A simulation-based mission optimization approach for regional transport hybrid-electric aircraft

A tri-source hybrid-electric power plant combining a gas-turbine engine, hydrogen fuel-cell systems, and batteries offers multiple pathways to reduce regional aircraft emissions, but the benefits depend on how the three sources are scheduled throughout the mission. While previous studies have addressed energy management for two-source hybrid-electric architectures, no research has yet investigated mission-level optimization of tri-source powerplants, leaving a gap in current aircraft design methodologies. This paper presents a Simulation and Performance-based Mission Model that couples point-mass dynamics with performance-based climb and descent modules and embeds a steady-state tri-source powerplant model, enabling independent power allocation in each flight segment. The model was validated against published ATR 72-600 data, showing good agreement with reference mission performance. The model, integrated into an optimization framework, is applied to an 80-seat tri-source hybrid-electric aircraft to optimize power-source allocation across twelve throttle variables—gas turbine, fuel cell, and battery for five distinct block mission phases—minimizing either total CO2 emissions (kerosene) or overall mission energy consumption while satisfying reserve-fuel, battery, and weight constraints. Compared to the baseline schedule with no battery use, the minimum-kerosene strategy cuts emissions by 31.5 % and reduces energy use by 7.8 %, while the minimum-energy strategy lowers total energy by 12.3 % with a 23.8 % CO2 reduction. A Morris one-at-a-time sensitivity study shows that cruise fuel-cell throttle dominates the kerosene-optimal solution, while climb gas-turbine throttle drives the energy-optimal one; 10 % throttle perturbations confirm the robustness of both optima. These results demonstrate that mission-oriented power-split optimization is essential to unlock the environmental potential of tri-source hybrid-electric regional aircraft.