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High performance generation channel Integration and Testing

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IGNITE (High performance generation channel Integration and Testing)

Reporting period: 2020-05-01 to 2021-10-31

The IGNITE Consortium brings together world-leading expertise in the field of machines, electrical drive system integration and testing including test rig design, supervisory control and data acquisition, test rig integration of high-performance electrical generation systems, test rig commissioning, test planning and test management, to develop a high performance test rig and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power generation channel testing and demonstration. IGNITE aims to develop a high-performance test bench and SCADA system which enables the simultaneous application of different environmental disturbance to the system. IGNITE, together with other two topics, will demonstrate an efficient, reliable, compact and light in weight HVDC power generation system with the aim to deliver a more efficient and greener large passenger aircraft (LPA).
The success of the IGNITE will be the delivery of an integrated power generation channel which is able to produce 45kW electrical power continuously and is able to disconnect the generator from the prime mover during the fault conditions.
IGNITE aims to deliver the high performance generation channel which is able to deliver continuously 45kW electrical power derived from a mechanical drive. During this reporting period (M1 – M12), the IGNITE consortium has mainly focused on WP1 Initial requirement capture; WP2 High-level test plan definition; WP3 Test rig architecture and function definition; WP4 Test rig and data acquisition equipment specification; and WP6 Test rig and data acquisition equipment procurement. Some of the key activities during the reporting period include:
• The high-power generation channel requirement and specification have been captured in WP1, with deliverable D4 (D1.1) Preliminary Requirement Specification has been delivered.
• The test rig architecture and function (part of WP2) was completed and the deliverable D7 (D2.1) was approved by TM.
• The preliminary design of IGNITE test rig (WP3) has also been completed and the deliverable D5 (D3.1) was approved the TM.
• The WP4 test rig and data acquisition has completed and the deliverable D6(D4.1) has been approved by the TM
• The test rig commissioning plan WP5 has completed with the deliverable D8 Commissioning plan approved by the TM
• The equipment for the IGNITE test rig has been purchased and now is waiting for the long lead time items to arrive (WP6)
• The QUICK test platform has successfully passed the test readiness review stage (WP7) in Nov 2021 with Test procedure deliverable D11 (D8.1) in WP8. The QUICK test readiness review meeting D10 (D7.1) has been sent to TM for approval
The remaining task is the final IGNITE generation channel integration and testing, which is planned in Q2 – Q4 2022.
The IGNITE project (JTI-CS2-CfP07-LPA-45) is interacting with other two other CS2 funded projects QUICK (JTI-CS2-2017-LPA-01-44) and SPARTAN (JTI-CS2-CfP07-LPA-46) as shown in Figure 1. Frequent three-project coordination meetings have been held. The last one took place on January 2020 in Nottingham. The interface between IGNITE, QUICK and SPARTAN was addressed and an ICD document was created after the discussions.
The IGNITE consortium will engage with other Members of the LPA-IADP through contributions to the IADP newsletter. These will contain breakdowns of the general progress made by IGNITE. The work will also be presented to the LPA-IADP annual reviews as appropriate.
The University of Nottingham team is also planning to produce several conference papers that will be disseminated at various International Conferences.
The IGNITE demonstrator aims to deliver technology maturity up to TRL4/5 in 2020/2021 with capability to be part of the next-generation aircraft engines. The IGNITE consortium aims to develop test bench at TRL5 level. The control algorithm will be functional and fit for purpose (at least TRL4), with an appropriate documentation to be agreed with the Topic Manager.

The IGNITE consortium will develop a high-performance test bench with supervisor control for high-performance electrical power generation system validation and test applications. Building on the UNOTT experience in aerospace electrical power generation system development, test and validation including AEGART starter/generation system in the frame of Clean Sky Eco-Design ITD and the on-going Clean Sky2 project ACHIEVE (JTI-CS2-2016-CFP03-ENG-01-07), the developed test bench will embrace with following specifications:
• Mechanical drive requirement: 60kW
• Short-term mechanical drive overload: 120kW
• Generator speed of rotation: 5000-35000rpm
• Continuous electrical load requirement: 45kW
• Short-term electrical overload: 90kW
• Maximum heat rejection to Conditioned liquid cooling during continuous operation: 10kW
The successful achievement of IGNITE relies on strong know-how and expertise in the following areas:
• Strong capability in validation and verification of high-performance machine performance
• High-speed and high-performance test rig design
• Supervisor control and data acquisition system design and implementation
• Test equipment specification and commissioning
The partners within the IGNITE consortium have a widely recognised expertise and world-leading reputation to cover these requirements, as overviewed in the following sub-sections. The goal is to show the Consortium expertise and capabilities as well as the strategies that will be utilised to accomplish the project objectives.
IGNITE high power channel test rig