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ENCIT 2020
18th Brazilian Congress of Thermal Sciences and Engineering
Parametric Determination of Fuel Consumption During Cruise Flight for Fuel Cell Powered Airplanes
Submission Author:
Guilherme Barufaldi , SP
Co-Authors:
Guilherme Barufaldi, ROBERTO GIL ANNES DA SILVA
Presenter: Guilherme Barufaldi
doi://10.26678/ABCM.ENCIT2020.CIT20-0208
Abstract
In the last decades, electric airplanes have become a topic of great interest for the aeronautical community. With increasing pressures to lower pollutant emissions, the aerospace industry has turned its attentions to the development of the so called green aircraft - vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. Electric airplanes are seen as one of the most promising solutions to this problem. However, since the propulsion system is distinct from internal combustion engines, performance characteristics can differ significantly from that of regular aircraft. One of the main factors that contribute to this difference is the power source that feeds electric energy to the motor. Fuel cells are one of the main embedded power sources employed to provide electricity in vehicles, and its use in airplanes is currently being researched. This work presents an analytical investigation of the fuel and oxidizer consumption during the cruise flight all-electric aircraft powered by fuel cells. This investigation is relevant because cruise flight usually is the crucial phase that drives aircraft design requirements. Parametric models are provided for the airplane aerodynamics, the propeller, the fuel cell and the electric motor. Analytical solutions are derived in parametric form, allowing quick calculations and eliminating the need for numerical solvers and possible convergence issues. Also, numerical results are provided to illustrate the method developed in the article.
Keywords
Electric aircraft, Fuel Cell, flight performance, green aircraft, aircraft conceptual design
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