Future of Electrical Aircraft Energy Power Systems: An Architecture Review

Abstract

This paper presents and in-depth analysis of All-Electric-Aircraft (AEA) architectures. The aim of this work is to provide a global vision of the current AEA state of art, to estimate main technological gaps and drivers and to identify the most promising architecture configuration for future electrical aircraft in the context of a twin propeller 20 MW aircraft. The comparison between architectures is done based on three different figures of merit: reliability, efficiency and specific power density. The methodology presented and the trade studies are applied to a narrowbody aircraft of 20 MW, equivalent to an Airbus A320, and following current efforts of government agencies to achieve cleaner air mobility within the next two decades.

Technical Review of Dual Inverter Topologies for More Electric Aircraft Applications

“…On the other side, the standard two-level converter still dominates in MEA, while applying the three-level converter such as DCI with better power quality have been intensively discussed [5], [6], [13], [15], [107]. It is apparent from Fig.…”

“…In the last two decades, the commercial application of silicon carbide (SiC) devices are prone to have profound implications on the development of MEA applications [1], [5], [107]. Compared to silicon (Si) -based devices, the ones using SiC can operate at greater voltage, higher temperature, faster switching frequency [107].…”

Toward more electric powertrains in aircraft: Technical challenges and advancements

“…Although the main limitation toward implementing more electric powertrains resides in the power/energy density of the electric energy storage systems, other challenges such as reliability, life cycle, and cost across each component of the powertrain play a pivotal role when assessing the feasibility of the overall system. More specifically, the main powertrain components, i.e., electric machines, power converters, and battery packs, must comply with strict aerospace safety and reliability standards, e.g., DO-254 [36]. Furthermore, widely accepted lifetime models of modern electric machines and power converters may require revisions to be valid in aerospace conditions.…”

Barriers and Challenges Going from Conventional to Cryogenic Superconducting Propulsion for Hybrid and All-Electric Aircrafts

“…One emergent solution is using superconducting machines (SMs) to overcome specific power limits of current electrical machines. Although there is research on SMs for aircraft applications and a wide range of research on the HEA and AEA subjects with the possibility of using SM technology [13][14][15][16][17], few analyze this through an integrative view involving the electrical machine, the cooling system, and new types of energy sources. Taking this view into account, the objective of this review article is to analyze research on superconducting electrical machines but now considering their impact on the redesign of aircraft systems: electrical, cooling, and fuel source.…”