No abstract

The potential environmental benefits of hybrid electric regional turboprop aircraft in terms of fuel consumption are investigated. Lithium-air batteries are used as energy source in combination with conventional fuel. A validated design and analysis framework is extended with sizing and analysis modules for hybrid electric propulsion system components. In addition, a modified Bréguet range equation, suitable for hybrid electric aircraft, is introduced. The results quantify the limits in range and performance for this type of aircraft as a function of battery technology level. A typical design for 70 passengers with a design range of 1528 km, based on batteries with a specific energy of 1000 Wh/kg, providing 34% of the shaft power throughout the mission, yields a reduction in emissions by 28%. Keywords Hybrid electric propulsion

Aviation is an important contributor to the global economy, satisfying society’s mobility needs. It contributes to climate change through CO2 and non-CO2 effects, including contrail-cirrus and ozone formation. There is currently significant interest in policies, regulations and research aiming to reduce aviation’s climate impact. Here we model the effect of these measures on global warming and perform a bottom-up analysis of potential technical improvements, challenging the assumptions of the targets for the sector with a number of scenarios up to 2100. We show that although the emissions targets for aviation are in line with the overall goals of the Paris Agreement, there is a high likelihood that the climate impact of aviation will not meet these goals. Our assessment includes feasible technological advancements and the availability of sustainable aviation fuels. This conclusion is robust for several COVID-19 recovery scenarios, including changes in travel behaviour.

With civil aviation growing at around 4.7% per annum, the environmental footprint of aviation is increasing. Moreover, the use of kerosene as a fuel accelerates the depletion of non-renewable fossil fuels and increases global warming. Hence, the aviation industry has to come up with new technologies to reduce its environmental impact and make aviation more sustainable. An electrically assisted propulsion system can combine the benefits of an electrical power source with a conventional turbofan engine. However, the additional electrical system increases the weight of the aircraft and complexity of the power management system. The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of an assistive electrical system on the performance of a turbofan engine for an A320 class aircraft on a short-range mission. The developed simulation model consists of an aircraft performance model combined with a propulsion model. The power management strategy is integrated within the simulation model. With the proposed propulsion system and power management strategy, the electrically assisted propulsion system would be able to reduce fuel burn, total energy consumption, and emissions for short-range missions of around 1000 km.

No abstract