Page 48 - 2021 High-Reliability, Harsh Environment Connectivity eBook
P. 48
48
10 Common Connectivity Challenges in
High-Power Electric Aircraft and How
to Overcome Them
Design engineers must overcome many connectivity challenges when handling high voltage and high current levels in electric rotorcraft and urban air mobility (UAM) applications.
Karl Kitts, Senior Manager R&D and Product Development Engineering, TE Connectivity
Electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, rotorcraft, and personal air vehicles (PAVs) employ significant amounts of electrical power to enable vehicle takeoff and maintain flight. As a result, design engineers face many electrical interconnect challenges when handling high voltages and high-kW peak output for electric propulsion motors, inverters, controllers, batteries, infotainment, and sensors. Designers can meet these challenges by understanding how proper product selection and a follow-the-wire design approach can be used to solve 10 common high-power connectivity challenges.
IMAGE
ยป Hundreds of commercial drone and eVTOL programs are driving advances in electric-propulsion motors, power distribution, positioning systems, telenetworking, and cockpit/mission systems. These opportunities are inspiring designers to explore SWaP- optimized components, including low-voltage and high-bandwidth interconnect technologies, for line replaceable units in UAM innovations. One such UAM project currently in development, the Eviation Alice, is an electric aircraft designed to accommodate nine passengers and two crew. (Image by Matti Blume, via Wikimedia Commons, published in accordance with CC BY-SA 4.0)
Electrical Challenges
1. Preventing partial electrical discharge helps to minimize corona effects, voids, and cavities that can cause insulation breakdown and electrical treeing.
