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Timothy P. Dever

Publications and source records attributed to Timothy P. Dever.

Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Transport Aircraft Concept and Trade Space Exploration

A trade space exploration of a new NASA regional transport aircraft concept called the SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan is presented. The SUSAN concept uses a 20MW Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) system to enable advance Propulsion Airframe Integration (PAI) in transport category aircraft. Alternative fuels will be used to reduce the amount of emissions per energy used. By combining these features there is the potential to reduce aircraft emissions by 50% per passenger/mile while retaining the size, speed, and range of large regional jets. SUSAN is has a 750 mile economic mission, a 2500 mile design range and a maximum capacity of 180 passengers. The SUSAN configuration utilizes a single aft mounted engine and distributed electric wing-mounted thrusters on a tube and wing arrangement with a T-tail empennage. The SUSAN Electrofan employs a hybrid powertrain to enable: single turbofan operation on a large transport category aircraft; increased aerodynamic and propulsive efficiency through placement of electric engines; optimized turbofan sizing and efficiency through control and electric boosting, reduced control surface sizing through thrust augmentation. A single use battery is employed as the power source in case of turbofan failure. The design study also considers the constraints of operating within the current airport, airspace and economic constraints. This paper presents the status of the trade space exploration; however the concept definition is not finished. Forward work includes optimizing the overall aircraft configuration and including certain hard to model features like boundary layer ingestion or natural laminar flow across all appliable subsystems. Additional work forward work is a more extensive analysis of the configuration using alternative fuels.

Ralph H. Jansen↗

Update on Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Electrofan Trade Space Exploration

NASA is conducting an ongoing trade study analysis of the SUSAN Electrofan aircraft concept, which utilizes 20-MW-class electrified aircraft propulsion to enable propulsive, aerodynamic, and control benefits while retaining the range, speed, and size of typical narrow-body regional aircraft. The study is constrained by the ground rules of operating within the current airport and airspace infrastructure. This ongoing study seeks to find a configuration and combination of technologies that yield significant fuel burn and emissions benefits. Another key goal is to reduce cost per passenger mile. Currently, the study is focused on a configuration that utilizes jet A or sustainable aviation fuels, however, we plan to consider other fuel alternatives in the future. This presentation describes the progress in defining the architecture of the aircraft, engine, power system, control system, and initial understandings of the sensitivity of the potential configurations to technology assumptions based on key performance parameters. Additionally, progress towards definition and refinement of driving operational, economic, infrastructure, certification, and technical requirements is discussed.

Ralph H. Jansen↗

Impedance Measurements of Motor Drives and Supplies in NASA NEAT Facility

Many electrified aircraft configurations consist of a number of power components operating on the same shared electrical bus. Understanding the impedance performance of electrical loads and sources is key to understanding, and designing for, acceptable overall vehicle power quality and power system stability. This paper discusses impedance measurements made on the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) Electrical Power System (EPS) at NASA Glenn Research Center. First, an overall discussion of the NEAT facility configuration during testing is presented. Then, details of the impedance measurement approach and the various testing configurations are discussed. Next, input impedance measurements at NEAT, including sources (DC supplies) and loads (multiple motor drives, electric machines, and resistive load banks, with long interconnecting cable leads), are performed under a number of conditions, and results, including load model comparisons and stability analysis, are presented and discussed.

electrified aircraft propulsion↗

Impedance Measurements of Motor Drive and Supply in SPEED Testbed

Many electrified aircraft configurations consist of a number of power components operating on the same shared electrical bus. Understanding the impedance performance of electrical loads and sources is key to understanding, and designing for, acceptable overall vehicle power quality and power system stability. To enable these measurements, personnel at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have designed and built the Scaled Power ElEctrified Drivetrain (SPEED) Testbed. This paper will present data taken in the SPEED lab, including impedance measurements of a DC supply (source) and a motor drive and electric machine (load) under a number of conditions. Impacts of load power, drive controller tuning, and field-weakening on load impedance are measured, presented, and discussed; as are source impedance data, stability, and DC bus current spectra at different loading levels.

electrified aircraft propulsion↗