BATSFLY - Investigation of the impact of technological developments in batteries on Swedish future air transportation

Research Project, 2024 – 2025

To answer the question if the electrification of aircraft is achievable like the electrification of road vehicles, technical advancements of the key electric components must be realized for aviation use. This project aims to investigate the impact of technological developments in batteries on air transportation by studying electric aircraft conceptual designs and assessing the associated environmental impact in the Swedish air traffic network context. This will involve trade analysis on electric aircraft designs equipped with different battery properties (e.g. concerning types of chemistry, power and energy densities, cycle life, performance balance, reliability, safety considerations, and thermal management requirements), and based on realistic aircraft operation envelopes in which top-level requirements of different aircraft classes will be used in battery modelling. Air traffic historical statistical data and predictions (e.g., collected from Trafikverket and Transportstyrelsen) will be used to structure the Swedish air traffic network. The project will, on a common technical basis for all aircraft components, compare the environmental footprint of full-electric-aircraft-based traffic scenarios with those conventional ones and then propose development routines for making electric aviation achievable and sustainable.