Power Electronics Towards More Electric Aircrafts

Abstract

In the competitive world of airline economics, where low cost carriers are driving dawn profit margins on airline seat miles, techniques for reducing the direct operating costs of aircraft are in great demand. In effort to meet these demands, the aircraft manufacturing industries are placing greater emphasis on the use of new technology, which can influence maintenance costs and fuel usage. There is a general move in the aerospace industry to increase the amount of electrically powered equipment on future aircrafts. This trend referred as the “More Electric Aircraft-MEA”. Using electrical energy to power all aircraft subsystem including flight control actuation, environmental control system and utility function. The concept offers advantages of reduced overall aircraft weight, reduced need for ground support equipment and maintenance and increased reliability.

Keywords: MEA, Buck and Boost converter. Reactive power, power factor, vector control