Performance of the 500 kW Superconducting DC and AC Links of the ASCEND Demonstrator at Airbus

In the quest for climate neutrality in the aviation industry by 2050, technology development is one of the main pathways for Airbus. Owing to their high efficiency and current density, use of superconducting DC and AC distribution lines are a potential enabler for fully electric propulsion in a longer range aircraft, in particular in the scenario where liquid hydrogen provides a cold source on board of the aircraft. The ground-based Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental power traiN Demonstrator (ASCEND) at Airbus intends to demonstrate the potential and feasibility of a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain as a breakthrough electric propulsion solution on future electric aircraft. A direct current distribution network is used in a generic propulsion system to transfer 500 kW power from the DC supply to an electrical converter, which transforms the energy into an alternating voltage/current to drive the superconducting motor. A relatively low voltage level of 300 V, and a current of 1700 A, is chosen to optimize the safety and installation in a future aircraft by operating at relatively low voltage. The DC link consists of a 10 m long two-pole superconducting Conductor on Round Core (CORC) cable, and demountable current leads, that transfer the power from the room temperature environment to the cryogenically cooled motor control unit. Downstream of this unit a 3-phase AC link operating at 500 Hz delivers power to a superconducting motor. Both the AC and DC links are cooled with a flow of subcooled LN
₂
. The components of the DC and AC links have been designed, manufactured and recently integrated into the ASCEND test bench in Ottobrunn, Germany. We present the powering of the DC link up to nominal current, as well as commissioning and integration experience.