Development of a Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Propulsion System Based on Silicon Carbide Triple Active Bridge Multiport Power Converter

Abstract

Constrained by the low energy density of Lithium-ion batteries with all-electric aircraft propulsion, hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion drive becomes one of the most promising technologies in aviation electrification, especially for wide-body airplanes. In this thesis, a three-port triple active bridge (TAB) DC-DC converter is developed to manage the power flow between the turbo generator, battery, and the propulsion motor. The TAB converter is modeled based on the emerging Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) modules operating at high switching frequency, so the size of the magnetic transformer can be significantly reduced. Different operation modes of this hybrid-electric propulsion drive based on the SiC TAB converter are modeled and simulated to replicate the takeoff mode, cruising mode, and regenerative charging mode of a typical flight profile. Additionally, soft switching is investigated for the TAB converter to further improve the efficiency and power density of the converter, and zero voltage switching is achieved at heavy load operating conditions. The results show that the proposed TAB converter is capable of achieving high efficiency during all stages of the flight profile

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