| Project Detail |
High-voltage power systems are flying high
High-voltage electrical distribution systems are nothing new – they are integral to getting electricity to your home from the plant, kilometres away, where it is generated. With the push toward electrification of aircraft, what is new is the operation of these types of systems at high altitude. Low pressure and air density must be accommodated and, simultaneously, the rigorous requirements for safety and reliability are unique. The EU-funded DCADE project will develop power electronics and electric power distribution technologies for high-altitude, high-power AC distribution systems, supporting the EUs ambitious objectives for clean aviation and all-electric aircraft.
The increasing demand for clean aviation is pushing the industry towards the all electrical aircraft, with cero emissions. The green deal of the European Commission is a clear high-level example of the commitment that all the countries all over the world should have. Recent advances in the last few decades in power semiconductors is moving the industry to the electrical propulsion, where the generation and electrical consumers are connected together in a small weak electrical grid. The amount of power to be managed by the electrical system is expected to be increasing in the following decade from a few Megawatts to power small aircraft to several tens of MWs to power long haul aircrafts. Although the technology to manage this amount of power is well known for typical ground distribution power grids, the concepts and components cannot be directly applied to aircraft application due to the size/weight required for an aircraft application and the fact of high altitude flying which means a lower pressure and air density. The evolution of aircraft electrical power management system to higher power is critical in the next few years to reach the objective of a future clean sky program.
In this context, the overall objective of DCADE is the evaluation of potential technologies that will allow higher voltage converters while maintaining the power density and arc detection techniques that will increase the safety of high altitude, high power A/C distribution systems.
Due to the nature of this CfP, DCADE proposal will focus on 2 of the 3 technologies described in the call text, these technologies are power electronics and electric power distribution.
DCADE project will implement two demonstrators, one related to each topic. The first demonstrator will be at the facilities of Skylife in Seville (Spain) and the second will be in the facilities of IRTSE in Toulouse (France). |
