RESEARCH PROJECTS
ELECTRICAL DRIVE TRAIN FOR REGIONAL AIRCRAFT

Project Goal:

The goal of the EPROREF project is to develop an electric drive system for passenger aircraft with a capacity of 20-50 passengers and a flight range of approximately 1000 km. To achieve the highest possible efficiency, the system, consisting of a propeller, electric motor, and inverter, is considered and developed as a whole. This means that from the outset, not only the optimization of the individual components but also their interaction and thus the overall efficiency are given top priority.

Project Description:

In the EPROREF project, a novel electric propulsion system has been developed for the performance class of a short-haul aircraft and tested in a wind tunnel. Oswald optimized a lightweight oil-cooled direct drive that offers high mechanical power and efficiency. The Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives, and Railways (IMAB) at TU Braunschweig developed a modern silicon carbide (SiC) inverter that drives the motor with maximum efficiency. The propeller and the overall concept were developed at the Institute for Flight Propulsion and Flow Machines (IFAS) at TU Braunschweig. The propeller not only provides efficient thrust generation during various flight phases but also features optimized flow behavior in the hub area. This increased airflow is routed through an integrated heat exchanger within the gondola housing, capturing waste heat from the closed cooling circuit. Due to this high degree of integration within the structure, only minimal impact on thrust generation and aerodynamics is achieved.