TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– With the predicted rise in air traffic, a growing need exists to make the aviation industry more environmentally sustainable in the long-term future. Research has shown that the turbo-electric distributed propulsion system (TeDP) could be the next disruptive technology that has the potential to meet the ambitious environmental goals set for the N + 3 time frame. This however will require the use of superconductivity, application of high-temperature superconducting materials and cryogenic liquids. This paper provides a brief overview of the technology and further discusses the benefits, advantages and new opportunities that may arise from the application of the technology. Design/methodology/approach– This paper provides a brief overview of the technology and further discusses the benefits, advantages and new opportunities that may arise from the application of the technology. Findings– Implementation of superconducting technology is currently one of the greater challenges faced and hence this article also reviews some of the key considerations to enable utilisation of cryogenic fuels in the future. Originality/value– This paper provides a viewpoint and reviews some of the work undertaken in the field. It also provides a perspective on some new possibilities and advantages from using TeDP with cryogenic fuels. VL - 86 IS - 6 SN - 0002-2667 DO - 10.1108/AEAT-03-2014-0035 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-03-2014-0035 AU - Nalianda Devaiah AU - Singh Riti ED - Riti Singh PY - 2014 Y1 - 2014/01/01 TI - Turbo-electric distributed propulsion – opportunities, benefits and challenges T2 - Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 543 EP - 549 Y2 - 2024/05/10 ER -