AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COMAPRIL 2015 |^33
More-electric aircraft z
T
he aerospace future is electric.
In partnership with academia,
the whole industry, from
builders of small single-seat machines
to the giants that are Airbus and
Boeing, are all exploring greater use
of electrical rather than pneumatic or
(sometimes) hydraulic systems. Indeed,
Airbus and Boeing are involved in
research with very small aircraft,
sometimes alongside universities.
Meanwhile, airworthiness authorities
are open-minded, but cautious.
Increasing aircraft electrification
is ‘irreversible’ and will accelerate
and intensify, says aerospace supplier
Safran. Fully committed to the ‘aircraft
energy revolution’, it describes onboard
electrical power as “the order of the
day”, right up to whole aircraft
provision and distribution. Functions
such as power-generation management,
cabin air pressurization/conditioning,
configuration management, and flight
control and operations use a lot of
power, according to Safran.
The French equipment
manufacturer believes that progress
in more-electric aircraft (MEA)
research and experience with the
technology on the Airbus A380 and
Boeing 787 foreshadow “a radically
transformed onboard energy chain”.
As well as saving weight and
improving safety through having many
fewer parts, MEA technology can
improve engine efficiency by deriving
power from the low- or intermediate-
pressure spools instead of the high-
pressure compressor. An MEA also uses
fewer hot ducts and inflammable fluids
and needs no related fire protection.