Hybrid propulsion for regional aircraft: A comparative analysis based on energy efficiency

Abstract

This is an author-deposited version published in: http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/ Eprints ID: 16687Open Archive Toulouse Archive Ouverte (OATAO) OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. Abstract-This article assesses the potential benefits of transient energy storage for a hybrid regional aircraft. The mission profile of a reference aircraft is analyzed according to energetic intermittence and the results are compared to typical figures for cars, trains, and ships. Also, the opportunity of recovering energy in descent and during landing is studied. This article shows that energy saving potential brought by transient energy storage is much smaller than for ground-based transportation. In addition, energy recovering does not bring benefit on a hybrid aircraft in normal operation. Nevertheless, the best energy management strategies in descent are highlighted and the use of a hybrid propulsion system in this phase shows significant potential energy savings. Finally, the article addresses other strategies enabled by hybrid propulsion to improve the aircraft energy efficiency. To cite this version:

A Standard Mission Profile for Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft based on Web Flight Data

“…In electric machines for example, the aging of the winding system due to high temperature often leads to a failure of the machine [2], [3]. Only generic mission profiles are available for conventional aircraft [1] and hybridelectric aircraft [4]. We generate more detailed mission profiles with web services providing flight data.…”

Review of Electrically Powered Propulsion for Aircraft

“…The pitch can be continuously adjusted during flight to the optimum angle and this ensures that propulsive efficiencies are maintained around 80% up to 400 mph (645 km/h), above this speed the airflow over the propeller tips becomes supersonic and causes a reduction in efficiency. Other advantages may be gained from the ability to feather the propellers, reverse their pitch or set them for electrical regeneration during the aircraft descent phase of flight [7]. Electrically actuated pitch control for propellers is common-place and has been in development since prior to 1944 [6].…”

Optimization of the Energy Storage of Series-Hybrid Propelled Aircraft by Means of Integer Differential Evolution

“…Hybrid propulsion [12][13][14][15] is quite similar to the hybrid traction used in automotive applications; the propulsion can be achieved with the use of electric motors or with both electric motors and internal combustion engines (ICEs). The electric power is provided by ICEs coupled with an electric generator and usually from a battery pack; the possible series and parallel configurations are similar to the scheme used in the automotive industry [16,17].…”