Development, Integration, and Flight Testing of a Silicon Carbide Propulsion Drive for a Hybrid Electric Aerospace Application

This article details the design, development, and successful flight testing of an 800 V, 250 kW silicon carbide (SiC) inverter built for a hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system. Using custom 1200 V SiC modules with pin-fin baseplates and integrated CMOS gate drivers, the inverter achieves high performance and reliability, while a direct cooling approach yields a high power density of approximately 60 kW/L and 30 kW/kg. Addressing key challenges in aerospace electrification, such as thermal management and system reliability in flight environments, the inverter underwent simulations, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and real-world validation. This work culminated in a flight demonstration of an experimental hybrid electric aircraft. This first university-developed SiC propulsion flight, recognized with an R&D 100 award, underscores the role of SiC technology in the advancement of hybrid-electric aviation efficiency and sustainability.