A Performance Review of Conventional Turbofan Aircraft and Battery-Powered Aircraft

Abstract

In this study, the performance of conventional aircraft using fossil-fuels and battery-powered aircraft was analyzed and compared within the framework of transitioning to all-electric aircraft. Electric aircraft are propelled by electric motors that drive the propellers using electricity as their power source. These aircraft produce zero direct emissions during flight, reduce noise pollution, and exhibit higher energy efficiency compared to combustion engines. However, before electric aircraft can be fully developed, several challenges related to battery technology must be addressed. Battery-powered aircraft currently cannot match the endurance, altitude, and range capabilities of jet fuel-powered aircraft due to the limited battery capacity imposed by today's technology. Current battery technologies have lower energy density compared to aviation fuels, resulting in shorter flight ranges and limited energy storage capacity. Presently, jet fuel exhibits a specific energy of approximately 12000 Wh/kg with an engine efficiency of 25-35%. In contrast, batteries possess an energy density of about 250-400 Wh/kg with an electric motor efficiency of 90-96%. This indicates that jet fuel is roughly 30-50 times more energy-dense than batteries. To achieve parity in energy density, a significantly greater number of batteries would need to be added to the aircraft, resulting in a substantial increase in weight. However, due to the lower efficiency of fossil fuel engines, battery energy density does not have to reach the level of jet fuel (12000 Wh/kg) to match the flight range. Calculations indicate that, in order to fully utilize all-electric aircraft in the future, batteries should reach at least 40-50% of fuel energy density to match the performance of current turbofan aircraft.
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