So Let It Be Written…

Frank Herbert, in his epic, science-fiction masterpiece, Dune, states: “A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.”

SAE International’s E-40 Electrified Propulsion Committee—an assemblage tasked with developing and maintaining aerospace standards, practices, and reports germane to electrified aircraft propulsion—has released two foundational standards consistent with both Mr. Herbert’s postulate and the advancement of sustainable aviation.

ARP8676 - Nomenclature & Definitions for Electrified Propulsion Aircraft
This standard establishes common language by which engineers, pilots, and aircraft operators may reach common interpretations of terms salient to new domains, new technologies, and new architectures pertinent to the electrified propulsion of aircraft.

AIR8678 - Architecture Examples for Electrified Propulsion Aircraft
This standard categorizes electrified propulsion architectures and provides relevant examples of such. This document also provides common definitions for the elements of architectures by defining:

1. Elements of electrified propulsion architectures, including any private power generation and distribution systems as well as energy storage elements.
2. Interfaces to/from the electrified propulsion system.
3. Interfaces within the electrified propulsion system.
4. Energy management and storage architecture of an electrified propulsion system.

SAE International senior director of standards David Alexander states: “Sustainable flight is a critical goal for the aviation industry. The SAE E-40 committee has made great strides to achieve this target by issuing these initial consensus documents on nomenclature and architecture examples to set the benchmark for electrified propulsion. We are proud to support the talented committee members from across the aviation community to accelerate this innovation as E-40 continues with work on safety and endurance testing.”

E-40 committee chair Richard Ambroise of Lilium GmbH adds: “The decarbonization of aviation is urgent and inevitable. The importance of innovative architecture and technology to move towards this goal has never been more important. The industry is coming together to create change and the SAE E-40 committee is a transformative tool which will set the standard and pave the way toward new aircraft architectures. The publication of ARP8676 and AIR8678 is the first step on the journey.”

The SAE International E-40 Electrified Propulsion Committee is a technical committee within SAE’s Aerospace Propulsion Systems Group. The forum comprises technical experts from aircraft operators, aircraft and aero-engine OEMs, pilots, testing laboratories, governmental regulatory authorities, research and defense agencies, and academia. Technical reports and standards issued by the SAE E-40 Committee pertain exclusively to electrically-powered aircraft with payload weights equal to or greater than 150-pounds (70-kilograms).

FMI: www.sae.org