Aerospace engineers at the University of Nottingham and the University of Warwick are designing the electrical nervous system for aircraft that will replace hydraulic and pneumatic power with electricity. Today’s planes rely on heavy, complex mechanical systems to pump hydraulics for landing gear, pressurise cabins, and drive flight controls. These add weight, require maintenance, and limit efficiency. The partnership aims to solve the fundamental engineering challenge of making electrical systems light enough, reliable enough, and powerful enough to take over those jobs. The research tackles five hard constraints simultaneously: cost, weight, volume, reliability, and functionality. If successful, the work could make future aircraft—both passenger jets and military drones—lighter, more fuel-efficient, and simpler to maintain. Passengers would not notice the change, but airlines would see lower fuel bills and fewer mechanical failures. The project is applied engineering, not fundamental science: it works with existing device capabilities while also pushing for new components, such as solid-state switches and high-power-density actuators, that overcome current limits.
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This proposal describes the establishment of a Smiths Aerospace University Technology Strategic Partnership Centre (SA UTSP) at the University of Nottingham in collaboration with the University of Warwick. The partnership involves the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Materials Engineering at Nottingham and the School of Engineering - Electrical and Electronic Division at Warwick.The UTSP has a five year plan to research advanced power management, advanced power distribution and drives and advanced actuation in order to further the development of the more electric aircraft for civil, military and UAV applications. Six research streams focus on:o Integrative system modelling and electrical power system architectures,o Technologies and techniques for advanced power switching,o Technologies and strategies for high reliability actuation systems,o Technologies and strategies for enhanced heat transfer in aerospace systems,o Technologies for system integrity implementation / diagnosis and prognosiso Power converter topologies and control for electrical aircraft systems and power management.These core streams are expected to expand and attract other funding as the UTSP becomes established. The project aims, through its core streams, to close the gap between dream and reality in order to make a convincing case for the more electric aircraft. This requires work in two distinct research fields. The first is to find the optimal methods of using existing device capabilities and technologies and to identify any critical need for technology improvement. Determination of the most appropriate power system architecture is an example. The second is to research improved devices, which overcome the known limitations of existing components. Solid-state primary distribution switches and high power to weight ratio actuators are examples here. There are however five basic requirements to fulfil in each case. These are; minimum eventual projected cost, minimum weight, minimum volume, maximum reliability and maximum functionality.
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