An Optimal Approach to Fabricate MVDC Multilayer Insulation Systems as Flat Samples for Wide-Body All-Electric Aircraft

To accomplish the net zero emission target, the current fuel-based transportation sector, which is the largest greenhouse gas emitter, needs to be decarbonized. Moving towards electrified ones is a highly promising solution to reduce carbon emissions. Aviation sectors, which rely on fossil fuels and emit harmful pollutants, are also being challenged by electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems. Fully electrifying aviation or all-electric aircraft (AEA) requires high-power density and low-system mass electric power systems (EPS) and MVDC emerges as a viable solution to address this critical need. Multilayer Multifunctional Electrical Insulation (MMEI) systems can be a solution to address challenges towards higher voltages and higher density designs under aviation harsh environments. Many MMEI systems have been designed in our earlier work. However, only experimental testing can ascertain the intended MMEI systems' electrical insulation performance. This study presents an optimal approach to fabricating the flat samples of down-selected MMEI designs by a compression-molding process and is discussed in detail. For evaluating different fabrication approaches to determine the optimal one, partial discharge levels of built samples are measured and compared.