Decarbonizing Aerospace and Defense: Flight Control Actuation Solutions Play a Major Role

System developers in the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) sector must constantly push the boundaries in innovation, and especially with today’s increased focus on sustainability. @KMPG said in its 2023 “Sustainability in the Aerospace and Defense industry ” report that “aviation has contributed about 4 percent to global warming to date and is responsible for about 14 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport.” Additionally, “The defense industry and the global armed forces produce 6 percent of GHG emissions.” With air travel alone expected to increase rapidly between now and 2050, there’s a crucial, pressing need to decarbonize A&D.

An important step toward reducing the A&D sector’s environmental impact and meeting the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 (NZE) is through More Electric Aircraft (MEA) initiatives. Prominent among these initiatives is replacing hydraulic flight control systems with electric alternatives to reduce weight and design complexities. This requires a major redesign of Electro-Hydraulic Actuators (EHAs) and Electromechanical Actuators (EMAs) using more effective power electronics. ?

At Microchip, we understand these challenges and are committed to providing the tools and technologies necessary to create a greener future for flight. Our extensive portfolio of high-performance, space-qualified components allow designers to create lighter systems while also improving the reliability, power efficiency and thermal management of More Electric Aircraft (MEA) solutions.

In particular, we are leaders in the wide-bandgap Silicon Carbide (SiC) power electronics that enable integrated actuation power solutions to deliver such dramatic fuel savings through weight reduction. In this week’s issue we are focusing on our recently announced integrated actuation power solution that combines companion gate driver boards with our expansive Hybrid Power Drive (HPD) modules in silicon carbide or silicon technology with a power range of 5 kVA to 20 kVA.

Extending the Value of HPDs

Our innovative Hybrid Power Drive (HPD) modules provide the foundation for integrated actuation power solutions that can help advance today’s MEA initiatives. These HPDs are highly integrated power semiconductor devices that reduce the number of components and simplify the overall system design. Offering a low weight and profile, these high-reliability power devices help reduce the size and weight of MEA through a three-bridge topology that is available in SiC or Silicon (Si) semiconductor technologies.

Figure 1. Three-Phase Bridge, Brake, Soft Start and Solenoid Power Module . This Hybrid Power Device (HPD) is a complete solution that offers excellent performance, reliability and reduced weight.

To create a cost-effective, plug-and-play integrated actuation power solution using HPD modules, the module must be combined with a compatible driver board to provide intelligence, scalability, design flexibility and reliability along with faster time to market. Key benefits of this approach include a high level of integration and flexibility in a modular and adaptable SiC/IGBT solution that combines cost-effectiveness with high reliability, ruggedness, and high power density with reduced weight, a smaller footprint, and optimized design and efficiency.

Figure 2. Functional block diagram of the Integrated Actuation Solution .

Introducing Microchip’s Integrated Actuation Power Solution

Our new solution offers an ideal example of the benefits of this plug-and-play, all-in-one motor drive approach to electrifying systems such as flight controls, braking and landing gear. The solution has a power range of 5 kVA to 20 kVA and maintains the same footprint regardless of the power output.

Our power solutions are designed to scale based on the requirements of the end application, from smaller actuation systems for drones and multicopters to high-power actuation systems for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, MEA and all-electric aircraft.? The company’s companion gate driver boards were developed for use with Microchip’s existing HPD modules, which means customers can reduce the design time, resources and cost of designing and developing their own drive circuitry.

You can learn more about this solution’s features and capabilities by reading our announcement.

Join the Conversation: Microchip Coffee Break Livestream

Eager to learn more about how we are helping to decarbonize aerospace and defense? Watch yesterday's episode of Coffee Break . The takeaways for this episode are:

●????? High integration and modularity (up to 20 KVA)

●????? All-in-one solution: inverter, brake chopper, solenoid drive and more

●????? Reduced time to market and cost with flexible options

●????? Reliable, rugged and cost-effective with high efficiency

●????? High-power-density, efficient semiconductors (Si or SiC)

●????? Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) compliance for low Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

Together, through innovation and collaboration, we can achieve a more sustainable future for A&D.