Engineering association SAE International has convened a committee to write performance, reliability and testing standards for materials used in the electrical and electronic systems of electric aircraft.
Committee AE-9 will take into account both the pressurized and non-pressurized areas of air vehicles classed as more electric aircraft (MEA) or as having a more electric engine (MEE).
Initially AE-9, chaired by Al Lambourne, strategic materials, Rolls-Royce, will concentrate on the need for advanced materials suited to electrical transmission and enhanced rationalized testing criteria.
The first three topics identified and confirmed for electrical materials standardization are permanent magnet corrosion, soft magnetic aging and capacitor materials and behaviour.
The materials specifications developed will focus on electrical systems design. The supporting performance specifications will be dedicated to controlling or meeting the demand placed on high performance electrical systems.
The first meeting of AE-9 will be held at Rolls-Royce’s site in Derby, UK, on June 28, 2018.
AE-9 will support and compliment SAE’s AE-7 Aerospace Electrical Power and Equipment and AE-8 Electrical/Electronic Distribution Systems standards committees under the overall strategic guidance of the SAE Electric Aircraft Steering Group (EASG).
David Alexander, director of SAE Aerospace Standards, SAE International, said, “This exciting new committee bolsters the SAE standards advancing more-electric aircraft and hybrid-electric propulsion, adding an important new technical constituency in electrical materials – including those at the nano level – to the global SAE aerospace community.”
Lambourne said, “AE-9 will complement the existing SAE activities and help the aerospace industry to develop the materials, testing and skill set required to make hybrid / more-electric air travel a reality.”
The AE-9 committee is open to all interested parties from industry, government, research and general interest. To join or for more information about SAE International’s AE-9 Committee, contact John Clatworthy at john.clatworthy@sae.org.
March 7, 2018
