Sizing of Airport Recharging Infrastructures in Support to a Hybrid-Electric Fleet

Introducing airplanes which are powered, totally or partially, by electricity, poses significant challenges for the on-ground operations at the airports and possibly for the flight scheduling as well. Airport operators will need to accommodate an overall new network of electric cables, battery swapping stations and/or plug-in chargers. Furthermore, battery charging is expected to take longer than conventional refueling, prolonging the turnaround time of an aircraft. The ARES (Airport Recharging Equipment Sizing) methodology is proposed to evaluate the needed infrastructure and derive the best possible battery charging program, on the basis of the characteristics of the aircraft, the airport flight scheduling, and the electricity and equipment pricing. The method is applied to realistic case studies, providing results that optimize the infrastructural and operational costs while preserving the current flight scheduling in a large European airport.