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Study of eVTOL Charging Impact on Airport Electrical Grids

Conference ·

Growth in commercial air traffic has increased the aviation industry's contribution to global emissions. Aircraft electrification can reduce greenhouse gas emissions along with being efficient and reliable. Advanced air mobility introduces the idea of an advanced and more efficient air transportation system. Electric and hybrid aircraft designs, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), are being considered for a number of applications, such as urban air mobility, cargo delivery, and medical emergencies. Although the electrification of aircraft provides environmental benefits, their charging needs will place significant demand on the electrical grid. This work presents a grid impact study and infrastructure upgrade requirements analysis of eVTOL charging on a realistic distribution grid through power flow simulation analysis. The case study results show that the eVTOL charging can lead to power quality issues, such as undervoltage and equipment capacity overloading. Grid infrastructure, such as lines and transformers, would need to be upgraded, and voltage management strategies would need to be deployed to accommodate eVTOL charging at an existing airport.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
2530725
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5D00-86379; MainId:87152; UUID:6df39e5e-1e08-400f-bc29-421e2985edfe; MainAdminId:76274
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (5)

The More-Electric Aircraft and Beyond journal April 2023
Commercial Aircraft Electrification—Current State and Future Scope journal December 2021
The Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100): Chapter 7. Distribution System Analysis report March 2021
Technology for the more and all electric aircraft of the future conference October 2016
Investigation on the Selection of Electric Power System Architecture for Future More Electric Aircraft journal June 2018