The Feasibility Test of Electric Propulsion Systems: Case Study for a Light and Fixed‐Wing Aircraft

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility and performance of a fully electric propulsion system (EPS) integrated into a light fixed‐wing aircraft. The system consists of a 65 kW‐class electric motor, a high‐efficiency inverter, and dual lithium‐ion battery packs with a total capacity of 27 kWh—collectively engineered to fulfill both power delivery and redundancy requirements for short‐range operations. Following system integration, ground testing validated stable performance under a sustained 50 kW load. Specifically, the primary 18 kWh battery discharged from 630 V to 560 V, corresponding to a state‐of‐charge (SOC) reduction from 100% to 56%, while the secondary 9 kWh battery displayed a similar voltage trend, with SOC decreasing from 83% to 45%. Concurrently, the inverter maintained a peak current of 60 A, and the motor operated at approximately 300 V, drawing up to 140 A under high‐load conditions. Consequently, the EPS achieved a theoretical endurance of approximately 27.5 min and a flight range of up to 73 km at a cruising speed of 160 km/h. In comparison, an equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) aircraft attained a range of up to 762 km under identical speed conditions with 90 l of fuel, primarily owing to the substantially higher energy density of liquid aviation fuel. Moreover, center‐of‐gravity (CG) analysis revealed negligible shift in the EPS configuration, in contrast to the more pronounced CG variation observed in the ICE aircraft due to in‐flight fuel consumption. These findings underscore the EPS's strengths in emission‐free operation, simplified CG management, and operational suitability for missions such as pilot training and urban air mobility, despite current energy density limitations.