HTS Machines for Applications in All-Electric Aircraft

Environmental preservation has now become paramount as natural resources are rapidly consumed. A global reduction of the emissions of pollutants in the atmosphere is therefore needed and new technologies have to be considered. A large part of the emissions rejected in the atmosphere comes from transportation vehicles, including cars, trucks or airplanes, due to the nature of their combustion-based propulsion systems. To contribute to solving the problem, our team has been working for several years on the development of high power density superconducting motors for aircraft propulsion. This paper investigates the feasibility of all-electric aircraft based on currently available technology through the presentation of several designs of machines. Electric propulsion would require the development of high power density electric propulsion motors and generators. The requirements in terms of weight and volume of these components cannot be achieved with conventional technologies; however, the use of superconductors associated with hydrogen based power plants makes possible the design of power components reasonably light and would therefore enable the development of all-electric aero-vehicles. Many advantages would come from electrical propulsion such as better controllability of the propulsion, higher efficiency, higher availability and less maintenance needs. This paper shows that high temperature superconducting machines are mature enough to be used in aircraft.