Conceptual Redesign of a 90-Seater Battery-Electric Aircraft

Recent research suggests that large battery-electric aircraft can achieve greater ranges than previously assumed and can therefore be a promising solution to decarbonize the aviation sector on short distances. However, several technical challenges need to be investigated for such aircraft to become technically and commercially viable. This paper summarizes the findings of a series of research projects investigating these technical challenges, which are then incorporated in the conceptual redesign of a 90-seater battery-electric aircraft. The top-level aircraft requirements are revisited and the main configuration trade-offs are discussed. The resulting design presents a maximum take-off mass of 82.5 t and achieves a battery-only range of 750 km for a pack energy density of 320 Wh/kg, while reserves are covered by a dedicated fuel-based reserve energy system (RES). The impact of using the RES for range extension is also investigated. A comparison to conventional aircraft configurations in terms of CO2-equivalent and operating costs per passenger-kilometer demonstrates that such aircraft can become a cost-competitive solution to mitigate the climate impact of aviation on short ranges.