In recent years, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have emerged as a promising alternative for urban air mobility (UAM). These aircraft, characterized by their wide altitude-velocity flight envelope, feature electric propulsion systems that are now part of the primary control system, introducing additional complexity in their design process. This study outlines a basic framework for the design, simulation, and analysis of eVTOL aircraft, with emphasis on understanding the impact of electric propulsion systems on flight mechanics and performance characteristics. The central part of our framework is a simulation of the flight dynamics using a multi-physics, multibody model based on the nonlinear equations of motion of a tiltrotor aircraft configuration. To show possible applications of the framework, we simulate a trimmed conversion flight, as well as the effect of a voltage drop at the tilting motors on an initially trimmed flight condition. The initial framework offers a flexible toolbox for eVTOL analysis, that can be easily adapted to different configurations. Future extensions of this framework will enable a more comprehensive investigation of the complex dynamics that govern eVTOL aircraft.
Influence of Electric Propulsion on Performance and Flight Mechanics of VTOL Aircraft
2023
9 pages
Miscellaneous
Electronic Resource
English
Propulsion spectrum for VTOL aircraft
Engineering Index Backfile | 1959
|A PROPULSION SPECTRUM FOR VTOL AIRCRAFT
SAE Technical Papers | 1959
|Ducted Propulsion Units for VTOL Aircraft
NTIS | 1968
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