Feasibility of Electrified Light Sport Aircraft Powertrains: Present Day and Future

A theory-based aerodynamic model of electrified powertrain configurations and a physical electrified powertrain test stand developed for on-ground testing were used to analyze the feasibility of implementing fully electric and serial hybrid electric propulsion into light-sport aircraft. The range was selected as the primary indicator of feasibility. A MATLAB/Simulink environment was utilized to create the models, involving the combination of proportional-integral-derivative controllers, aerodynamic properties of a reference aircraft, and limitations taken from the ground-based test stand. Simulations conducted by varying missions, battery pack configuration, fuel mass, and energy distribution methods provided results showcasing the feasibility of electrified propulsion using both present-day and future battery technology. The ground-based test stand provided results of a fully electric mission that validated the model's findings. It was found that using future battery technology from the year 2030 provides much more feasible ranges than present-day technology and is on-track to approach traditionally powered aircraft ranges.