Modelling the Fault Behaviour of a Superconducting Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Network

Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) is actively being investigated as a means of providing thrust in future generations of aircraft. In response to the lack of published work regarding the system-level fault behaviour of a fully superconducting network, this paper presents key points from a two stage Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of a representative TeDP network. The first stage FMEA examines the qualitative behaviour of various network failure modes and considers the subsequent effects on the operation of the remainder of the network, enabling the identification of key variables influencing the fault response of the network. For the second stage FMEA, the paper focuses on the characterisation of the rate at which electrical faults develop within a TeDP network. The impact of system quench and associated rise in network resistance as well as network parameters such as network voltage and pre-fault current, on the resulting fault profile are also examined using a range of sensitivity studies.