Comparison of Candidate Architectures for Future Distributed Propulsion Aircraft

Abstract

This version is available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/55472/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge.Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the Strathprints administrator: strathprints@strath.ac.ukThe Strathprints institutional repository (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk) is a digital archive of University of Strathclyde research outputs. It has been developed to disseminate open access research outputs, expose data about those outputs, and enable the management and persistent access to Strathclyde's intellectual output.This document is a pre-print which was accepted for publication in IEEE transactions on Applied Superconductivity on the 1 st of February 2016, and as such is subject to IEEE copyright.  Abstract-Turbine engine driven distributed electrical aircraft power systems (also referred to as Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP)) are proposed for providing thrust for future aircraft with superconducting components operating at 77K in order for performance and emissions targets to be met. The proposal of such systems presents a radical change from current state-of-the-art aero-electrical power systems. Central to the development of such power systems are architecture design trades which must consider system functionality and performance, system robustness and fault ride-through capability, in addition to the balance between mass and efficiency. This paper presents a quantitative comparison of the three potential candidate architectures for TeDP electrical networks. This analysis provides the foundations for establishing the feasibility of these different architectures subject to design and operational constraints. The findings of this paper conclude that a purely AC synchronous network performs best in terms of mass and efficiency, but similar levels of functionality and controllability to an architecture with electrical decoupling via DC cannot readily be achieved. If power electronic converters with cryocoolers are found to be necessary for functionality and controllability purposes, then studies show that a significant increase in the efficiency of solid state switching components is necessary to achieve specified aircraft performance targets. Index Terms-Distributed electrical aircraft propulsion, superconducting power systems, turbo-electric distributed propulsion

Conceptual Design of Operation Strategies for Hybrid Electric Aircraft

“…As a design requirement for the PMAD components the rated voltage of the electric propulsion system is needed. Vratny et al [28] and Jones et al [36] prove that a system voltage of 3 kV (DC) leads to the highest efficiency for all electric demands, which is chosen for the simulation. Voltage variations are handled by the converters and inverters.…”

A Review of Concepts, Benefits, and Challenges for Future Electrical Propulsion-Based Aircraft

“…It also eliminates the need for synchronizing the AC generator to the AC distribution system. However, on the downside, it requires addition conversion units on both generator and motor ends in turboelectric application [183]. In a study performed on a non-cryogenic turboelectric configuration [107], three different microgrid type electrical system architectures, namely DC distribution, AC synchronous distribution, and hybrid of both AC and DC, were considered to evaluate mass and efficiency performance metrics.…”

“…Moreover, there is also subtle impact from the operating frequency on the system loss that makes an ideal choice of 800 Hz for this design. In a quantitative assessment study by Jones et al [183] on a cryogenically cooled TeDP configuration AC system showed better performance over DC and AC-DC hybrid systems for weight and efficiency parameters. However, controllability is a major issue for an AC system architecture.…”

Impact of Key Design Constraints on Fault Management Strategies for Distributed Electrical Propulsion Aircraft

“…The required thermal management system for a chosen aero-electrical power system may have significant negative impact on performance (weight and efficiency) 58 . There may also be a limitation on where devices can be located if there is risk of the heat transfer from devices interfering with or causing damage to surrounding components.…”