Towards Reliability-Oriented Mission Profiles for Electric Aircraft Propulsion Converters

Representative load profiles are essential for reliability assessment of power electronics in electrified aircraft propulsion, yet standardized aviation mission profiles comparable to automotive drive cycles are not available. This work derives reproducible mission-based load profiles for propulsion converters from historical flight data of conventional aircraft. ADS-B trajectory data are combined with meteorological data to estimate true airspeed and propulsive power demand across all flight phases. The resulting profiles are resolved at 1 Hz, enabling the capture of power fluctuations within mission phases that are relevant for electro-thermal stress and lifetime assessment. Multiple routes are analyzed to capture operational variability and altitude-dependent conditions. The resulting datasets enable a more realistic representation of mission-dependent stress and provide a consistent basis for electro-thermal simulation, thermal cycle counting and lifetime modelling of power converters in electrified aircraft propulsion systems.