Design of Reliable and Resilient Electric Power Systems for Wide-Body All-Electric Aircraft

Abstract

To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, all-electric transportation is a promising option. In the U.S., the transportation sector contributes the largest share (29 percent) of greenhouse gas emissions. While electric vehicles are approaching maturity, aviation is only beginning to develop electrified aircraft for commercial flights. More than 75 percent of aviation emissions come from large aircraft, and this impact will worsen with 4-5 percent annual air travel growth. Aircraft electrification has led to two types: more electric aircraft (MEA) and all-electric aircraft (AEA). A MEA replaces subsystems such as hydraulics with electric alternatives, whereas an AEA uses electrically driven subsystems and provides thrust fully from electrochemical energy units (EEUs). For wide-body AEA, thrust demand is about 25 MW plus 1 MW for non-thrust loads, creating major challenges for electric power system (EPS) design. Achieving maximum power density requires minimizing mass and volume. Increasing voltage into the kilovolt range using medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) is a feasible option to enhance power transfer. Consequently, designing an MVDC EPS for wide-body AEA is critical. Because EPS failures could jeopardize passenger safety, reliability and resilience are essential. This chapter presents a load-flow model for DC systems to determine power flows in both normal and single-contingency conditions, followed by analysis of optimal MVDC EPS architectures. A complete EPS for wide-body AEA is introduced, with EEUs and non-propulsion loads located, distances estimated, and flow studies performed. Multiple architectures are evaluated for reliability, power density, power loss, and cost to identify optimal solutions.