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Based on a lecture prepared as part of the celebration of Cranfield University's 50th anniversary. After briefly reviewing the early years, including Cranfield University's entry into this technology, discusses the nature of this industry, Some of the technology drivers, including environmental concerns, are examined to provide a background against which the development and the future of the industry can be considered. This is followed by a brief survey of some of the possible new civil aero gas turbine applications over the next 50 years, both the very likely and some curiosities. Finally, the changes that are likely to occur within the industry as a result of wider economic and political trends are considered, as well as the implications for those working within the industry. The development of the civil aero gas turbine has contributed, in large measure, to today's, US$ 300 billion civil aviation industry and is rightly seen as one of mankind's major engineering achievements. A single paper cannot do justice to this industry.

With the predicted rise in air traffic, a growing need exists to make the aviation industry more environmentally sustainable in the long-term future. Research has shown that the turbo-electric distributed propulsion system (TeDP) could be the next disruptive technology that has the potential to meet the ambitious environmental goals set for the N + 3 time frame. This however will require the use of superconductivity, application of high-temperature superconducting materials and cryogenic liquids. This paper provides a brief overview of the technology and further discusses the benefits, advantages and new opportunities that may arise from the application of the technology.

This paper provides a brief overview of the technology and further discusses the benefits, advantages and new opportunities that may arise from the application of the technology.

Implementation of superconducting technology is currently one of the greater challenges faced and hence this article also reviews some of the key considerations to enable utilisation of cryogenic fuels in the future.

This paper provides a viewpoint and reviews some of the work undertaken in the field. It also provides a perspective on some new possibilities and advantages from using TeDP with cryogenic fuels.

The aim of this paper is to assess the potential of fuel-battery hybrid narrow-body (180PAX) transport aircraft according to different design ranges for an entry-into-service (EIS) of 2035.

The philosophy used in the design of the twin-engine fuel-battery hybrid concept is to use the power of an electric motor during cruise to drive a single propulsive device, whereas the other one is powered conventionally by an advanced gas turbine. A methodology for the sizing and performance assessment of hybrid energy aircraft was previously proposed by the authors. Based on this methodology, the overall sizing effects at aircraft level are considered to size the hybrid aircraft to different range applications. To evaluate the hybrid concept, performance was contrasted against a conventional aircraft projected to EIS 2035 and sized for identical requirements. Additionally, sensitivity of the prospects against different battery technology states was analysed.

The best suited aircraft market for the application of the fuel-battery hybrid transport aircraft concept considered is the regional segment. Under the assumption of a battery-specific energy of 1.5 kWh/kg, block fuel reduction up to 20 per cent could be achieved concurrently with a gate-to-gate neutral energy consumption compared to an advanced gas-turbine aircraft. However, a large increase in maximum take-off weight (MTOW) occurs resulting from battery weight, the additional electrical system weight, and the cascading sizing effects. It strongly counteracts the benefit of the hybrid-electric propulsion technology used in this concept for lower battery-specific energy and for longer design ranges.

The findings will contribute to the evaluation of the feasibility and impact of hybrid energy transport aircraft as potential key enablers of the European and US aeronautical program goals towards 2035.

The paper draws its value from the consideration of the overall sizing effects at aircraft level and in particular the impact of the hybrid-electric propulsion system to investigate the prospects of fuel-battery hybrid narrow-body transport aircraft sized at different design ranges.

The purpose of this article is to provide an outline of the challenges of thermal management for more-electric, hybrid-electric and all-electric aircraft, and to notionally discuss potential solutions.

A code algorithm was developed to facilitate architecture-level analysis of the coupled relationship between the propulsion system, the thermal management system, and the takeoff gross weight of aircraft with advanced propulsion systems.

A variety of coupled relationships between the propulsion and thermal management systems are identified, and their impact on the conceptual design choices for electric aircraft are discussed qualitatively.

This conceptual article merely illuminates some driving factors associated with thermal management. The software is still in its adolescence and is experiencing ongoing development.

Thermal regulation in electric aircraft is shown to be a topic that should be addressed in tandem with propulsion system architecture definition and component selection. High-power electronics are expected to emit an immense amount of heat, and the common avenues of heat dissipation could substantially impact the aircraft’s weight, drag and performance. Conversely, strategic management of this waste heat could support subsystems or even produce additional thrust.

This paper aims to direct the attention of researchers and designers in the field of hybrid- or all-electric aircraft design toward the challenges and potential benefits of thermal management.

This paper describes a novel conceptual design software and discusses its logic flow and implications.

The purpose of this paper is to identify efficient methods and tools for the design of distributed propulsion architectures.

Multi-objective computational aerodynamic design optimisation of an S-Duct shape.

Both duct pressure loss and flow distortion through such a duct can be reduced by wall-curvature changes.

Initial simplified study requires higher fidelity computational fluid dynamics & design sensitivity follow-up.

Shape optimisation of an S-Duct intake can improve intake efficiency and reduce the risk of engine-intake compatibility problems.

Potential to advance lower emissions impact from distributed propulsion aircraft.

Both the duct loss and flow distortion can be simultaneously reduced by significant amounts.