VerdeGo Aero Blended Turbofan

Revolutions in propulsion systems are typically a requirement for revolutions in aircraft design. There is significant interest in runway independent aircraft that can cruise efficiently at high speed, thus requiring new powertrains that include elements of electrification to avoid heavy, and unreliable mechanical powertrains. The main challenge related to electrified flight is energy storage. Battery energy gravimetric density remains far too low for most missions. Numerous commercial and military Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) programs are exploring new types of aircraft that will require powertrains with a blend of electrification and conventional propulsion. Hybrid powerplants offer a means of leveraging the high energy density of liquid fuels while enabling novel airframes that require some degree of electrification. A hybrid powerplant has the potential to deliver 5X - 10X the mission capability of the best battery technology available. Through previous work with AFWERX, VerdeGo Aero developed the Blended Turbofan concept. Such a system could produce 100% shaft output to drive a fan for forward thrust, 100% electrical output, or a simultaneous blend of the two in any ratio, for example 25% thrust with 75% electrical output. The hardware involved in blending together the shaft power of an engine and the series/parallel electric systems is a critical element of an efficient, high-performance hybrid system. VerdeGo’s experience in designing and developing the blended turbofan concept using mechanical elements combined with electric motor/generators also exposed an opportunity to achieve the same blended output using a higher proportion of technical design elements based on electrical engineering and the advanced physics of electrical power systems. For this reason, VerdeGo is now investigating another novel means of linking the engine and the electrical systems through an architecture which could lead to a lighter, more efficient, and more reliable power blending solution that enables the same operating modes identified in the HSVTOL Challenge. The overarching goal for the proposed research will be to complete a comparative analysis of the power blending system originally developed by VerdeGo for the AFWERX Blended Turbofan concept and the new system with an emphasis on volumetric scaling factors. The comparative analysis will study the scalability of each system up to a 10 MW power level by focusing on how much volume/space will be needed by each power blending technology as it scales up. The analysis will investigate conceptual design options, volumetric constraints, and components placement. Important trends and scalability patterns will be quantified and reported. Finding the right technology to create a power blending system that can successfully scale and operate efficiently up to a 10 MW power level will support a wider range of mission profiles and will unlock new hybrid aircraft designs for both military and commercial applications.