Applications for Hybrid Electric Power and Energy Supplementation on a Single-Aisle Airliner

In the realm of hybrid electric aircraft propulsion, two power and energy management concepts utilizing primary gas turbine engines and supplementary battery packs are defined and evaluated: “boost” is the use of supplemental power to alleviate design requirements of the engine and other parts of the propulsion system, and “offset” is the use of supplemental energy to achieve net reductions in fuel consumption and/or harmful gaseous emissions such as CO2 and NOx. This paper explores several applications of batteries for boost and offset power as applied to the ECO-150 vision vehicle. While the potential benefits are apparent and tangible, the battery mass required to realize them often dominates the tradeoff. Maximizing the net benefits from battery power supplementation requires a careful application of when and how battery power is used throughout the design mission, as well as an in-depth understanding of how incorporating supplemental battery power affects propulsion system sizing trends.