Impact of OEI requirement on parallel hybrid electric turboprop regional aircraft optimization
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 3 August 2022
Issue publication date: 6 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Parallel hybrid electric (HE) propulsion retrofit is a promising alternative to reduce fuel burn of aircraft operating on short regional flights. However, if the batteries are depleted at the end of the mission, the hybrid powertrain designs with downsized gas turbines (GTs) and additional electric motors might not meet the one-engine inoperative (OEI) missed approach climb performance required by the certification. Alternatively, hybrid designs using the original full-size GT can perform one engine climb without electric assistance. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of overshoot climb requirements on powertrain design and performance comparing the two design approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
An aircraft-level parametric mission analysis model is used to evaluate aircraft performance combined with an optimization framework including multiple constraints. An indirect approach using metamodels is used to optimize powertrain sizing and operation strategy.
Findings
Considering OEI climb requirements, no benefits were found using a design with downsized GTs. Equivalent fuel burns were found for hybrid designs that keep the original size GTs, but do not require electric energy for the OEI overshoot at the end of the mission. Then, it is recommended to size the GT to maintain the emergency climb capabilities with no electric assistance to ensure power availability regardless of remaining battery energy.
Originality/value
This work introduces a new perspective on parallel HE sizing with consideration for the dependency of power capability at aircraft level on the electric energy availability in case of critical mission scenarios such as overshoot climb at the end of the mission.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Pratt & Whitney Canada, the Consortium de Recherche et d'Innovation en Aérospatiale au Québec (CRIAQ) and the Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) for financial support in the HEPOS project. The research was conducted in collaboration between Université de Sherbrooke (QC, Canada), Université Laval (QC, Canada) and the industrial partner Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Citation
Quillet, D., Boulanger, V., Rancourt, D., Freer, R. and Bertrand, P. (2023), "Impact of OEI requirement on parallel hybrid electric turboprop regional aircraft optimization", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 95 No. 2, pp. 276-283. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-02-2022-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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