Impact of Electric Loads on Engine Shaft Dynamics within More Electric Aircraft

This paper considers the electromechanical interconnection between the electrical power system of the More Electric Aircraft (MEA) and the shaft connecting the engine to the generator. In order to investigate the coupling between these two systems the effect of an electric load impact on the mechanical system of the MEA will be analysed. In the MEA, many functions traditionally powered by pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical systems will be replaced by the electrical systems. Thus the electrical power rating will be considerably higher than that of a traditional aircraft. With the increase of electrical power, the impact of electrical load on the mechanical system, especially the engine shaft, will become significant. This paper focuses on the study of the interaction between the electrical and mechanical system. This paper also presents results that show that the timing of a sequence of electrical load connections can increase the level of the torque transients on the mechanical system and introduces the concept of timing the electrical load connections of the MEA to minimize this effect.