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The present study aims at the implementation of a Matlab/Simulink environment to assess the performance (thrust, specific fuel consumption, aircraft/engine mass, cost, etc.) and environmental impact (greenhouse and pollutant emissions) of conventional and more electric aircrafts. In particular, the benefits of adopting more electric solutions for either aircrafts at given missions specifications can be evaluated. The software, named PLA.N.E.S, includes a design workflow for the input of aircraft specification, kind of architecture (e.g. series or parallel) and for the definition of each component including energy converter (piston engine, turboprop, turbojet, fuel cell, etc.), energy storage system (batteries, super-capacitors), auxiliaries and secondary power systems. It is also possible to setup different energy management strategies for the optimal control of the energy flows among engine, secondary equipment and storage systems during the mission.

This investigation describes the results of an experimental and numerical research project aimed at comparing mileage and CO2 emissions from two different commercial versions of Daimler AG Smart ForTwo car: conventional (gasoline) and electric (ED). The investigation includes numerical simulations with the AVL CRUISE software package and on-board acquisitions. A data acquisition system has been designed for this purpose and assembled on board of the Smart ED. The system is composed by a GPS antenna with USB interface, two current transducers, a NI-DAQ device and a netbook computer with a LabView-VI. This system provided on-board information about driving cycle and current flows, gathered simultaneously by GPS, transducers and NI-DAQ. The system was also used to evaluate the losses of energy during the recharge of the electric car. The two cars have been tested over a wide range of driving conditions related to different routes, traffic conditions and use of on-board accessories (i.e.

Many research centers and companies in general aviation have been devoting efforts to the electrification of propulsive plants to reduce environmental impact and/or increase safety. Even if the final goal is the elimination of fossil fuels, the limitations of today's battery in terms of energy and power densities suggest the adoption of hybrid-electric solutions that combine the advantages of conventional and electric propulsive systems, namely reduced fuel consumption, high peak power, and increased safety deriving from redundancy. Today, lithium batteries are the best commercial option for the electrification of all means of transportation. However, lithium batteries are a family of technologies that presents a variety of specifications in terms of gravimetric and volumetric energy density, discharge and charge currents, safety, and cost.