Project scope: The project workshop "TU-BE²AT" aims at designing a hybrid-electric airplane. The duration of the project is two years and partly supported by grant funds of the Technische Universität Berlin. It is supervised by both the Chair of Aero Engines and the Chair of Aircraft Design and Aerostructures of the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Motivation: The aviation industry is constantly growing with an average increase of 5% each year. At the same time this entails an increase in air and noise pollution especially in areas close to urban landscapes. It is therefore one of the key interests of the student project workshop to transform the future of aviation into a sustainable future.

Student candidates: The project workshop offers the possibility to participate for students of various disciplines. Of particular interest are the fields of Aero Engines, Aircraft Design, Electrical Engineering and Control Engineering. The participation can be either on a voluntary basis or can also be rewarded with credit points if the work is done within a project, Bachelor or Master thesis. The special interdisciplinary nature of the project fosters social skills and the ability to think in an interdisciplinary manner.

Project goal: Within the timeframe of two years (March 2020) the design of an hybrid-electric aircraft with a stationary working gas turbine in the aircraft fuselage shall be designed. In addition parts of the electric propulsion system will be designed, built and tested  in order to generate performance data.

The working principle of a hybrid-electric propulsion system is layouted in Figure 2. In the desired application a stationary working gas turbine is installed in the aircraft fuselage and coupled with a generator. The gas turbine can be both run with bio-fuels and conventional jet fuels. The generated electric energy is used to either charge the batteries or to directly drive the electric propulsion system.