Evaluation of Crashworthy Battery Integration for a Medium-Lift Hybrid-Electric Helicopter Using Full-Scale Simulation

Introducing battery technology as energy storage in aviation introduces challenges in crashworthiness. Balancing the integration of additional components, while minimizing their impact on post-crash hazards for occupants and individuals on ground is crucial to achieve a safety level equivalent to traditional propulsion architectures. This paper gives a brief overview of the requirements and methodologies for integrating batteries into a hybrid-electric propulsion architecture for medium-lift helicopters. Capitalizing on insights from conventional fuel tank crashworthiness technology, the aim is to effectively facilitate the adoption of battery technology in aviation applications. The paper focuses primarily on the evaluation of full-scale numerical crash simulations undergoing load cases ranging from certification to robustness. The shown simulated models feature a medium-lift helicopter with an example of an integrated battery energy storage. The evaluation includes the introduction of methodologies for battery surrogate models that can be used to evaluate thermal runaway originating from crash-induced mechanical deformation.