Aerospace applications demand efficient use of electrical power

The ever growing demand for more electric power in modern aircraft coupled with the shrinking available space for the onboard electric equipment bays translate into rising power density requirements for airborne electrical equipment. The situation is further complicated by the increasing use of composite materials in equipment and structures with lower temperature limits and poor thermal conductivity. This forces lower operating temperature limits of the electrical equipment and prevents the use of structures as a heatsink as they have conventionally been used. Combining these opposing requirements drives the design of the electrical equipment to be at the highest efficiency possible throughout all operating modes. The high efficiency requirement applies to all electrical systems on the aircraft, including the generation system, the primary and secondary distribution systems and all the systems that utilize the electrical power.