Parallel between More Electric Aircraft and Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Power Conversion Technologies

The aerospace industry is facing challenges similar to that of the automotive industry in terms of improving emissions, fuel economy, and also cost. The increasing use of electrical and electronic features to improve vehicle performance, fuel economy, passenger comfort, safety, and convenience has resulted in the growth of electrical loads in automobiles. The potential electrical loads include the engine cooling fan, engine coolant pump, active suspension, electric assist power steering, electrically heated catalytic converter, electric power take-off, electric brake-by-wire, heated windscreen, telematics, and navigation. The U.S. government´s current rules for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program mandates an average of approximately 29 mi/gal, with a gradual increase to 35.5 mi/gal by 2016 (39 mi/gal for cars and 30 mi/gal for trucks). This will increase to 54.5 mi/gal starting from the 2025 model year. The electric, hybrid/plug-in hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles are considered the solutions to meet the above challenges.