SAE Update - February 2025 - 39

Tackling loss of power control
for electric aircraft
STANDARDS & COMMITTEES
* The engine control system has suffered a
fault that creates unacceptable power
oscillations, or
* The engine control system has lost the
capability to govern the engine in a
manner that allows compliance with the
operability regulations.
The first criterion can be traced to the
characteristics of legacy reciprocating
engine controls, which were usually fitted
with dual redundant ignition magnetos. It
was admitted that failure of one of these
magnetos would lead to a loss of power no
greater than 15%. When digital engine
controls were introduced, authorities
mandated tolerance to single failures of the
control system that led to a loss of power
exceeding this threshold to ensure an
equivalent level of power availability. With
the ascendance of electrified propulsion
aircraft projects going through the
certification process, the CMT identified key
differences between these conventional
engine failure modes and electric engine
failure modes such as electrical short and
open circuit conditions, which do not have
similar small power loss mechanisms.
Because of this, a new method is needed to
assess safety and demonstrate compliance
to the rule.
The future of AIR7130
AIR7130 provides a flowchart process for
evaluating safety related to LOPC
conditions. The initial release focuses on allelectric
single-engine aircraft in the Part 23
UPDATE
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general aviation sector. Future releases of
AIR7130 are already in development to
address multi-engine and hybrid electric
aircraft configurations.
To learn more about the SAE E-40
Electrified Propulsion Committee, visit their
Standards Works page here. To download
AIR7130 on SAE Mobilus, click here. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jean-Clair Pradier is an electrical engineer with over 35
years of experience in the aerospace industry as part of
the Safran group. He has worked as a designer, project
leader, team manager, and electronic engineering manager
focused on domains such as electrical distribution, landing
gear systems, and electronic controllers. Currently, he is
the head of the office of airworthiness of the power
division at Safran Electrical & Power, where he is leading
the certification of the Safran electric engine, which will
implement AIR7130 in its certification.
February 2025
39

https://www.sae.org/standards/news-room https://standardsworks.sae.org/standards-committees/e-40-electrified-propulsion-committee https://saemobilus.sae.org/standards/air7130-assessment-electric-engine-failures-leading-lopc

SAE Update - February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAE Update - February 2025