The power plant is the area in an aircraft where they are a lot of power conversion. The power plant is the core of the aircraft from energy point of view. The engines allow to take off but not only, it also provides energy to the aircraft from many different manners. They are electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, ….
The power plant is definitively a power generator but also a power consumer.
Since now some years, the power electronic technology is spread into the aircraft. One can say that some pedigree has been collected with this technology embedded to the aircraft.
For the power plant domain, it is different. This technology is really not usual for use. Our environment is really not friendly and even if the integration of the power converters has been improved over the last years, there is not a lot of space around the engines.
These are probably the mains reason of the low deployment of the power electronic in this domain but not only. The reliability of the thrust function is expected to be very high; of course, for safety point of view but also for cost point of view.
However, the emergence of this technology for some functions close to the engine can be observed. In some areas, the hydraulic technology is replaced by the electrical one. The most outstanding one is probably the thrust reverser.
This paper will provide the description of some powerplant functions that are now, or could be, supported by the power electronic technology. Weight, temperature, reliability, integration will be addressed.
The future? To get the technologies that will allow to substantially reduce the fuel consumption.