CONFIGURABLE ELECTRICAL ARCHITECTURES FOR EVTOL AIRCRAFT

A configurable electrical architecture for an eVTOL aircraft having a takeoff and landing power mode and a cruise power mode. The configurable electrical architecture includes a power-optimized power source (104) including a high-power battery array and an energy-optimized power source (106) selected from a plurality of interchangeable energy-optimized power sources which may include a high-energy battery array, a hydrogen fuel cell system and a turbo-generator system. A distribution system (108) is electrically coupled to the power-optimized power source (104) and the energy-optimized power source (106). At least one electric motor (26a-f) is electrically coupled to the distribution system (108). In the takeoff and landing power mode, both the power-optimized power source (104) and the energy-optimized power source (106) provide electrical power to the at least one electric motor (26a-f). In the cruise power mode, the energy-optimized power source (106) provides electrical power to the at least one electric motor (26a-f) and to the power-optimized power source (104) to recharge the high-power battery array.