Following the successful defense of a master’s thesis, the CIBI graduate researcher is examining how battery performance, flight planning and replacement costs can inform the operation of battery electric aircraft.
After successfully defending the master’s thesis Degradation-Informed Operation for Battery Electric Aircraft, Korebami Adebajoto will continue this work while pursuing a doctoral degree. The research addresses a challenge in electric aviation: how to use costly, weight-sensitive batteries effectively without accelerating their degradation.
Battery electric aircraft have the potential to support cleaner and more sustainable air travel, but their success depends on more than simply placing a battery aboard an aircraft. Operators must understand how charging decisions, flight conditions and mission demands affect battery health over time.
Adebajoto’s research connects battery-aging predictions with real-world operational choices. The resulting framework could help operators extend battery life, control replacement costs and determine which combinations of aircraft, batteries and routes are best suited to specific missions.
In the following Q&A, Adebajoto explains degradation-informed operation, the battery challenges facing electric aircraft and the potential impact of this work on the future of aviation.
Can you explain what “degradation-informed operation” means and how it applies to battery electric aircraft?
Degradation-informed operation means operational planning based on battery behavior under different conditions predicted to affect its lifetime. Regarding electric aircraft, this means understanding how flight missions and conditions affect battery degradation and using those predictions to guide aircraft utilization.
What are some of the biggest battery challenges for electric aircraft, and how does your research help address them?
Current batteries have limited energy density, which restricts electric aircraft to shorter flights, while their high cost makes avoidable degradation expensive. My research evaluates how choices such as charging rates and flight routes affect battery life and replacement costs, helping determine the optimal use of currently available battery technology.
What impact do you hope this work can have on the future of electric aviation and battery technology?
I hope this framework can support both the design and everyday operation of electric aircraft by identifying combinations of aircraft, batteries, routes and operating strategies that are best suited to a particular goal. Further ahead, I envision it contributing to decision-support systems that guide electric-aircraft operations in areas such as cargo transportation and urban mobility.
Learn more about the research: Battery Degradation and Replacement Cost Impacts on Profitability
Connect with Korebami Adebajoto: LinkedIn profile