Sensorless Switched-Reluctance Generators: a Technology Read for Aerospace Applications

Commercial, combat, and cargo aircraft face an ever-increasing demand for more electrification, a concept called "More Electric Aircraft." Actually today's modern aircraft consume something between 10 and 60 kilowatts of electricity depending on their size and architecture. The mechanical and hydraulic loads used for the past decades cannot efficiently meet these growing demands. The engineering challenges include developing a powerful electric generator that is not bulky and cumbersome. Compactness and low weight is of paramount importance in the aerospace industry. This requirement of high power with a minimum size leaves only one option, "Operation at Ultra High-Speed." Fortunately, the prime mover for such super high-speed application is right at hand, namely "the jet turbine." Another engineering issue is that the generator for this application has to endure high temperatures yet still present mechanical integrity at speeds faster than 100,000 rpm.