Search Results

Turbo-electric distributed propulsion (TeDP) for aircraft allows for the complete redesign of the airframe so that greater overall fuel burn and emissions benefits can be achieved. Whilst conventional electrical power systems may be used for smaller aircraft, large aircraft (~300 pax) are likely to require the use of superconducting electrical power systems to enable the required whole system power density and efficiency levels to be achieved. The TeDP concept requires an effective electrical fault management and protection system. However, the fault response of a superconducting TeDP power system and its components has not been well studied to date, limiting the effective capture of associated protection requirements. For example, with superconducting systems it is possible that a hotspot is formed on one of the components, such as a cable. This can result in one subsection, rather than all, of a cable quenching.

In recent years, the More-Electric Aircraft (MEA) concept has undergone significant development and refinement, striving towards the attainment of reductions in noise and CO2 emissions, increased power transmission efficiency and improved reliability under a range of flight scenarios. The More-Electric Engine (MEE) is increasingly being seen as a key complementary system to the MEA. With this concept, conventional engine auxiliary systems (i.e. fuel pumps, oil pumps, actuators) will be replaced by electrically-driven equivalents, providing even greater scope for the combined aircraft and engine electrical power system optimisation and management. This concept, coupled with extraction of electrical power from multiple engine spools also has the potential to deliver significant fuel burn savings. To date, single or dual channel electrical power generation and distribution systems have been used in engines and aircrafts.

Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) is actively being investigated as a means of providing thrust in future generations of aircraft. In response to the lack of published work regarding the system-level fault behaviour of a fully superconducting network, this paper presents key points from a two stage Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of a representative TeDP network. The first stage FMEA examines the qualitative behaviour of various network failure modes and considers the subsequent effects on the operation of the remainder of the network, enabling the identification of key variables influencing the fault response of the network. For the second stage FMEA, the paper focuses on the characterisation of the rate at which electrical faults develop within a TeDP network.