Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GENESIS (Gauging the ENvironmEntal Sustainability of electrIc aircraft Systems)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-08-01 do 2023-07-31
GENESIS stands for "Gauging the environmental sustainability of electric and hybrid aircraft". Its primary purpose is to develop a technology and sustainability roadmap to support the ambitions of the European aviation industry for transitioning towards environmentally sustainable and competitive all-electric and hybrid aircraft systems. Several powertrain technology alternatives are explored, including conventional thermal engines, batteries, fuel cells, and hybrid combinations, all with three-time perspectives over the period 2025-2055.
Organised around the multidisciplinary and complementary expertise of its consortium members, GENESIS has the following overall objectives (each reflecting the WP1-3 structure of the GENESIS project):
1. Develop a conceptual design associated with top-level aircraft requirements and scenarios for all-electric and hybrid 50 PAX regional class aircraft.
2. Perform technology foresight analyses on crucial elements of the aircraft system, focusing on the powertrain architecture and energy storage alternatives.
3. Build life cycle inventories for each relevant technology process within the aircraft life cycle (from resource extraction, through manufacturing and use, up to end-of-life), and use them to perform prospective life cycle assessments of future aircraft system configurations and scenarios.
Organised around the multidisciplinary and complementary expertise of its consortium members, GENESIS has the following overall objectives (each reflecting the WP1-3 structure of the GENESIS project):
1. Develop a conceptual design associated with top-level aircraft requirements and scenarios for all-electric and hybrid 50 PAX regional class aircraft.
2. Perform technology foresight analyses on crucial elements of the aircraft system, focusing on the powertrain architecture and energy storage alternatives.
3. Build life cycle inventories for each relevant technology process within the aircraft life cycle (from resource extraction, through manufacturing and use, up to end-of-life), and use them to perform prospective life cycle assessments of future aircraft system configurations and scenarios.
WP1 – definition of the initial top-level aircraft requirements (TLARs) and powertrain configuration (i.e. key specifications regarding onboard energy storage, shaft power level, and weight) for the new regional aircraft 50 pax class. Conduct of a market scenario analysis to define future aircraft requirements in the observed segment (regional aircraft). Definition of future aircraft scenarios considering possible combinations of the three major technologies assessed for energy storage (i.e. batteries, fuel cells, and gas turbine/ICE generator) and across the 3 time horizons. Determination and categorization of relevant aircraft configurations for each time horizon (to be compared with conventional aircraft). Development of a technology roadmap building on the project outcomes from foresight analysis and technical, economic and environmental performance assessments.
WP2 - Completion of short-, medium- and long-term technology analyses for all technologies (batteries, fuel cells, turbines and internal combustion engine set, power electronics, electric drives, on-ground energy supply). The analyses highlight knowledge gaps, technological challenges and potential solutions to meet 50 pax regional aircraft requirements for each time horizon, which were then provided as feedback to WP1 for the conceptual aircraft design as potential improvements. The analysis also served as inputs for the development of life cycle inventory (LCI) datasets and the economic analysis performed under WP3.
WP3 – A detailed guidance for LCI data collection was developed and validated to support the building of LCI datasets for complex systems with multiple technologies and it was applied within the project scope of regional aircraft systems. Primary data were collected from the different partners involved in GENESIS, and existing data gaps were completed using scientific literature and/or extrapolations. These LCI datasets unlocked a prospective LCA modelling of the aircraft system life cycle, accommodating different aircraft configurations and scenarios (based on WP1). Along with an economic analysis, this prospective LCA led to a comprehensive assessment of each aircraft configuration/scenario’s performances and served as inputs to the technology roadmap under WP1.
WP2 - Completion of short-, medium- and long-term technology analyses for all technologies (batteries, fuel cells, turbines and internal combustion engine set, power electronics, electric drives, on-ground energy supply). The analyses highlight knowledge gaps, technological challenges and potential solutions to meet 50 pax regional aircraft requirements for each time horizon, which were then provided as feedback to WP1 for the conceptual aircraft design as potential improvements. The analysis also served as inputs for the development of life cycle inventory (LCI) datasets and the economic analysis performed under WP3.
WP3 – A detailed guidance for LCI data collection was developed and validated to support the building of LCI datasets for complex systems with multiple technologies and it was applied within the project scope of regional aircraft systems. Primary data were collected from the different partners involved in GENESIS, and existing data gaps were completed using scientific literature and/or extrapolations. These LCI datasets unlocked a prospective LCA modelling of the aircraft system life cycle, accommodating different aircraft configurations and scenarios (based on WP1). Along with an economic analysis, this prospective LCA led to a comprehensive assessment of each aircraft configuration/scenario’s performances and served as inputs to the technology roadmap under WP1.
Several advancements have been made in the GENESIS project, which lay the foundation for subsequent work conducted in the Clean Aviation programme. Advances going beyond state-of-the-art are manifold and build upon the results of all deliverables within the scope of the project.
The definition of TLAR and the knowledge on the integration of emerging technologies like batteries and fuel cells in regional class aircraft can be used in future projects (e.g. within Clean Aviation programme). Furthermore, a surrogate model for a gas turbine engine for the medium-term horizon with performance, emissions, weight, main dimensions, and cost evaluation has been provided and validated. Additionally, the consequences of using different biofuel blending ratios have been investigated. A total of eight configurations with varying power supply technologies and hybridization levels were developed for the three time horizons. This included novel technology projections regarding propellers, batteries, and fuel cells.
Results within the technology foresight analysis obtained for the medium-term and long-term bring insights into specific technological components with application within and outside the aviation sector. In the context of regional aircraft, lithium-sulfur and lithium oxide batteries are the selected technologies for the two horizons respectively, although the specific energy densities remain too low for an all-electric battery aircraft in the regional class hence requiring the batteries to be coupled with internal combustion engines. Solid oxide and polymer electrolyte membranes were thus identified as the most promising fuel cell types for powertrain configurations. The technology is anticipated to reach a suitable power density for aircraft use by the medium-term horizon. The power density values of the power electronics converters have been investigated and determined, and it has been found that SiC devices could be replaced with GaN devices in the medium and long-term time horizon. Analysis shows that the best options for electric drives powered by permanent magnet synchronous machines are a Halbach magnet arrangement and directly cooled stator windings. Proton-exchange membrane and alkaline electrolysers have been selected as the most suitable hydrogen production technology for the medium- and long-term time horizons. Possibilities regarding the infrastructure needed for hydrogen conditioning, storage, and distribution have also been forecasted. As an add-on, the project also explored power electronics cryogenics in aircraft applications.
With regard to environmental sustainability, a structured approach for LCI data gathering was developed; available in full open access, it can be used to build LCI datasets beyond the project GENESIS and the aviation sector. Within project GENESIS, a total of 63 technology-specific, temporally differentiated LCI datasets have been developed and transparently documented (in open access) for specific processes and technologies captured in the project scope. These datasets provide one of the most detailed publicly-available aircraft inventories to date, and the stand-alone datasets can serve as building blocks for LCA applications beyond the aviation sector (e.g. battery or fuel cell production, etc.). In GENESIS, the LCI datasets enabled the conduct of a prospective LCA study for the different aircraft configurations and scenarios, along with an economic assessment. The results provided insights regarding the impacts and trade-offs of future potential hybrid technologies. The environmental impact assessment also significantly nuanced the role that so-called sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can play to mitigate the environmental burden of regional aircraft.
The definition of TLAR and the knowledge on the integration of emerging technologies like batteries and fuel cells in regional class aircraft can be used in future projects (e.g. within Clean Aviation programme). Furthermore, a surrogate model for a gas turbine engine for the medium-term horizon with performance, emissions, weight, main dimensions, and cost evaluation has been provided and validated. Additionally, the consequences of using different biofuel blending ratios have been investigated. A total of eight configurations with varying power supply technologies and hybridization levels were developed for the three time horizons. This included novel technology projections regarding propellers, batteries, and fuel cells.
Results within the technology foresight analysis obtained for the medium-term and long-term bring insights into specific technological components with application within and outside the aviation sector. In the context of regional aircraft, lithium-sulfur and lithium oxide batteries are the selected technologies for the two horizons respectively, although the specific energy densities remain too low for an all-electric battery aircraft in the regional class hence requiring the batteries to be coupled with internal combustion engines. Solid oxide and polymer electrolyte membranes were thus identified as the most promising fuel cell types for powertrain configurations. The technology is anticipated to reach a suitable power density for aircraft use by the medium-term horizon. The power density values of the power electronics converters have been investigated and determined, and it has been found that SiC devices could be replaced with GaN devices in the medium and long-term time horizon. Analysis shows that the best options for electric drives powered by permanent magnet synchronous machines are a Halbach magnet arrangement and directly cooled stator windings. Proton-exchange membrane and alkaline electrolysers have been selected as the most suitable hydrogen production technology for the medium- and long-term time horizons. Possibilities regarding the infrastructure needed for hydrogen conditioning, storage, and distribution have also been forecasted. As an add-on, the project also explored power electronics cryogenics in aircraft applications.
With regard to environmental sustainability, a structured approach for LCI data gathering was developed; available in full open access, it can be used to build LCI datasets beyond the project GENESIS and the aviation sector. Within project GENESIS, a total of 63 technology-specific, temporally differentiated LCI datasets have been developed and transparently documented (in open access) for specific processes and technologies captured in the project scope. These datasets provide one of the most detailed publicly-available aircraft inventories to date, and the stand-alone datasets can serve as building blocks for LCA applications beyond the aviation sector (e.g. battery or fuel cell production, etc.). In GENESIS, the LCI datasets enabled the conduct of a prospective LCA study for the different aircraft configurations and scenarios, along with an economic assessment. The results provided insights regarding the impacts and trade-offs of future potential hybrid technologies. The environmental impact assessment also significantly nuanced the role that so-called sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can play to mitigate the environmental burden of regional aircraft.