Management of Power System Dynamics on Superconducting Aircraft Platforms

There is a growing body of research into future power systems for aircraft, which will enable distributed electrical propulsion. These systems use electrical motors to provide aircraft thrust. It is proposed that such electrical power systems are superconducting in order to take advantage of the high power density of electrical machines and low power loss networks.

The current state of the art in this area is not designed to manage the characteristics of superconducting systems.

This PhD will provide new knowledge in the area of superconducting power systems, in particular, how such systems behave under normal, "controlled transient" conditions - e.g. load changes, and under "uncontrolled transient" conditions - e.g. short circuits. This is necessary to enhance understanding of system performance, where the extremely low impedances in the superconducting system may present difficulties in controlling the system.