Feasibility Study for a Full-Electric Aircraft Considering Weight, Volume, and Reliability Requirements

Abstract

The paper presents a feasibility study for full-electric aircraft in terms of a conversion design. The advancement of energy storage technologies has given the potential to fully electrify future transport systems. The means of electrifying aircraft are to reduce carbon emission and increase efficiency in air transport. This paper studies the feasibility of developing an all-electric short to midrange aircraft. The study investigates the possibility of replacing the aircraft’s conventional system with an all-electric drive train. Using the current conventional aircraft model, different types of electrical systems are compared to examine their advantages and limitations. The parameters of De Havilland Canada Dash 8 (DH8D) and the average flight are used to analyze the feasibility of completing a desired range. The results show that the electrification of aircraft with the studied propulsion system is not feasible for the conventional range, but producing an all-electric aircraft is possible when the technology allows for it. Additionally, a reliability analysis is conducted for both the conventional and the electrified version of aircraft, including different electric topologies, whereas a multiple electric motor topology is nearly as available as the conventional one.