Fault behaviour of a superconducting turboelectric distributed propulsion aircraft network: A comprehensive sensitivity study

Variations in the network architecture and component choices of superconducting DC networks proposed for future aircraft propulsion systems could have a significant impact on their fault response. Understanding these potential variations is key to developing effective protection solutions for these aircraft applications. To this end, this paper presents the results of sensitivity studies conducted using a representative model of a faulted superconducting DC network in which key system parameters are varied. Of the parameters considered, network voltage and the cable dimensions are shown to have the greatest impact on fault current profile whilst the rate of change of fault current is shown to be sensitive to network voltage and cable length. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of these findings on the prospective protection strategy for future aircraft propulsion systems.