Assessment of different more-electric and hybrid-electric configurations for long-range multi-engine aircraft

Abstract

© 2023 Elsevier LtdIn this study, the characteristics, penalties, gains, and challenges in the electrification and hybridization process for long-range aircraft were investigated. A system and mission analysis was conducted on thermodynamics and cost. A reference aircraft was compared with other more-electric and hybrid-electric versions of the same type. These latter versions may carry batteries to supply the aircraft system and/or engine. A state-of-the-art propulsion and system architecture were also implemented in these innovative aircraft. A full factorial analysis was conducted to vary the battery energy density and the hybridization ratio for the hybrid configurations. A typical mission profile was developed to match the boundary conditions in all cases. The hybrid powertrains were confirmed in our results as exhibiting superior behavior compared to those of the other cases. The least efficient hybrid configuration, which employed an intermediate battery choice, reduced fuel consumption by 10.7% in the conventional aircraft and by 1% in the battery-powered more-electric type. Moreover, both baseline models were surpassed by the worst intermediate-battery hybrid aircraft by 3.6% and 1% in terms of overall mission exergy efficiency. Considering the actual low density of batteries available on the market, long-range hybrid-electric aircraft will require substantial time to become viable.