Simulating Electrification of Aircraft in a Domestic New Zealand Environment

Abstract

<p>Global attention has been drawn towards aviation emissions due to the lack of a low carbon substitute, this is exacerbated in New Zealand as there are no alternatives to aviation for rapid transit between cities. An alternative energy storage to aviation fuel being developed is electrical energy, typically in the form of batteries. Simulating and modelling are integral to the development of novel technologies like electric aircraft. However, due to the lack of data, software models are difficult to validate. This thesis details the design and testing of a Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation, which utilises software to represent airframes and aerodynamics and hardware to represent an electrified powertrain of a Bombardier Q300. The developed system will be used to investigate flight paths for custom airframes and novel powertrains.</p>