NASA is developing a suite of hybrid-electric propulsion technologies for aircraft. These technologies have the benefit of lower emissions, diminished noise, increased efficiency, and reduced fuel burn. These will provide lower operating costs for aircraft operators. Replacing internal combustion engines with distributed electric propulsion is a keystone of this technology suite, but presents many new problems to aircraft system designers. One of the problems is how to cool these electric motors without adding significant aerodynamic drag, cooling system weight or fan power. This paper discusses the options evaluated for cooling the motors on SCEPTOR (Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology and Operations Research): a project that will demonstrate Distributed Electric Propulsion technology in flight. Options for external and internal cooling, inlet and exhaust locations, ducting and adjustable cowling, and axial and centrifugal fans were evaluated. The final design was based on a trade between effectiveness, simplicity, robustness, mass and performance over a range of ground and flight operation environments.
Cooling of Electric Motors Used for Propulsion on SCEPTOR
2017
18 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aircraft , Cooling systems , Electric motors , Gaps , Aircraft engines , Engine design , Electric propulsion , Hybrid propulsion , Research aircraft , Flight test vehicles , Flow geometry , Magnet coils , Magnetic cores , Permanent magnets , Propulsion system configurations , Computational fluid dynamics , Ducts , Air intakes , Cowlings , Exhaust systems , Convective heat transfer , Cooling fins
Design of an Electric Propulsion System for SCEPTOR
NTRS | 2016
|Design of an Electric Propulsion System for SCEPTOR
NTIS | 2016
|