Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SWITCH (Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-electrics)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-07-01 al 2023-12-31
The SWITCH project will meet this challenge with a global consortium, through an unprecedented programmatic effort between airframer, engine and system OEMs, key tier 1 suppliers and leading researchers in combustion and propulsion, leveraging relevant and effective synergies between European and national programs. SWITCH will mature the hybrid WET’s two key innovation concepts by 2025: The WET engine to technology readiness level (TRL) 4 through validation of its key enabling technologies and the Electrical Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) system to TRL 5 through flight-ready engine ground demonstration of the full propulsion system.
Results from SWITCH will reinforce confidence in the climate reduction potential of the hybrid WET propulsion system and form the technological foundation to achieve TRL 6 by 2030. This will enable the innovation to enter into the market by 2035 on a new short-medium range aircraft to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact towards the European Green Deal’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Hybrid-Electric Propulsion & WET Concept Elaboration: Work continued in the investigation into different WET configurations with focus on the upcoming Concept Review milestone. Vaporizer and turbine exhaust case (TEC) requirements were defined. The strategy for the elaboration of a validation plan was defined, and the first step is in progress. For analysis on aircraft level, discussions have started on requirements and synergies of a combined hybrid-electric and WET concept. The hybrid-electric and WET concept work packages have provided sub-system level KPIs for impact monitoring and have contributed to the proposal of how to assess propulsion system climate impact (covering CO2 and non-CO2 effects).
Hybrid-Electric Engine Demonstrator: For the Motor Drive System (MDS) the requirements were developed and baselined, System Interface Documents (SID) are being agreed with the interfacing components. Vibration studies were conducted. Component level Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) were passed. GRID Lab test objectives being discussed with partners on weekly calls. GRID Tech-nical System Requirement Document (TSRD) document was generated. The engine integration tasks, loads and structures analysis are in progress. The hybrid-electric propulsion system controls interfac-es and functional allocations are progressing. A ground test cell was selected.
WET Technology Maturation: Activities are progressing to achieve WET TRL4 through a combina-tion of full system modelling and component validation testing towards the end of the project. For combustor tests, first campaign of experiment was prepared and has started at the beginning of 2024. The vaporizer Hot Demonstrator Concept Review was completed. The manufacture and assem-bly of the first and second heat exchanger samples for the condenser are in progress. The rig is ex-pected to be commissioned in January 2024. For the water recovery, the Test Readiness Review (TRR) was passed, and first tests have started in January 2024. A thrust reverser concept has been selected.