Open Call: Advanced Concepts for Reliable Power Electronics Conversion and Distribution in Aviation

Deadline: 23 April 2025

The European Commission is now seeking proposals for the Advanced Concepts for Reliable Power Electronics Conversion and Distribution in Aviation topic.

Scope

To cope with the high-power, high-voltage requirements of innovative hybridized and electric propulsion architectures, as defined in the Clean Aviation SRIA for the next generation of aircraft, Wide Band Gap (WBG) devices and advanced interconnection technologies are key enablers to replace silicon-based standard technologies, upon which current life-time modelling and failure models in power electronic systems and electric machines are based.
While innovative materials with high permeability and low losses at high frequencies will allow to increase the operational limits for electric insulation systems in aviation and pave the way for increased power density of electric drivetrains, the combined stress from high switching frequency, steeper voltage flanks, high temperature, increased voltage level and lower pressure poses challenges to reliability on interconnects and electric insulation systems.
This topic aims at developing lifetime and reliability models by combining extensive lifetime testing with physics of failure and process simulation models, as well as new inductor and insulation designs up to TRL4.
“Design-to-Reliability” physics-of-failure based lifetime-modelling shall accompany the development cycle covering mission profiles for new component testing and application. It shall have the capability to support process development in module assembly, root-cause analysis, and risk-management as well as lifetime testing by predicting meaningful test parameters to increase tests efficiency. At the same time, it shall allow for lifetime predication on module enabling predictive HM techniques. The operational limits for existing and candidate insulation systems and materials for compacted converters shall be developed and explored, providing input to physics-based reliability models.
In addition, given the increased risk of arcing caused by high Voltage architectures, together with the EMI aviation requirements and essential HM and degradation estimation for power converters’ safe operation in aerospace applications, this topic aims at providing aircraft concept integrators with modular and versatile solutions for power conversion and distribution, with functional integration of advanced safety functions, including AFD, active EMI filtering and HM, up to TRL5.
To detect electric arcs without any false detection, essential for maintaining the right safety level of the aircraft along with preventing from unexpected maintenance operation, a database containing nominal operating signals as well as electric arcs and switch commutation signals will be generated to train an advanced algorithm, for instance using AI. In parallel, new optimized architectures will be developed to improve their efficiency and performance for on-board operation. The latter activities will serve as the basis for the development of an AFDD (Arc Fault Detector Device) directly embedded in the power conversion systems. The hardware will be designed to allow real time operation. Unlike passive filters, active filters can dynamically adjust to varying EMI conditions, offering better performance for detecting and counteracting unwanted noise signals in real time, over a wider frequency range and at lower weight.
Health monitoring and degradation estimation, based on real-time data, are vital for power converters in aviation, contributing to safer aircraft operation, supporting compliance with aerospace certification standards, and improving operational efficiency by enabling predictive maintenance and maintenance schedule optimization. The embedded HM system shall be able to detect the health status of the main power components such as capacitors, coils, or semiconductors.
The outcome of this topic will provide a solution to aircraft integrators to monitor and power auxiliary loads (over larger bandwidth), acting as an enabler contributing to the 30% emissions reduction for all aircraft concepts as defined in the SRIA. Furthermore, it will address complex electrical problems such as network stability and EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatibility) standards compliance. The contribution of the topic to the certification aspects will be handled by the industrial end-user of the project and, where appropriate, with the support of the consortium members

Funding Information

The total indicative funding budget for the topic is EUR 5 million
The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking estimates that an EU contribution up to EUR 5 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
Indicative project duration: Maximum 24 months.

Expected Outcomes

Project results are expected to provide or contribute to the following expected outcomes:
- Development of lifetime and reliability models up to TRL4 by combining extensive lifetime testing with physics of failure and process simulation models for advanced components based on Wide-Bandgap (WBG) devices (e.g., SiC or GaN). The project shall deliver the following developments and assessments:
  - Establishment of material, electrical, thermal, and thermo-mechanic models for lifetime prediction and optimization in the design phase.
  - Experimental validation of the lifetime model at module level.
  - Simulation of all manufacturing steps of the module to capture resulting stresses implemented from the specific technologies in the module assembly.
  - Extensive reliability prediction and lifetime models suitable for FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis) in all thrusts involving power electronic technologies.
  - Compact model delivery for integration into system digital twins, including specification of allowed parameter ranges and error estimation for predictive health monitoring.
- Development and demonstration up to TRL4 of new inductor and insulation designs, targeting fast-switching converter systems:
  - Development, parameterization, and experimental calibration of multi-physics electro-, thermo-mechanic FEM-models (Final Element Method models) for reliable and lightweight inductor design.
  - Testing and demonstration at materials sample and power module level of materials systems for high-density power modules and high-power density inductors: demonstrated ability to withstand High Voltage and to detect early signs of degradation through Health Monitoring.
  - Demonstration of accelerated degradation resilience (e.g., Partial Discharge) for materials and power converters through high Voltage application under multi-stress conditions, including high temperature (cycling), pressure and humidity.
  - Operational limits for candidate insulation systems.
- Development and demonstration up to TRL5 of a Power Converter for HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) operation (800 Vdc) and aeronautical voltage conversions with functional integration of AFD (Arc Fault Detection), active EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) Filtering & Health Monitoring (HM) compliant with the following milestones:
  - Tailored Prototype & Working Lab Test (TRL4) by M12.
  - Qualification Test (TRL5) by M24:
    - Rated Power Ground Test Demonstration: Hardware demonstration at the scale of 200 kW Power levels.
    - High Temperature operation Test.
- Identification of potential synergies with related activities funded under research and innovation programmes at regional, national and European level, and demonstration of how the project will benefit from these activities.

Eligibility Criteria

Entities eligible to participate:
- Entities eligible to participate Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from nonassociated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
- A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality .
Entities eligible for funding :
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding. To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  - the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
  - the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States:
    - Aruba (NL), Bonaire (NL), Curação (NL), French Polynesia (FR), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR), Greenland (DK), New Caledonia (FR), Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), St. Pierre and Miquelon (FR), Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR).
  - countries associated to Horizon Europe;
    - Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.