Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
Electric aircraft concepts enable advanced propulsion airframe integration approaches that promise increased efficiency as well as reduced emissions and noise. NASA's fully electric Maxwell X-57, developed under the SCEPTOR program, features distributed propulsion across a high aspect ratio wing. There are 14 propulsors in all: 12 high lift motor that are only active during take off and climb, and 2 larger motors positioned on the wingtips that operate over the entire mission. The power electronics involved in the wingtip propulsion are temperature sensitive and therefore require thermal management. This work focuses on the high and low fidelity heat transfer analysis methods performed to ensure that the wingtip motor inverters do not reach their temperature limits. It also explores different geometry configurations involved in the X-57 development and any thermal concerns. All analyses presented are performed at steady state under stressful operating conditions, therefore predicting temperatures which are considered the worst-case scenario to remain conservative.
Keywords:
Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics; Statistics and Probability; Aircraft Propulsion and Power
Type:
GRC-E-DAA-TN42138
,
AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition 2017; Jun 05, 2017 - Jun 09, 2017; Denver, CO.; United States
Format:
application/pdf
