Session: 06-09 Hybrid Electric Propulsion

Paper Number: 153756

Preliminary Design of Integrated Power and Thermal Management Systems for Hybrid Electric VTOL Aircraft Architecture 

Hybrid and fully-electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft represent a potential solution for alleviating urban traffic congestion. However, electric propulsion technologies face challenges, such as limited power and energy density, stringent thermal constraints, and low-grade waste heat generation, necessitating the development of integrated thermal management systems. Additionally, efficient power management strategy is crucial for optimizing the available electrical energy in hybrid-electric aircraft. An integrated power and thermal management system is seen as critical in the design phase, as in-flight power management directly influences thermal management system design requirements. This paper presents a preliminary design methodology for an integrated hybrid electric power and thermal management system, using a civil tiltrotor as a test case. A multidisciplinary optimization platform is developed, incorporating power management strategy, thermal management system design, and flight mission analysis. The study assesses direct air-cooling and liquid-cooling options, incorporating Phase Change Materials for heat storage, to evaluate thermal management system performance across flight mission, selecting the optimal cooling technology to comply with respective thermal management requirements. Additionally, design space exploration is conducted across different degrees of hybridization, with and without thermal management system, to evaluate the impact of thermal management system integration on performance. This approach aims to provide design guidance for integrated power and thermal management systems in hybrid electric VTOL aircraft, offering insights into balancing power and thermal requirements for efficient operation.

Presenting Author: Ioannis Roumeliotis Cranfield University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr Ioannis Roumeliotis joined the Cranfield University Centre for Propulsion Engineering in 2017 getting the opportunity to expand his research in thermal management systems and systems integration. Currently he is a Senior Lecturer in Gas Turbine Propulsion & Thermal Systems Integration.

Prior to joining Cranfield University he was an Assistant Professor (Tenure) for marine gas turbines and simulation methods at the Hellenic Naval Academy and Senior Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Thermal Turbomachines (LTT) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Ioannis as part of the LTT/NTUA research team participated as a key researcher in five European Committee funded projects, including VIVACE, NEWAC and CRESCENDO, and eight industry funded projects relevant to gas turbine modelling, monitoring and fault diagnosis.

Ioannis holds a PhD in Turbomachinery (full scholarship), a MSE in Automation Systems and a five years diploma degree (MEng) in Mechanical Engineering, all from the National Technical University of Athens.

He has 21 publications in leading journals in the areas of gas turbine propulsion and energy and more than 30 fully peer-reviewed conference papers. He has received several distinctions for his research including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Cycle Innovations Committee Best Paper Award for 2012.

Authors:

Sangkeun Kang Cranfield University
Chana Anna Saias Cranfield University
Ioannis Roumeliotis Cranfield University
Olivier Broca Siemens Industry Software