Cable Key Performance Parameters for Megawatt Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Conceptual Aircraft Model

This paper describes the development of electrical cable mass and loss key performance parameters (KPPs) for megawatt (MW) electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) aircraft conceptual modeling. A number of representative cables on the market from three different manufacturers are selected for analysis, targeting a variety of applications, and considering two different conductor materials (copper and aluminum). Using basic equations and methods described in existing standards, the model parameters are first developed, and common variables to enable comparison across the manufacturers are identified. A desired voltage, power range, and thermal environment for a representative MW EAP application is selected, and ampacity normalization across cable types is performed. Key performance parameters (KPPs) quantifying cable weight and losses are developed to quantify the performance for the MW EAP application. KPPs describing the current carrying capacity for MW EAP application are presented for copper and aluminum. Potential improvements to KPPs provided by advancements in insulation performance are also discussed.