Smith doesn't mean fully electric-powered aircraft – at least not yet. In aeronautic jargon, he’s talking about developing More Electric Architecture (MEA). Enabled by much larger and more sophisticated next-gen aircraft and more efficient generators, Honeywell is replacing the pneumatic and hydraulic power transference systems of with new electric versions.
“If you look at how much power a Boeing 777 generates, it’s on the order of 200-300 kilowatts. If you look at the 787, a next-gen aircraft, it’s 1.5 megawats,” he says. “That’s a massive change, because the generator technology has improved so much.”
Moving power around aircraft has always been cumbersome. In last-gen aircraft, high-pressure gas is taken from the engine and transported through bleed valves to the auxiliary power system, which controls air-conditioning, for example. This is a massively inefficient process due to the energy required to heat and cool the gases and because of the weight of the systems. “If you can put a more efficient generator in there, you have a power station as opposed to a boiling room,” says Smith.
Electrical systems are now being used to power reverse-thrusters – air brakes, essentially - in aircraft like the A380 – and for de-icing wings.
The upside: gains in fuel efficiencies
But two of the greatest benefits electrical systems provide are simplicity and merely lightening the load. Eliminating hydraulic systems reduces the complexity of repairing leaks and eliminating hundreds of pounds of tubing.
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