Optimised Electric Network Architectures and Systems for More-Electric Aircraft

ORCHESTRA combines: · The leading University in Europe (UNOTT) on Aircraft electrification, · Europe’s leading Regional Aircraft Company (LDO VEL), · The world largest provider of aircraft Systems (SAF & SEP), · Leading experts on Thermal Management (CIRA&FhG) and Electrical Energy Storage Technologies (AIT), · Innovative businesses specialising in technologies for Aircraft Electrification (SKLE, BSIM &AER) · Leading experts with decades of experience in aircraft certification (VR-ASP) to deliver the “Technological Building Blocks” (TBB) that will form the foundation for the development of Much More Electric Aircraft (M2EA).

The key quantitative objectives achieved by ORCHESTRA will include overall EPS weight reduction by 25% and improvement in EPS efficiency by 10% compared to the current state-of-the-art.

The ORCHESTRA consortium will investigate all the relevant technical aspects including electrical architectures, machines, power management and control, harness solutions, thermal management, electric energy storage, experimental and virtual testing, as well as systems integration, to develop and deliver a holistic framework of innovative modular scalable “building blocks” that incorporate emerging technologies and breakthrough design ideas.

Each partner within the Consortium has been carefully selected due to their world leading expertise in the technology areas indicated Figure 3.

The involvement of VR-ASP, with decades of experience on aircraft certification, is noteworthy to ensure that TBBs delivered through ORCHESTRA will be designed with a clear path to certification from the outset. This will be complemented through the involvement of EASA on the Industrial Advisory Board.