Date of Award

6-2012

Degree Name

MS in Aerospace Engineering

Department/Program

Aerospace Engineering

Advisor

Dianne J. Deturris

Abstract

Hybrid Aircraft Propulsion System Synthesis (HAPSS) is a computer program that sizes and analyzes pure-series hybrid electric propulsion systems for aircraft. The development of this program began during a NASA SBIR contract, in conjunction with Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero), with the creation of a propulsion fan design tool. Since the completion of this contract in July 2010, the HAPSS program has been expanded to combine the many aspects of a hybrid propulsion system such as the propulsive fans, electric motors, generators, and controllers, and the internal combustion engines.

This thesis describes the benefits and drawbacks of aircraft hybrid propulsion systems to reveal the usefulness of a program of this nature. The methodology behind HAPSS, the creation of the program, its operation, and its many applications are also discussed in detail. Finally, this thesis includes a brief example in which HAPSS is used to analyze a hybrid propulsion system for a commercial transport aircraft. This example demonstrated the usefulness of the program and revealed interesting behavior and trends unique to hybrid propulsion.

To date, the HAPSS program has been utilized on several different contract projects in which an aircraft hybrid propulsion system was designed. In the summer of 2012, a government organization in conjunction with ESAero will begin funding a contract to continue the development of HAPSS by adding functionality and improving accuracy while making the tool available to other government agencies.

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