Optimizing a Hybrid Aircraft’s Propulsion System Architecture

  • Anton N. VARYUKHIN
  • Mikhail V. GORDIN
  • Andrey V. DUTOV
  • Sergey I. MOSHKUNOV
  • Vladislav Yu. KHOMICH
  • Ekaterina A. SHERSHUNOVA
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24160/0013-5380-2021-8-4-12
Keywords: hybrid propulsion system, aircraft, electric aircraft, DC/DC voltage pulse converter, solid state switch

Abstract

The scheme of an aircraft’s hybrid propulsion system, which includes an assembly of DC voltage converters (some which are bidirectional), fuel cells, lithium-ion storage batteries, a power flow distribution controller, and an inverter electric motor, is proposed. With such scheme, it is possible to flexibly change the power supplied to the electric motor, to scale the propulsion system for the necessary purposes, and to charge the storage battery in the course of aircraft descending and landing. A method for calculating static and dynamic losses in the boost converter used in the propulsion system is presented. The converter mass is estimated depending on the switching frequency for different types of power switching devices, including the calculation of the mass of capacitive, inductive and switching elements. Calculations have shown that the minimum mass of a pulse power converter operating at a repetition frequency of 100 kHz with a power of 80 kW at an output voltage of 300 V is 8.2 kg. With the repetition frequency increased to 1 MHz, the converter mass increases by almost five times to reach 40 kg.

Author Biographies

Anton N. VARYUKHIN

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia) – Head of the Electric (Hybrid) Power Plants, Systems and Aircrafts Dept., Cand. Sci. (Eng.).

Mikhail V. GORDIN

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia)  – General Director, Cand. Sci. (Eng.).

Andrey V. DUTOV

(The National Research Center "Zhukovsky Institute", Zhukovsky, Russia) – General Director, Dr. Sci. (Eng.).

Sergey I. MOSHKUNOV

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Deputy Director for Science, Dr. Sci. (Eng.).

Vladislav Yu. KHOMICH

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Scientific Director, Academic of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sci. (Phys.-Math.).

Ekaterina A. SHERSHUNOVA

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Head of the Laboratory, Cand. Sci. (Eng.).

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Published
2021-06-03
Issue
No 8 (2021): Issue № 8
Section
Article