Review

Review of electric power system of distributed electric propulsion aircraft

  • KONG Xianghao ,
  • ZHANG Zhuoran ,
  • LU Jiawei ,
  • LI Jincai ,
  • YU Li
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  • Centre for More-Electric-Aircraft Power System of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

Received date: 2017-08-07

  Revised date: 2017-09-28

  Online published: 2017-10-10

Supported by

National Natural Science Foundation of Excellent Young Scholar of China (51622704); Jiangsu Province Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists (BK20150033)

Abstract

The electric propulsion technology has become a significant direction of electrification of aircraft power system after more/all electric aircraft gradually unifies the secondary power into electric power, and represents the advanced stage of electrification of aircraft. The electric propulsion system is expected to further improve energy conversion efficiency of traditional aircraft power plants, and as a result greatly improve fuel consumption and emission performance of aircraft. The system and related technologies are important support for the development of the electric propulsion technology. In this paper, the types and art of the state of electric propulsion aircraft are systematically summarized. The basic concepts, characteristics and significance of the hybrid power system and distributed electric propulsion system are discussed. The basic structure of the electric propulsion system is described, and the architectures of the electric power system suitable for the distributed electric propulsion system are compared. Key technologies of the electric propulsion system including high efficiency and high power density machines, high efficiency and high capacity power converters, thermal management, etc., are discussed systematically. So far, small electric aircraft are becoming more and more practical, but the distributed hybrid electric propulsion technology, which is an important direction for electrification of medium and large aircraft, still need combination and innovation of aviation electromechanical devices and power systems.

Cite this article

KONG Xianghao , ZHANG Zhuoran , LU Jiawei , LI Jincai , YU Li . Review of electric power system of distributed electric propulsion aircraft[J]. ACTA AERONAUTICAET ASTRONAUTICA SINICA, 2018 , 39(1) : 21651 -021651 . DOI: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2017.21651

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