Superconducting DC power distribution networks for electric aircraft

Superconducting power devices - generators, motors, and power distribution networks – offer the necessary power density and efficiency for electric aircraft. The temperature-dependent current density of superconductors was explored as a way to reduce the redundancy of cable networks to accomplish resiliency of the power system and to address the large variation in the power needs during takeoff, cruising, and climb-down stages of the aircraft. The feature was also suggested as a means of mitigating contingencies such as loss of a generator. The paper stresses the importance of designing the electrical and cryogenic loops congruently to take advantage of the operating temperature of superconducting devices as a way of controlling the current density and achieve the design goals of electric aircraft.