C4.1 - Electric Propulsion Drive Concepts for Future Electrified Aircraft

Electric Propulsion Drive Concepts for Future Electrified Aircraft

This project targets electric propulsion drive systems – including power electronics - for future electrified aircraft. The key objective is to increase the specific power of the propulsion motor and the corresponding power conversion system by a significant factor. Since current density is one of the important parameters, different options for the cooling system are designed and investigated with a focus on e-motor cooling. For motors with highest specific power, the impact of superconducting elements will be evaluated in simulations and experiments. Another key research hypothesis is that designing an e-motor not for continuous duty but according to the requirements of a (worst case) mission making use of thermal capacities and phase-change cooling methods will allow to further reduce the motor’s size and weight.
In the context of future aircraft, cooling with low temperature will be available to some extent (gas expansion from fuel cell H2 tanks). Therefore, the behavior of power electronics at low temperatures will be investigated experimentally; the results will be used in the design of power electronics for propulsion, but also in a parallel project ‘Power Supply System for All Electric Aircrafts’ in C4.2. The various options for the architecture of the power electronic conversion system are studied and evaluated in order to prepare design decisions on system level. Here, different approaches depending on the electric power system topology (central DC rail or decentral energy storage) are possible.
The research on power electronics and electrical machines is supported by the three PIs in particular by the exchange of component models and the ongoing comparison and evaluation of models to describe and evaluate the energy conversion chain continuously during the project­.