Power Electronics for Aerospace Applications' Propulsion
(PEASA' 23)-Nottingham, UK, 18-19th July 2023
Keynote Speakers
Speaker Name
Speaker Affiliation
Title
Prof. Patrick Wheeler Univ. of Nottingham Power Electronics for Aviation Electrification
Mr. Ondrej Kotaba Honeywell Trends and challenges in electric aircraft propulsion
Prof. Bulent Sarlioglu Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison New Trends for All-Electric and Hybrid Propulsion for Commercial Aircraft
Dr. Andrew Woodworth NASA NASA’s Electric Aircraft Propulsion Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Mr. Andrew Benn Collins Standardisation and certification of aircraft electric propulsion systems – Progress and challenges
Prof. Herve Morvan FRAeS Energy transition and our hydrogen and electric programmes – a Rolls-Royce Vision
Mr. Harry Malin ATI Transforming aerospace through technology and innovation: Net Zero 2050 and the role of the ATI
Ms. Christine Andrews GE Aviation GE Aerospace bringing hybrid electric flight to reality
Prof. Chris Gerada Univ. of Nottingham Advancements in Electrical Machines and Drives for Aircraft Electrification
Prof. Jin Wang Ohio State Univ. Status and Challenges for Wide Bandgap Device based Power Electronics Systems for Aerospace Applications
Dr. Patrick Norman Univ. of Strathclyde Designing Resilient Architectures for Hybrid/Full Electric Propulsion Drive Trains in Aircraft
Prof. Ian Cotton Univ. of Manchester Insulation system challenges in electrical transport
Prof. Pat Wheeler
Title: Power electronics for aviation electrification
Speaker Biography:
Prof Pat Wheeler received his BEng [Hons] degree in 1990 from the University of Bristol, UK. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering for his work on Matrix Converters from the University of Bristol, UK in 1994. In 1993 he moved to the University of Nottingham and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1996 he became a Lecturer in the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group at the University of Nottingham, UK. Since January 2008 he has been a Full Professor in the same research group.
He is currently the Global Engagement Director For the Faculty of Engineering, the Head of the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Research Group and the Director of the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Aerosapce Technology He was Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham from 2015 to 2018. He is a member of the IEEE PELs AdCom and is currently IEEE PELS Vice-President for Technical Operations. He has published over 850 academic publications in leading international conferences and journals.
Abstract:
The presentation will focus on the electrical system, including the drivetrain and interfaces to energy storage/generation elements, needed for the electrification of future aircraft propulsion systems. This will include the roadmaps and technologies that need to be developed over the coming decades as well as examples from existing Research and Development projects. Both hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems will be considered as well as the power electronic converters, motors/generators, gear boxes, electrical systems and thermal management.
Mr. Ondrej Kotaba
Trends and challenges in electric aircraft propulsion
Speaker Biography:
Ondrej Kotaba joined Honeywell Aerospace in 2005 and currently holds a position of Principal Scientist, responsible for areas of sustainable propulsion and power system architectures. Ondrej is currently focusing primarily on technical leadership of the Clean Aviation project NEWBORN, developing technology for aerospace hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion systems. Before this, he coordinated research projects in the areas of aerospace high voltage, high reliability control systems, high power density power electronics, and signal processing. He is an author of multiple patents, holds a pilot license, and is active in EUROCAE WG-80.
Abstract:
The presentation first outlines today’s trends in the electric aircraft propulsion, including power generation, conversion, distribution, and finally electric propulsion. It points to a technical crossroad today between different approaches to achieve low/no-emission flight. Main scope however is the identification of barriers for electric propulsion systems to overcome to reach an equivalent or better level of safety when compared to today’s aircraft, discussing challenges with reliability, lightning immunity, high voltage at altitude, component base challenges, environmental conditions, need for rapid standardization, and others.
Prof. Bulent Sarlioglu
Title: New Trends for All-Electric and Hybrid Propulsion for Commercial Aircraft
Speaker Biography:
Bulent Sarlioglu is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Associate Director of the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium. From 2000 to 2011, he was with Honeywell International Inc.'s Aerospace Division, Torrance, CA, USA, most recently as a Staff Systems Engineer. His expertise includes electrical machines, drives, and power electronics, and he is the inventor or co-inventor of 20 U.S. patents and many international patents. In addition, he has more than 200 technical papers that are published in conference proceedings and journals. Dr. Sarlioglu received Honeywell's Outstanding Engineer Award in 2011, the NSF CAREER Award in 2016, and the 4th Grand Nagamori Award from Nagamori Foundation, Japan, in 2018.
Dr. Sarlioglu involves in many IEEE activities. He served as one of the IEEE IAS distinguished lecturers and the Chair of the IAS Transportation Committee, the Chair of the PES Motor Subcommittee, and one of the co-editors of the IEEE Electrification Magazine. Dr. Sarlioglu was the General Chair of ITEC 2018, Technical Program Co-Chair for ECCE 2019, and special session chair of ECCE 2020. Dr. Sarlioglu received the IEEE PES Cyril Veinott Electromechanical Energy Award in 2021. He is the Fellow of the IEEE and National Academy of Inventors.
Prof. Andrew Woodworth
NASA’s Electric Aircraft Propulsion Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Andrew Woodworth is currently a Hybrid Electric Aircraft Materials Technical Lead in the Materials and Structures Division at the NASA Glenn Research Center. In this programmatic position he advises on a portfolio of work developing megawatt scale powertrain technologies for electric aircraft propulsion. Beyond programmatic duties, Dr Woodworth leads a team developing new material approaches for megawatt scale electric machines. He has also been engaged in hardening SiC based power devices to cosmic radiation. Dr. Woodworth earned a Ph.D. in Physics from West Virginia University. He has also worked as a Physical Scientist National Institute for the Occupational Safety and Health, and a Staff Scientist with the West Virginia Nano Initiative.
Abstract:
NASA has been making investments since ~2015 in technologies related to electric aircraft propulsion. These investments span all-electric with our four passenger X-plane and electric vertical lift studies, to regional flight demonstrators and targeted technology maturation programs. These latter two areas are focused ultimately on reducing fuel burn and overall energy use in transport-class aircraft, with the goal of reducing carbon impact of aviation on our planet. Key technology contributions include such as electric machines, power electronics, cables/bus bars, fault management systems, controls and systems studies, and enabling materials. Today we are seeing the fundamental technology investments manifest themselves in flight demonstrations, that are aimed at impacting aircraft entering service 2035-2040 time range. These efforts have largely been aimed at megawatt scale technologies that can enable hybrid electric or mildly distributed airplane concepts. While these concepts offer benefits to regional and single isle aircraft it is thought that a more fully electrified propulsion system requiring greater than 10 MW of distributed power offers more possible pathways to configure the propulsion-airframe system to gain new efficiencies. A few examples of this are NASA’s SUSAN distributed electrofan concept and NASA University Leadership Initiatives such as CHEETA and IZEA that champion turbo-electric concepts. These concepts utilize combination of advanced technologies such as, fuel cells, power dense electronics and power dense electric machines and superconducting technologies. How much or which of these concepts will be adopted by industry is unclear, however another step function in electrifying aircraft propulsion is now on the horizon.
Mr. Andrew Benn
Standardisation and certification of aircraft electric propulsion systems – Progress and challenges
Speaker Biography:
Andrew Benn is a senior manager at Collins Aerospace, specializing in electromechanical engineering and motor drives for aerospace. He graduated from Southampton University in 2009 and became a chartered engineer in 2015. Andrew is actively involved in EuroCAE and SAE committees, focusing on high voltage systems development. Currently, he is working on high voltage power distribution technologies for the Clean Aviation joint undertaking, aiming to promote sustainable practices in aerospace. With over 12 years of experience, Andrew is recognized for his expertise, leadership, and commitment to advancing the field of electromechanical engineering.
Abstract:
There is rapid progress in the development of technologies for energy storage and electric propulsion systems as the aerospace industry looks beyond carbon-based fuel dependence and toward a goal of a net-zero carbon economy. The question now is ‘when’ not ‘if’ suitable solutions will be commercially available. An important step in realising this future is the development of all-electric and hybrid electric certification requirements and standards, the framework of which sets the development space for the technology. This talk will reflect on the scale of the challenge, the engagement of various standards committees and the progress made so far in the development of new standards and certification processes.
Prof. Herve Morvan
Energy transition and our hydrogen and electric programmes – a Rolls-Royce Vision
Speaker Biography:
Prof. Hervé Morvan currently holds an Honorary Professorship at Nottingham which he left as Director of its Institute for Aerospace Technology and Founder and Director of the Gas Turbine & Transmissions Research Centre (G2TRC), home to the Rolls-Royce UTC, in early 2018. He is mainly known for his work on CFD and SPH applied to aeroengine cores and transmission systems. Over the 2006-2012 period he was also a member of the Aqualab at Speedo, where the Speedo LZR Racer swimming suit originated. Since 2018 he has been working for the CTO at Rolls-Royce as Group Technology Strategy Manager and is currently the Rolls-Royce Chief of Future Platforms. He remains active in research with Nottingham (fluid mechanics) and a number of other groups at Cranfield (platforms) and with the Whittle Lab.
Mr. Harry Malins
Transforming aerospace through technology and innovation: Net Zero 2050 and the role of the ATI
Speaker Biography:
Harry joined the ATI in January 2022. As Chief Innovation Officer and a member of the Executive Management Team, Harry is accountable for strategy development and implementation, innovation initiatives and programme delivery. Prior to joining the ATI, Harry worked across both industry and consulting in various strategy and general management roles, including at BAE Systems, PwC, QinetiQ, Roland Berger and Rolls-Royce. He holds a BA from Durham University, an MA from Georgetown University and an MBA from ESCP-Europe.
Abstract:
The aerospace sector is going through a once-in-a-generation transformation, driven by the need for environmentally sustainable flight. To meet its Net Zero 2050 targets, the sector will require strategic clarity, unprecedented collaboration and significant investment – and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) has an important role to play in enabling each of these. Our technology strategy for the UK aerospace sector, Destination Zero, outlines the Ultra-Efficient, Zero-Carbon, and Cross-Cutting Enabling technologies that we will be prioritising for funding in pursuit of our mission to transform aerospace through technology and innovation. We have also launched the ATI Hub to help catalyse innovation within aerospace, and we are working towards the launch of a Hydrogen Capability Network to establish the test infrastructure, skills, and economic access to liquid hydrogen that will be needed to develop world-leading Hydrogen aerospace technologies in the UK.
Ms. Christine Andrews
GE Aerospace bringing hybrid electric flight to reality
Speaker Biography:
Christine Andrews is the executive hybrid electric systems leader for GE Aerospace, responsible for the advancement of all power electronics technology development and integration with the gas turbine. Previously, Christine served as the business program manager for the Aerospace business at GE Research, where she evaluated and developed relevant aviation technologies to support next generation platforms and the existing engines fleet.
Prof. Chris Gerada
Title: Advancements in Electrical Machines and Drives for Aircraft Electrification
Speaker Biography:
Chris Gerada received the Ph.D. degree in numerical modeling of electrical machines from The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K., in 2005. He subsequently worked as a Researcher with The University of Nottingham on high-performance electrical drives and on the design and modeling of electromagnetic actuators for aerospace applications. In 2008, he was appointed as a Lecturer in electrical machines; in 2011, as an Associate Professor; and in 2013, as a Professor at The University of Nottingham.
His main research interests include the design and modeling of high-performance electric drives and machines. Prof. Gerada serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS and is the past Chair of the IEEE IES Electrical Machines Committee. He has secured major industrial, European and UK grants, authored more than 200 papers and has been awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair to consolidate research in the field.
Prof. Jin Wang
Title: Status and Challenges for Wide Bandgap Device based Power Electronics Systems for Aerospace Applications
Speaker Biography:
Jin Wang (IEEE Fellow) received his Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University in 2005. He worked at Ford for two years before joining Ohio State University (OSU) in 2007 as an Assistant Professor. He became a Full Professor at OSU in 2017. His current research interests include wide bandgap power device-based high-voltage and high-power converters, renewable energy integration, and transportation electrification. Dr. Wang has over 200 journal and conference papers and 9 patents.
Dr. Wang received the PELS Richard M. Bass Young Engineer Award in 2011, the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award in 2011, the Nagamori Award in 2020, the First Place Prize Paper Award from IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics in 2021, and the IEEE Power Electronics Emerging Technology Award in 2022. Dr. Wang initiated and served as the inaugural General Chair for the IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA) in 2013 and the IEEE Workshop on Power Electronics for Aerospace Applications (PEASA) in 2022.
Abstract:
Aerospace applications are not new but potentially the final frontiers for power electronics research and developments. Wide bandgap (WBG) power devices are regarded as natural candidates for aerospace applications. With great efforts from device manufacturers and system integrators, these devices are either already or close to being implemented in different power converters, actuator drives and circuit breakers for aerospace applications. The main remaining challenges for WBG devices and their circuits for aviation applications include radiation hardness, extreme operation temperature, high altitude, high voltage, high dv/dt, and high di/dt operation induced issues such as lower partial discharge inception voltage and higher EMI noises. The talk will start with an introduction of state-of-the art of power electronics devices and circuits for aerospace applications, then dive into detailed discussions on the above-mentioned challenges. Design examples for both electric propulsion and lunar surface power distribution will be presented.
Dr. Patrick Norman
Designing Resilient Architectures for Hybrid/Full Electric Propulsion Drive Trains in Aircraft
Speaker Biography:
Advanced Electrical Systems, EEE department, University of Strathclyde
Dr Patrick Norman is a Reader in Aerospace Electrical Systems within the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UoS, where he also received his BEng and PhD degrees. He is the academic lead for Aerospace-Electrical Systems research team, building on 15 years of research experience in the field of more-and hybrid-electrical aircraft systems. During this time, he has been a lead/co-lead investigator on over £4M of aerospace-electrical systems research projects with Innovate UK, EU Clean Sky 2, EPSRC, Raytheon, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, NASA, BAE systems and IHI Corporation, many of which are systems-focussed and interdisciplinary in nature. He is internationally recognised for his work on aircraft power systems modelling, design and protection. His research into new power system architectures and design methodologies has been adopted by a number of leading UK aerospace industries and he holds three patents on protection methods for compact DC aircraft power systems. He has also published over 80 technical papers in leading journals and conferences.
Abstract:
With the move to full or hybrid electric aircraft configurations, new electric-propulsion architectures must be at least as safe as conventional propulsion systems. Achieving this goal, whilst delivering a competitive flight-weight solution requires the parallel consideration of electrical fault protection and management strategies, and redundant/reconfigurable power system architectures. Power electronic converter technologies lie at the heart of both domains, and are therefore key to realising optimal solutions. This talk will explore the opportunities and challenges in this field of research, presenting lessons learnt to date and key focus areas for new R&D.
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Prof. Ian Cotton
Title: Insulation system challenges in electrical transport
Speaker Biography:
IAN COTTON received the B.Eng. degree (Hons.) in electrical engineering from the University of Sheffield and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from The University of Manchester Institute of Technology (UMIST). He is currently Professor of High Voltage Technology with The University of Manchester where his research work is based in the high voltage laboratories. He is involved in work relating to power system equipment used in both terrestrial power and transportation systems. He is also Technical Director of aerospace HV Ltd, a company that specialises in supporting companies working in the aerospace / automotive sectors in designing and qualifying new insulation systems for use in a range of applications.
Abstract:
Aerospace and automotive systems are both seeing an increase in voltage of the electrical power system to support improvements in power density. While the voltages remain low in comparison to the values seen on the electrical transmission system, the operating environment of these systems and the high switching frequencies used pose some specific challenges. This talk will reflect on the key challenges in developing insulation systems suitable for the next generation of electric transport and the work taking place within standards committees to ensure we produce suitable guidance for the manufacturers of the future.