Current State of the Art of Modelling and Simulation of Propulsion Systems for Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

The environmental problems caused by fossil fuels have bolstered the need for research and development of “clean” propulsion systems to power future transport. Both academia and industry are focusing their research on alternative fuels and sustainable resources for developing effective, efficient, and clean future vehicle propulsion systems to reduce their effect on the environment. The aviation industry is closely following the development of electrical vehicle technology in the automotive sector, but many challenges remain, such as those related to certification. Many prototypes for electric aircraft have already been built and tested. However, restrictions due to technological limitations, as well as development costs, have imposed significant constraints on proposed designs. One way to reduce these initial costs is via mathematical models that can simulate the entire system before any real hardware is built so that designs and parameters can be optimised cost-effectively. This chapter describes the state of the art on hybrid propulsion component modelling for two key components: a high-temperature superconducting permanent magnet synchronous motor and a lithium-air battery. It is based on an examination of current published literature. These components could be essential in delivering a clean and efficient energy source for propelling an electric aircraft in the future. The work also gives information about literature studies of fault detection in batteries.