Modelling and analysis of A new combined air/electric-driven fuel system for more electric aircraft engines

As operating power of electrical components in more electric engines (MEE) increases, the rise in fuel and oil temperatures presents a significant threat to the capacity, reliability, and lifespan of components, as well as to the overall safety of aircraft. To address the issue of fuel/oil overheating in MEE, this study introduces a novel combined air/electric-driven fuel system designed to maintain low fuel/oil temperatures while enhancing system efficiency. The proposed system integrates an air turbine and an electric motor to drive the fuel pumps and employs a novel bleed power extraction method to minimize power losses and reduce temperature fluctuations caused by redundant flow throttling. A component-level mathematical model of a twin-spool turbofan engine was developed, incorporating aerothermodynamics and rotor dynamics, with a focus on energy and heat transfer during typical flight missions. Simulation results show that the proposed system achieves approximately 60% energy savings compared to conventional systems, keeps heated components within safe limits, and reduces the fuel temperature rise in the tank by around 31%. These results demonstrate the technical superiority and efficiency of the proposed system.