| Title: | Examining the conceptual design process for future hybrid-electric rotorcraft |
| Authors: | Reed A. Danis, Author ; Michael W. Green, Author ; Jeffrey L. Freeman, Author ; David W. Hall, Author |
| Material Type: | report |
| Publisher: | [S.l.] : National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2018 |
| Series: | NASA CR |
| Size: | 1 online resource (viii, 71 p.) / col. ill. |
| Bibliography note: | Includes bibliographical references |
| Languages: | English |
| Subjects: | Hybrid propulsion ; Propulsion systems ; Space vehicles--Design and construction ; Space vehicles--Electric propulsion systems |
| Description: | As part of a NASA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) investigated the implementation of several hybrid-electric propulsion architectures onto three rotorcraft configurations. Unique hybrid-electric variants of these configurations were compared against their conventionally-powered counterparts using typical metrics such as payload, range, and energy efficiency. The feasibility and performance of these vehicles was also investigated in the +15 and +30-year timeframes based on third-party estimations for future component performance. Using the lessons learned during this trade study, ESAero then conducted a conceptual design effort for a hybrid-electric tiltrotor demonstrator based on the XV-15. A detailed integration of the hybrid-electric propulsion system into the vehicle airframe was also performed. The hybrid-electric XV-15 concept vehicle was estimated to achieve a 10% reduction in cruise fuel consumption compared to the original NASA XV-15 at the cost of increasing the vehicle empty weight by almost 25%. The success of this design effort suggests that the design of a manned, hybrid-electric tiltrotor is technically feasible at current technology levels. |
| Access: | https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20180003214.pdf |
| Permalink: | https://isulibrary.isunet.edu/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=10536 |
