Collaborative Propulsion System Design: A Framework for the Sizing of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Aircraft Powertrain

The design of novel aircraft concepts powered by electric propulsion systems is a highly multidisciplinary task that requires expert knowledge to be included in the early design phase. Such expertise is typically provided by engineering routines that are not directly linked to the overall aircraft design. This paper presents a digital framework to employ heterogeneous methods at component level to size a complete electrical powertrain within the aircraft design process. A standardized interface and an automated execution workflow are developed to enable consistent data exchange between disciplines, integration of the powertrain architecture into the data model, and synthesis of component results within the overall aircraft design process. The framework is applied for the sizing of the powertrain of a plug-in hybrid electric aircraft. By supporting the integration of expert knowledge at component level in the aircraft design process, this paper facilitates technology assessment at the early design stage.