Power Electronics for Renewable Energy Systems, Transportation and Industrial Applications

Chapter 12Power Electronics for More Electric Aircraft

Kaushik Rajashekara

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Texas, USA

12.1 Introduction

Transportation as a whole is estimated to be responsible for over 20% of the world's CO₂ discharges. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global aviation contributes about 2% of the global CO₂ emissions caused by human activities [1]. This estimate includes emissions from all global aviation, including commercial and military. Global commercial aviation, including cargo, accounts for over 80% of this estimate. When other emissions such as nitrogen oxide and water vapor are considered, the estimated share of aviation's global emissions increases from 2 to 3%. In the United States, according to Environmental Protection Agency data, domestic aviation contributes about 3% of total CO₂ emissions. Although aviation is a relatively small source of the emissions contributing to global warming, it is of significance because it is probable that high-altitude emissions are disproportionately damaging to the environment.

The Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe has set several goals to be achieved by 2020 for air transportation [2]. These include a 50% reduction of CO₂ emissions through drastic reduction of fuel consumption; an 80% reduction of NO_X emissions; a 50% reduction of external noise; and a green product life cycle in terms of design, manufacturing, maintenance and disposal. ...