High power conversion chain for hybrid aircraft propulsion

Recently, the use of air transport systems has increased considerably. Therefore, the current environmental considerations are pushing to reduce their ecological impact. Projects such as Clean Sky 2 provide an answer to this problem, by proposing a reduction in CO2 emissions and noise pollution. The development of a hybrid-electric aircraft would reduce these emissions by reducing the size and weight of the systems and using more efficient electrical systems. This would reduce fuel consumption and therefore pollutant emissions. This work takes part into HASTECS Clean Sky 2 European project which aims to optimize the complete electrical chain of the hybrid aircraft integrating all aeronautical constraints such as partial discharges for electrical equipment placed in the non-pressurized zone. HASTECS project has set itself the challenge of doubling the specific power of electric machines including their cooling from 5 kW/kg to 10 kW/kg, while the power electronics, with their cooling system, would evolve from 15 kW/kg in 2025 to 25 kW/kg in 2035. To increase the specific power, the cooling system mass should be decreased either by optimizing its components which is done by the 4th work package (WP4) or by reducing power losses. Inverter losses reduction could be achieved by using small voltage rating components, by playing on modulation strategies or by using more performant semiconductors. The first option could be done by using multilevel architectures to avoid the direct series association. Unlike direct series association, the parallel one is easier to manage in terms of switches command so it was allowed in our studies. Several inverter topologies (2-, 3- and 5-level topologies) and modulation strategies (PWM, third harmonic injection, discontinuous PWM and full-wave) were compared using several semiconductors generations to choose the most performant solution in terms of efficiency and specific power. For the considered mission profile, the inverter could be sized for the maximum power point (takeoff) or the most extended flight phase (cruise). A comparative study of modulation strategies was carried out to highlight the structure and modulation presenting the best performance to minimize the losses for the chosen sizing points using most interesting topologies for the studied mission profile using two electrical motor windings configurations proposed by WP