfeed

2022 IEEE/AIAA Transportation Electrification Conference and Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium

2022 IEEE/AIAA Transportation Electrification Conference and Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium

High-Fidelity Modeling of Multirotor Aerodynamic Interactions for Aircraft Design

Electric aircraft technology has enabled the use of multiple rotors in novel concepts for urban air mobility. However, multirotor configurations introduce strong aerodynamic and aeroacoustic interactions that are not captured through conventional aircraft design tools. This paper explores the capability of the viscous vortex particle method (VPM) to model multirotor aerodynamic interactions at a computational cost suitable for conceptual design. A VPM-based rotor model is introduced along with recommendations for numerical stability and computational efficiency. Validation of the individual rotor is presented in both hovering and forward-flight configurations at low, moderate, and high Reynolds numbers. Hovering multirotor predictions are compared with experimental measurements, evidencing the suitability of the proposed model to capture the thrust drop and unsteady loading produced by rotor-on-rotor interactions.

On-Board Microgrids for the More Electric Aircraft—Technology Review

This paper presents an overview of technology related to on-board microgrids for the more electric aircraft. All aircraft use an isolated system, where security of supply and power density represents the main requirements. Different distribution systems (ac and dc) and voltage levels coexist, and power converters have the central role in connecting them with high reliability and high power density. Ensuring the safety of supply with a limited redundancy is one of the targets of the system design since it allows increasing the power density. This main challenge is often tackled with proper load management and advanced control strategies, as highlighted in this paper.

Electric Aircraft and the Environment: A Literature Review

Historically, the integration of social need, environmental impact, and technological advancement has been a challenging balancing act for growing cities and metropoles. If the balance between social need and environmental sustainability is reached, the increasing advancements and improvements made to electric aircrafts have the potential to steer society towards a new mode of sustainable air. One reason why electric aircraft technology has not grown as fast as other technologies is because there lacked a need for fast advancements. With that said, electric aircraft technologies are improving today due to the demand in heavily populated cities to relieve traffic [5]. Some issues growing cities face are inadequate housing, inefficient infrastructure, and high traffic congestion. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), traffic congestion within the Bay Area has increased 9% in the past two years [5]. The gridlock in the Bay Area increased as approximately 13,000 cars cross the Bay Bridge daily. A report produced by Arup Corporation reports that the Bay Area is second only to Los Angeles in the intensity of traffic congestion [1]. A study by UCLA determined that the economic boom in the Bay Area in the previous decade had driven the influx of inhabitants to the area [5]. These are two examples of metropolitan cities that are impacted by traffic congestion. To mitigate the negative consequences associated with high traffic congestion, it is beneficial to explore redesigning the infrastructure of metropolitan cities in tandem with residual effects of the economic boom. [5]. This literature review analyzes electric aircraft as a viable solution to high congestion and explores the possible effects of it on the environment.

Flight demonstration of Electric Aircraft Technology for Harmonized Ecological Revolution (FEATHER)

Flight demonstration of Electric Aircraft Technology for Harmonized Ecological Revolution (FEATHER)

Hybrid-electric propulsion integration in unmanned aircraft

Abstract Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems (HEPS) have emerged as a promising area of research in aerospace engineering as they combine the complementary advantages of internal combustion and electric propulsion technologies while limiting the environmental emissions. Despite the promising benefits, the insufficient energy densities and specific energies of electrical storage devices are major challenges as they induce severe weight and volume penalties. Significant opportunities are nonetheless emerging thanks to optimised propulsive profiles, energy harvesting techniques and more electric aircraft technologies. To support further research on hybrid electric aircraft, the aim of this study is to develop a HEPS retrofit design methodology for existing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). The implemented HEPS models use power state variables, allowing more accurate predictions of energy converter efficiency than with power-based approaches. Data from commercially available products is introduced and a case study is presented assuming a reference RPAS platform and performing parametric studies for traditional, electric and hybrid configurations. Range and endurance performances are investigated in depth and the most significant dependencies on design parameters are analysed. The results suggest that HEPS technology represents a viable trade-off solution in small-to-medium size RPAS, promoting the mitigation of noxious and greenhouse emissions while providing adequate range and endurance performance.

Switching technique for minimisation of DC‐link capacitance in switched reluctance machine drives

A switched reluctance (SR) machine drive has many advantages over other competing drive technologies in terms of reliability and fault tolerance, which make it particularly attractive for safety critical applications in more electric aircraft technologies. However, an SR machine drive requires a large DC-link capacitor to buffer the de-fluxing magnetic energy during a phase commutation period and to filter out AC harmonic currents from contaminating the DC supply. This study describes a switching technique for minimisation of the DC-link capacitance in SR machine drives and presents experimental results from a laboratory demonstrator. The proposed switching method aims to maintain a constant average DC-link current over a switching cycle, thus eliminating commutation-induced low-frequency current harmonics. Consequently, the DC-link capacitance can be minimised. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is assessed through filter design and demonstrated by experiments with a dSPACE control platform.

Dynamics of a Radial Active Magnetic Bearing System during Maneuvering Flight

Active magnetic bearing (AMB) is a prime component of the more electric aircraft technology that aims at reducing weight and emissions, and augmenting reliability and efficiency for future aircraft. The effect of maneuvering flight on performance of AMB system is investigated. A mathematical model considering maneuver equivalent force is presented and based on the model stability analysis is presented in terms of asymptotical and regional stability. The research result indicts that maneuvering flight has a great influence on system dynamics and stability.