TEN ENGINE ELECTRIC PLANE

DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Seminar on,

By, ADITYA A R (1AH12AE004)

ABSTRACTAfter comparing different propulsion system architectures the focus is cast on the energy storage problem and here especially on battery storage systems. Using first order principles the limitations and required technology developments are demonstrated by introducing battery powered electric propulsion systems to small and medium sized aircraft.Ten engine electric powered aircraft can takeoff like a helicopter and after airborne it can fly like a conventional aircraft, so takeoff and landing runway is minimized, in the future it will be useful for many applications.

MOTIVATION

• Increased air transportation leads to increased fuel burn and stronger impact of aviation on the environment

• Attractive features of electric propulsion systems are that they benefit from better efficiency in the energy conversion chain

Introduction

• Battery-powered plane that has 10 engines and can take off like a helicopter and fly efficiently like an aircraft.

• This is a concept being developed by NASA researchers called Greased Lightning or GL-10.

Objectives

• Infrastructure identical to hovercraft and tilt rotor crafts.

• Does not require fixed runway, because it can takeoff vertically.

• Exceptionally friendly to the environment, because it doesn’t produce any chemical mixtures in the exhaust

• It can carry maximum payload compared to other UAV’s.

Conventional Propulsion system

Electric Propulsion system

Electric propulsion system

Fuel cells Batteries Turbo electric

Fuel cells: These systems store energy in liquid or gaseous form and convert it to electric power by fuel cells.

Battery Systems: Here the energy is stored in batteries which allows for a direct extraction of electric power

Typical onboard efficiency and total chain efficiency

Battery Technology

Lithium-ion battery

• High energy density• High voltage • No memory effect• Flat discharge voltage

Block diagram of battery

Range

TransformationWing borne

VerticalTakeoff

Wing borne

Vertical takeoff

Engine configurations

Turning alternators• Turning alternators are used to power the electronics, avionics equipment

and it is used to charge the battery. Arrangement will vary according to the requirement, but principle behind it will remain same. This switch should not be ON until the engine is started to prevent the possibility of high voltage transient currents resulting from feeding into sensitive electronic equipment.

Applications

• Long endurance Surveillance•Mapping• Agriculture purpose• Small package delivery•Rescue point marking•Geophysical surveys• Forestry•Aerial reconnaissance •Aerial traffic and security watch

Future scope

• A plane flying with battery powered is most wonderful idea, but for time being unmanned ten engine electric plane is done. But according to the engineers of NASA in future it is going to be personal air vehicles i.e 2 to 3 seater aircraft.

Conclusion

• Ten engine electric plane is already fabricated and flight tests has been done successfully, during the tests it was able to transition from hovering to wing borne craft, there was no problem associated with it.

• Hence the aircraft is safe to operate with its key advantages. 

THANK YOU