Astronics

Power & Motion Feature Stories

Powering the More Electric Aircraft (MEA) – A Tutorial

From business aviation to commercial jets to military UAVs, the More Electric Aircraft industry initiative will provide aircraft manufacturers and operators with unprecedented operational efficiencies. Aircraft relying on more electrical operations will be lighter, more fuel-efficient, easier to maintain, reduce noise, and perform better than their predecessors. Market Research Future projects that the amount of MEAs in the Americas will more than double over the next two decades.

In support of this initiative, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems recently provided a technical tutorial on the practical implementation of a high voltage DC aircraft electrical system at this year’s MEA USA.

The presentation covers:

  • Key electrical system challenges for eVTOLs and other MEAs
  • Benefits of a modular MEA power system approach
  • Power distribution architectures for MEAs
  • Functional integration case study
  • Solid-state power challenges
  • Additional technical information.

Astronics provides the airframe power system for More Electric Aircraft, with a modular approach that incorporates power generation, power distribution, and power conversion components.