Enabling Electric Aircraft Technology and Systems for Net-Zero Operation

Dear Colleagues,

The task of reducing global emissions to reach net zero is multifaceted. Perhaps one of the more difficult challenges is net-zero aircraft. Modern civil aircraft design has to be light, efficient and cost-effective; this is a tough combination of often competing requirements. In addition, climate change has added a fourth challenge: that of a short development time to meet global carbon reduction targets. There is no “single bullet” solution to these technical challenges; indeed, there may be many different complimentary or even competing strategies to meet our collective goal. Experience tells us that the more ideas generated early in the design process the higher the probability of achieving a successful outcome. No matter how large or small the results of those ideas, documenting, evaluating and publishing them gives us better chances of reducing aircraft emissions on the path to net zero. Relating these ideas and concepts to benefits for aircraft operators is the key to accelerating the uptake of useful technology. We encourage researchers at all stages of their career to submit high-quality papers to this Special Issue and be part of the net-zero solution community.

This Special Issue will publish research on technological advances for accelerating the development of net-zero aircraft. Although the main focus is technology, the rapid uptake of net-zero aircraft requires profitable airline operation, much of which can be improved through technological advances. The main themes are the following:

• Advances in power electronics, particularly for propulsion systems;
• Unconventional systems topology, including battery swapping and packaging electronics with a battery or motor;
• Technical requirements for profitable net-zero airline operation;
• Reduction in operating costs through technological innovations;
• Microgrids for aircraft and airport ground support, particularly in remote or smaller airfields;
• Challenges in technology research to reduce cost of ownership;
• Comparisons of cost of ownership for different technology options;
• Net-zero energy sources, "well to wing" efficiencies, and comparisons of different sources (hydrogen, batteries, liquid fuels etc.).

Excluded from this Special Issue are the following:

• Aircraft research without reference to airline or net-zero operations;
  • i.e., to be accepted, mass savings must be related to improved aircraft energy use; fuel research must show an airline cost–benefit analysis;
• Commercial operations that do not require technological advancement;
  • Technology challenges are acceptable, e.g., “if only we had this technology our operation would save €x per year”;
• Electric aircraft research unrelated to electric propulsion;
  • i.e., mass saving of any component should relate to an electrically propelled aircraft;
• Aerodynamics papers without an operational benefit in terms of net-zero electric propulsion or airline.

Dr. Paul Howard Riley
Prof. Dr. Marco Rivera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• lightweight electric motors
• power electronics
• cascaded H bridge
• multi-level converters
• net zero
• ePlane
• microgrid
• lightweight batteries
• battery swap
• cost of ownership
• energy sources