Microgrids and Sustainable Energy

Modern electric aircraft will require not just charging stations, but intelligently managed electrical infrastructure to support high-power loads without destabilizing airport power systems. Verdugo, Cañizares, and Pirnia (2025) address this need by developing a detailed thermo-electrical microgrid model that considers multiple zones and resources within an airport hangar environment. Their work demonstrates how integrated microgrid designs can balance energy supply, on-site generation, and charge demand from electric planes, improving reliability and operational efficiency while reducing dependence on external grid capacity. By simulating diverse operational scenarios and weather-dependent energy flows, this research highlights the potential for microgrids to serve as the backbone of sustainable airport infrastructure as electrification expands.

Publication

Verdugo, P., Cañizares, C., & Pirnia, M. (2025). Modeling and energy management of hangar thermo-electrical microgrid for electric plane charging considering multiple zones and resources. Applied Energy, 379, 124951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124951

Airport Infrastructure and Integration Planning

Ensuring that airports can support both sustainable aviation fuels and electric aircraft requires strategic integration of energy systems and fuel supply chain resilience. Keyvandarian, Pirnia, and Scott (2025) contribute to this planning framework by presenting a robust optimal design model for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply chains, which is crucial for long-term infrastructure planning. While their focus extends beyond electric charging infrastructure, the optimization principles used in this work, such as resilience to uncertainty, supply diversification, and cost-effective network design provide valuable insights for airports seeking to integrate multiple low-carbon energy pathways. Together with microgrid research, these integrated planning strategies inform how future airports can balance evolving energy requirements for electrified operations and sustainable fuels, advancing practical pathways toward net-zero aviation.

Publication

Keyvandarian, A., Pirnia, M., & Scott, D. (2025). Robust optimal design of sustainable aviation fuel supply chain. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5109110