Viabilidad técnica, económica y ambiental de la electrificación de aeronaves deportivas ligeras (LSA)

Resumen

Introduction: the replacement of internal combustion engines with electric propulsion systems represents an alternative for improving energy efficiency and reducing operating costs and emissions in light sport aircraft (LSA).
Objective: to evaluate the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of replacing a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor in an MXP-150 aircraft.
Methodology: an energy characterization was performed on an MXP-150 aircraft equipped with a 100-hp ROTAX® 912 ULS engine through the analysis of 20 actual flight cycles. Fuel consumption and energy demand for one hour of flight were determined, and the energy obtainable from the AVGAS® 100LL consumed was estimated. Subsequently, the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine was compared with the electromechanical efficiency of an 80-kW ROTEX REB-90 motor with 93% efficiency. Finally, operating costs and CO₂ emissions were analyzed.
Results: a fuel consumption of 2.60 L and a net energy demand of 8.29 kWh per traffic pattern circuit were obtained. This energy demand can be met using a battery system coupled to the electric motor. An approximate 60% improvement in energy efficiency and a 67% reduction in operating costs per flight hour were determined, together with the elimination of direct propulsion emissions, avoiding 41.11 kg of CO₂ per hour. 
Conclusions: the proposed replacement is technically, economically, and environmentally feasible under the conditions analyzed.