DC Miniature Grid to Test Electrical System Configurations of Future Electric Aircraft

Kurzfassung

The expected growth in air traffic, rising fuel costs, and climate concerns are accelerating the shift from conventional aircraft to More Electric Aircraft (MEA) and ultimately All Electric Aircraft (AEA). Meeting the significantly higher power demands of these platforms requires a fundamental redesign of the electrical system. Direct Current (DC) grids offer advantages such as efficient integration of batteries and fuel cells, lower losses, reduced weight, and simplified control, making them strong candidates for future MEA and AEA. However, major challenges remain. DC grids exhibit much lower inertia than AC systems, affecting fault propagation, detection, and protection. Their failure behavior, the need for galvanic isolation, and the absence of a natural zero crossing, which complicates safe disconnection under load, are still active research topics. To support informed design decisions, this paper presents a miniature low-voltage DC test bench that enables detailed investigation of DC grid behavior. It allows the study of load connection and disconnection, comparison of unipolar and bipolar grid architectures, evaluation of isolated versus non-isolated converters, hardware-in-the-loop testing, implementation of energy management strategies, and controlled fault injection. The setup consists of two sub-grids with configurable loads totaling 45 kW and adjustable bus voltages up to 60 V. This test bench provides an essential foundation for future improvements in power quality, fault protection, and energy management.