Mission-Level Design Studies for Efficient Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft Concepts

Abstract

This work delves into the design and operation of a series/parallel partial hybrid-electric architecture for regional aircraft. Employing a comprehensive approach, this study leverages mission-level analysis to optimize a 19-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft. The conceptual design framework employed is based on the OpenConcept library, and a systematic computational scheme is developed to effectively investigate the concept’s performance, utilizing the supplied and shaft power ratios. Through the examination of three distinct mission ranges and consideration of two technological scenarios, this work offers valuable insights. For the longest mission, an aircraft design optimization problem is posed, and a 23% reduction in total energy consumption is achieved for the optimistic technological scenario. On the other hand, the focus shifts to optimize the power management for shorter missions, where a 26% and a 32% reduction in energy consumption are achieved for the typical and short missions. The results highlight the potential of hybrid-electric propulsion for regional aircraft.