The article, “Reliability in the era of electrification in aviation: A systems approach” talks about the reliability of electric powerplants being a primary source of thrust used in aircrafts, as well as the challenges that will inevitably come with it. The article describes the motive to incorporate electric motors and hybrid systems into airframes and tends to focus on the safety and reliability of the new technologies. The primary purpose of this article is to act as an information source for the aviation community and the public. The electrification of airframes is inevitable; however, there will be technical challenges and safety issues that need to be addressed before its implementation.
The safety considerations that arise with the electrification of aircrafts are closely linked with its reliability. Due to the relatively new technology, a traditional systematic approach needs to be taken to prevent disaster. There needs to be an architectural focus on a functional design and the reliability and maintenance over the lifespan of the product. Traditional approaches focus on reliability as a component. For safety and reliability, there is need to target the faults down to the system or subsystem level. Although this technique is not new, it will help devise a variety of technical challenges posed by the operating environment. The renewal of interest in traditional approaches will need to be reevaluated to establish a trustworthy system prediction failure.
Two system designs need to be established to realize this technology; functional design, which will focus on the completion of the system function and reliability for maintaining this project through its lifecycle, which calls for experienced architects. This experience is acquired over a long time, and only the traditional architects possess such quality, which is a mirage for new architects. The system involves analytical and quantitative skills, which modern-day architects lack. Technically, the thrust required for each category of planes is directly proportional to power output. The extreme environment in the larger airframes requires the constituent chemical of these power suppliers to be reevaluated to adapt to these conditions (Tabl1). Integrating the electrical component into the electrical domain is also one of the challenges the system needs to bypass. (fig.2). Therefore, the need to balance the electrical power should also be a priority for each component.
For assurance, the evidence must exist to certify the concerns that may arise from introducing electrical means into the new system. To avoid such situations, data is collected and analyzed in every test phase. Data obtained from the design stage is used to test if the design and operational requirements are met. Data from the design and maturation stage improves the understanding and behavior, giving further evidence. The other set of data is from manufacturing, which provides more accurate prediction and evidence gathering. Test and operation stage data are obtained from field operation to identify further improvement opportunities and verify predictions. This data may vary according to fuctionality, design, and the environment in which these types of equipment are tested. Complete system testing gives more reliable data as it employs an integrated approach to investigating system architecture and safety. The electrification in aviation is inevitable, and with it, new obstacles for the technology appearing each day.
In conclusion, the use of diagrammatical illustration brings out the reality of the system. The author’s explanations of the strategies are fascinating and appealing to the reader. By using images and diagrams, an accurate impression is created in the reader’s mind. The author brings to attention the different types of system arrangements (fig 2). This makes it simple to understand the system’s design. The use of the three-dimension illustration brings out the reality of the system. The pictures make the system more simplified and easier to understand. The strategies did not accomplish the purpose of the author since aviation technology is very dynamic. The author did not give a solution to the emerging obstacles to aircraft electrification.
Reference
Emmanouil, K. (2020). Reliability in the era of electrification in aviation: A systems approach. Microelectronics Reliability, 114, 113945. Web.