Study on the Viability of a Midsize Hybrid Electric Aircraft via Initial Sizing Methodology

• Published in: International journal of aeronautical and space sciences 2024, 25(2), , pp.779-788
• Main Authors: Kang, Shinseong, Lee, Kyunghoon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Engineering; Fluid- and Aerodynamics; Original Paper; 항공우주공학
• ISSN: 2093-274X; 2093-2480
• DOI: 10.1007/s42405-023-00706-0

Electric propulsion is an environment-friendly technology. However, it has been more frequently applied to small aircraft because electric energy sources have lower specific power and energy compared with conventional fossil fuels. To examine the viability of electric propulsion for large aircraft, we assessed the advantages and disadvantages of a midsize hybrid electric aircraft in terms of the fuel savings and weight increase. In this study, we employed a parallel hybrid electric propulsion system that consists of a turboprop engine and an electric motor that runs on fossil fuel and liquid hydrogen fuel cells, respectively. With the hybrid electric propulsion system, we carried out an initial sizing study using an ATR 72 nominal midsize aircraft to evaluate the fuel savings and weight increase compared with the original ATR 72 with a turboprop. For the initial sizing of the hybrid electric ATR 72, the total power of the hybrid electric propulsion system was optimally distributed between the turboprop engine and electric motor to achieve maximum fuel savings with minimum weight increase. The results showed that the hybrid electric ATR 72 was barely viable with current technology. The hybrid electric ATR 72 could be more practical with the advancement of fuel cell technology.