Session: 01-02 Conceptual Design and Optimization I

Paper Number: 126590

126590 - Experimental Evaluation of an Electric Powertrain Designed for a 180-kW Turboelectric Aircraft Ground Test Rig 

This paper characterizes the design, integration, and measured performance of a 180-kW hybrid turboelectric test vehicle. Hybrid turboelectric power systems aim to enable long-range future electrified aircraft, by offering superior energy density over current battery technologies. Numerous studies have focused on the theoretical analysis of hybrid turboelectric power systems. However, as industry stakeholders continue to advance towards parallel hybrid aircraft, it has become crucial to focus on defining the design and integration challenges of turboelectric power systems at the component level. The objective of this study is to characterize the practical real-world challenges of safely constructing and operating a hybrid turboelectric aircraft. To accomplish this objective, a turboprop-powered ground test vehicle was designed and fabricated. The ground test vehicle was constructed from a modified Cessna-172 aircraft, a modified 180-kW PBS-TP100 turboprop, two wing-mounted electric motors, and a purpose-built hybrid-turboelectric powertrain. A portion of the turboprop shaft power is extracted to generate electricity for the battery system and wing-mounted electric motors. The test vehicle was successfully brought to full engine power and the wing-mounted electric motors were run through a series of operating points to look at the power system's transient performance. Results from the test run include engine performance metrics, current, voltage, acoustics, and thermocouple data. The data showed that the aircraft functioned as a fully integrated hybrid turboelectric power system. Critically, practical recommendations for safe integration were also clearly identified such as the pre-charge circuit, crowbar circuit, and future battery protection circuit. This information provides critical insight into the design and practical implementation of turboelectric power systems into future electrified aircraft.    

Presenting Author: Joshua Johnsen Oklahoma State University

Presenting Author Biography: Joshua Johnsen is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Oklahoma State University and his dissertation focuses on a novel turbogenerator architecture. He has worked on turboelectric research at Oklahoma State University for the past three years and has numerous publications focusing on turboelectric power systems.

Authors:

Joshua Johnsen Oklahoma State University
Joshua Melvin Oklahoma State University
Joshua Drake Oklahoma State University
Muwanika Jdiobe Oklahoma State University
Kurt Rouser Oklahoma State Univsersity