**Description**
The electrification of aircraft is a proven way to reduce fuel burn and greenhouse gas emissions. This has been demonstrated through the success of the More-Electric Aircraft (MEA) and electricpropulsion concept aircraft. With the further electrification of flight-critical loads, the potential consequences of electrical power system (EPS) failures become more severe. Innovation in the design of aircraft EPS and their underpinning technologies is required to maintain the already-high safety levels of aircraft. With the increasing utilisation of power electronic converters utilised for power supplies to flight-critical loads in MEA EPS, there is a direct impact of the converter topology choice on the reliability of supply to these loads. However, extensive research, accurately assessing the potential reliability impact of novel power converter topologies and associated novel EPS architectures is still required. Accordingly, this paper quantifies the system-wide impact that power converters exert upon the reliability of an aircraft EPS and its flight-critical loads, highlighting the high sensitivity of load failure rate to the power converter failure rate. Reliability-enhancing features of power converters proposed in other technically-adjacent industries are investigated utilising a hybrid analysis methodology, employing both constant failure rate and physics of failure approaches. This analysis captures the extent of the opportunity for potential reductions in system-level redundancy that may be afforded through the application of novel power converter topologies.

**Author(s) - ranked in descending order of contribution / as it should appear when published**
Kieran Millar, Kenny Fong, Rafael Pena Alzola, Patrick Norman, Graeme Burt



System wide reliability impact of power converters in More-Electric Aircraft applications

SAE International’s AeroTech is the premier global aerospace technology conference and exhibition focused on and celebrating innovation in virtually every facet of modern aerospace and defense mobility, including platform, system, subsystem, component, and material research and development, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, test and validation, certification, integration, deployment, sustainment, safety, security, and sustainability. Innovators and thought-leaders from the global aerospace community convene annually at AeroTech to share and learn about the latest advancements and achievements, advance technical knowledge and innovation, discuss challenges and practical solutions, discover new technologies and techniques, uncover trends and opportunities, network, and collaborate.