Browsing by Author "Krupa, Gustavo P."

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    Battery pack technological considerations for hybrid-electric regional aircraft feasibility
    (Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2025-05) Spinelli, Andrea; Krupa, Gustavo P.; Kipouros, Timoleon; Laskaridis, Panos; Berseneff, Boris
    This paper presents a study of the effects of the durability and level of energy storage technology on energy management strategies and the performance of hybrid electric turboprops. The results highlight the key role of battery energy density on the durability of the battery pack and the viability of the concept of hybrid electric aircraft. Additionally, the trade-off between zero-day environmental compatibility and battery lifetime is identified, caused by the size of the pack. The effective energy density would decrease with the aging of the cells, leaving a significant inert mass and increasing fuel consumption. Optimal energy management strategies are suggested in light of this new information. Higher specific energy of the pack would mitigate this aspect, along with a reduction in fuel consumption and NOx emissions. Indeed, the improvement of environmental compatibility was found to be nonlinear with a positive rate, suggesting high returns in investing in great improvements in energy density over a gradual increase. This result relates to the results of the statistical technological forecast presented in this study, which, without an increase in funding, predicts the availability of the specific energy required to match the fuel-only baseline in the 2040–2050 decade.
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    An interactive framework to facilitate probabilistic set-based multidisciplinary design optimisation studies
    (IOP Publishing, 2023-06-28) Krupa, Gustavo P.; Spinelli, Andrea; Kipouros, Timoleon
    The upcoming stringent environmental aircraft regulations and the environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework targeting net zero emissions has forced aircraft manufacturers to seek innovative feasible technical solutions. Often, there is the need to consider entirely radical solutions, such as hybrid-electric aircraft, which are not fully understood when compared with conventional kerosene driven aircraft. The recent development of a probabilistic set-based multidisciplinary optimisation methodology has demonstrated the ability to explore trade-offs when the requirements are uncertain. In this way, the weaknesses and potential to enable the feasibility of hybrid-electric aircraft can be studied from a systems perspective but maintaining the connection with more detailed trade-off studies of components of the sub-systems. We have developed an interactive interface, where the user is guided through the steps of the design methodology and the produced data is visualised to aid an informative decision-making process. In our illustrative case study, decision-makers are enabled to interactively explore the hybrid-electric propulsion design space while considering the impact to the figures of merit from expected improvements in the coming years of key enabling technologies, such as energy storage.
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    Investigation of the operational flexibility of a regional hybrid-electric aircraft
    (IOP Publishing, 2023-06-28) Spinelli, Andrea; Krupa, Gustavo P.; Kipouros, Timoleon; Bersenef, Boris; Fiette, Sebastien
    The complexity of hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion systems is also characterized by the greater number of degrees of freedom of the energy management system, whose objective is to split the required power to fly the aircraft to the different available powertrains (i.e., gas turbines, electric motors, fuel cells, etc.). Typically, a single design mission is considered for assessing the performance of a hybrid-electric propulsion system, often with a simple constant split power between the batteries and gas turbine. A probabilistic set-based design space exploration methodology is used and allows us to study the effects of lifecycle analysis of the battery pack of a hybrid-electric 50-seater turboprop, while different mission scenarios are considered. Using this approach, it is possible to flexibly find multiple families of energy management strategies that can satisfy battery capacity requirements and the reduction of emissions simultaneously. Furthermore, the generated data can help the designers to understand the hierarchy of the requirements that drive the design of the propulsion system for a range of operating scenarios, with emphasis on the energy storage system. Hence, the airliners are offered enhanced operational flexibility of the aircraft for different and desirable mission profiles.
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    Set-based design space exploration to investigate the effect of energy storage durability on the energy management strategy of a hybrid-electric aircraft
    (AIAA, 2023-01-19) Spinelli, Andrea; Krupa, Gustavo P.; Kipouros, Timoleon
    To investigate the key enabling technologies for hybrid-electric regional aircraft, several assumptions about the maturity and required level of technology are necessary. Within the EU-funded project FutPrint50, a decision-making framework based on Set-Based Design principles is being developed to address these uncertainties arising from operational requirements and technological feasibility levels. The methodology has been applied to study the effects of the energy storage durability and technology level on the energy management strategies of a regional hybrid-electric aircraft. Results highlight the key role of battery energy density on the durability of the battery pack and the viability of the hybrid-electric aircraft concept. Additionally, the trade-off between zero-day environmental compatibility and battery lifetime is identified alongside its causing mechanism. Optimal energy management strategies are suggested in light of this new information. Finally, statistical data of cell energy density is used to estimate the most probable year of feasibility of hybrid-electric propulsion for regional aircraft.