Never Without Power

The electricity an aircraft requires during a flight is normally generated via the engines. To ensure that there will always be a sufficient current supply to the flight controls and essential onboard functions even if the engines fail completely, modern aircraft have a ram air turbine (RAT) – a deployable turbine that generates current via the airstream. RATs have a disadvantage, however: Their output depends on the flight situation. Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH is using dSPACE hardware and software to develop an alternative, fuel-cell-based emergency power system that supplies electricity no matter what the situation is.