An Application of Amiet’s Model for Turbulence Ingestion to eVTOL Propellers
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This paper shares the complete process and recommendations on how an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft is planned, conceptualized, designed, built and tested. The recommendations draw on extensive experience gained from designing multiple eVTOL aircraft and working within the rotorcraft industry. A Lift + Cruise eVTOL aircraft with a wingspan of 8-meter (26.3 ft) is used as a case study to illustrate the whole process.
Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles are emerging as solutions for urban air mobility, but their operation can encounter hazardous aerodynamic conditions such as the Vortex Ring State (VRS), which causes thrust loss and intense vibrations. This study investigates VRS for the Archer Maker tilter propeller by combining numerical simulations using the mid-fidelity solver DUST and the high-fidelity solver OVERFLOW with prior experimental observations. Propeller performance is evaluated through thrust and torque evolution under various descent conditions, while flow fields in the propeller wake at different descent ratios around VRS conditions are evaluated and compared via 2D visualizations. A comparison of results reveals that both numerical approaches are capable of evaluating the performance degradation in correlation with vortex ring formation within specific descent regimes, showing slight discrepancies particularly regarding the descent ratio regime where VRS occurs. A flow field comparison with experimental data validates the multi-fidelity numerical approach, showing the capabilities of both numerical approaches to capture the flow physics mechanisms that lead to the generation of the vortex ring around the propeller disk.
Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft are poised to transform urban and regional mobility by offering zero-emission, congestion-free transportation. As regulatory frameworks evolve and advanced air mobility (AAM) gains traction, manufacturers are exploring propulsion strategies that improve range, power delivery, and overall system efficiency. A key challenge in eVTOL development is balancing range with payload capacity. While larger battery packs can extend range, they also increase system weight, reduce payload, and prolong charging times, limiting operational flexibility and turnaround time. Hydrogen fuel cells, supported by liquid hydrogen (LH₂) present a promising alternative for eVTOL propulsion. This study proposes a methodology for optimizing fuel cell propulsion systems tailored to eVTOL applications. A multi-physics modeling framework for eVTOL flight dynamics and propulsion system was developed, representing the target eVTOL configuration. For a defined flight path including vertical takeoff, hover, cruise, and landing, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based optimization was conducted on propulsion system. The algorithm down-selected battery size, fuel cell stack specifications, and hydrogen tank capacity to meet mission requirements while minimizing propulsion system weight. The modeling framework was also used to evaluate trade-offs between payload and performance as functions of component sizing, battery chemistry and energy distribution strategy.
This paper investigates a sub-scale testing methodology via Froude scaling combined with comprehensive simulation model development to validate Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft simulations and disturbance rejection characteristics. Both sub-scale and full-scale quadrotor aircraft were modeled using the Distributed Electric Propulsion Simulation (DEPSim) and the Comprehensive Hierarchical Aeromechanics Rotorcraft Model (CHARM) for simulation analysis. The sub-scale simulation was validated using flight data from the sub-scale model, including frequency sweeps and impulsive gust disturbance tests in the Penn State University (PSU) indoor flight facility. The PX4 control architecture was modeled in DEPSim and implemented in both scale models, using Froude-scaling in the control laws with the limitation that the Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) dynamics were not fully replicated in the simulation. The scaling methodology and control laws were verified through gust response tests and the Hovering turn and hold Handling Qualities Task Element (HQTE) test. The results indicate that the sub-scale flight testing and simulation provide a low-risk and low-cost method to evaluate full-scale flight performance and disturbance rejection properties.
Advanced air mobility (AAM) seeks to develop a large-scale transportation system to revolutionize how people live and work, with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft serving a central role due to reduced emissions and noise impact. An important aspect for eVTOL aircraft certification is safe urban operations, which require understanding of the response due to aerodynamic disturbances. Experimental data are required to support eVTOL aircraft development with respect to flight dynamics and controllability, as well as design specification development. While flight testing of the full-sized air vehicle will be necessary as part of the certification process, subscale testing offers many advantages with respect to cost and flexibility, in addition to examining operational conditions that one would be reluctant to test in flight at full scale such as emergency conditions. These advantages only may be seen if the underlying scaling principles of flight dynamics / control, aerodynamic interactions, and propulsion-airframe integration are understood. This paper describes initial work towards development of a general subscale testing methodology for eVTOL aircraft flight dynamics and disturbance response characteristics including limited degree of freedom (DOF) and free flight testing. An overview of the initial development work is provided, including discussion of scaling relationships, subscale air vehicle model development, and testing activities focusing on flying qualities and stability / control characteristics.
Emerging technologies in the field of electrified propulsion systems offer a promising solution to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and improve efficiency. However, the design of high-power density electric machines introduces new challenges, including limited passive cooling potential and the issue of the weight of electric motors. To address these challenges, this paper considers analysis and design methods for high torque-to-weight ratio axial flux motors. A magnetic equivalent circuit model coupled with a lumped parameter thermal network is developed for design space exploration and optimization. This inexpensive analytical model predicts the performance of a single-stator dual-rotor axial flux motor based on geometry, loading condition, and slot and pole pair combination. To enable comparisons against real-world data, the optimization study was demonstrated using the hover mission requirements from the Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies (RAVEN) vehicle to minimize the mass of the motor. In tandem with the analytical model, a higher-fidelity finite element model was also developed, and good agreement between predicted power and efficiency was demonstrated across a range of axial flux motor designs. The lightest weight design that satisfied the hover mission requirements was the 12 pole pair 27 slot (12PP 27S) configuration with a fixed weight of 9.28 kg. The analytic model undersized the output power of the electric motor by approximately 9% across a range of slot and pole pair combinations.
A high-fidelity computational study investigates the aerodynamic behavior, flight response, and control effectiveness of a multirotor electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) configuration. The investigation is organized into two parts. Part I employs an unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework coupled with a six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) rigid-body dynamics module. Simulations for isolated coaxial rotors and a complete eVTOL isolate rotor aerodynamics and rotor–airframe interactions under constrained kinematics, quantifying lift capability, fuselage download, and a residual nose-up pitching moment arising from fore-aft rotor lift imbalance. Fully coupled 6-DoF free-flight simulations capture the transient vehicle response to a motor failure and recovery sequence during hover. Part II assesses flight control response through a cascade Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller implemented in MATLAB/Simulink across two maneuver cases: hover stabilization and climb rate tracking, which are parameterized using aerodynamic data extracted from the isolated rotor CFD simulation. This decoupled approach enables systematic gain tuning and controller assessment without the computational overhead of fully coupled closed-loop CFD simulations. The results confirm that the CFD–6-DOF framework effectively resolves tightly coupled aerodynamic-dynamic interactions inherent to distributed electric propulsion configurations, and that the cascade PD architecture provides initial control authority assessment across the primary flight axes. These findings establish a foundation
This study develops an efficient framework coupling the Lattice Boltzmann Method with the Actuator Line Method to evaluate the unsteady downwash/outwash of eVTOL aircraft. By incorporating a modified Prandtl loss function with geometric smearing correction, the framework accurately predicts velocity profiles and preserves unsteady vortices at lower computational costs than conventional RANS-based simulations. Analyzing three distinct eVTOL configurations sized for identical payload missions reveals that higher disk loading and multi-rotor interactions generate highly asymmetric, localized jet-like outwash structures, contrasting with the symmetric ground-level footprint of single rotor designs. Utilizing a 95th percentile velocity metric, transient peak hazards breach the regulated vertiport Safety Area boundary, extending up to 1.65 times the prescribed baseline limit. These findings demonstrate that time-averaged metrics underestimate physical hazards, highlighting the necessity for future guidelines to mandate configuration specific evaluations utilizing high-resolution unsteady flow data and robust statistical processing.
Rainwater accumulation and management are critical to the safety and reliability of drones and emerging eVTOL aircraft. Current industry practice relies on physical rain testing, such as RTCA DO-160, which defines rainfall conditions for environmental qualification but is costly and difficult to apply during early design stages. This work presents a virtual rainwater assessment framework using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation in PreonLab. Using an early-stage APELEON cargo drone as a reference case, the method predicts rain impingement, surface runoff, pooling, and ingress under representative rainfall conditions. The meshless SPH approach enables direct simulation of complex geometries and transient interactions without mesh generation, while also supporting rotating components and arbitrary orientations. Results identify key mechanisms governing water transport, including geometry-driven runoff, hinge-related ingress, and droplet deflection from nearby structures. While the total water accumulated on the aircraft can reach on the order of several hundred grams, the amount entering the cargo space remain small. Localized moisture exposure highlights potential durability risks. The framework enables early design evaluation, parametric studies, and rapid assessment of mitigation strategies, supporting simulation-driven development and certification preparation for advanced air mobility systems.
The increasing use and development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for logistics and urban mobility requires acoustic assessment methods that better correlate with human perception and community acceptance than the conventional SPL-based metrics alone. This study presents field-based psychoacoustic measurements of repeated tilt-Octorotor delivery flight operations using a binaural Head and Torso Simulator (HATS). Event segments including lateral approach, takeoff, hover, departure and landing were analyzed using A-weighted SPL, loudness, tonality, fluctuation strength, sharpness, and roughness. Results show strong repeatability across runs and event-dependent signatures within the analysis. Landing produced the highest average loudness (11.65 soneHMS) and sharpness (3.06 acum), while hovering exhibited the highest peak roughness (1.12 asper) and strong tonal persistence. Lateral approach events showed high tonality and sharpness highlighting the directional cues. These findings demonstrate that psychoacoustic metrics provide an improved interpretation of perceived annoyance and support validation workflows for future eVTOL/UAS acoustic design and certification.
This paper develops an engineering concept and research framework showing how Cherokee MC2 (Mobile Command Center) and MVP (Mobile Vertipad Platform) can individually, and then as a combined system, resolve key operational and infrastructure challenges facing rotorcraft, eVTOL, VTOL, and UAS missions across civil, commercial, and military contexts. The investigation synthesizes current vertiport / vertipad design guidance, UAM and UTM operational architectures, and recent research on rotor downwash and degraded visual environment hazards to derive a deployable "vertiport node" architecture for austere and time-critical operations. MC2 is treated as the digital and procedural core enabling command, control, communications, data fusion, and manned–unmanned teaming, while MVP is treated as the physical landing interface enabling rapid, load-bearing, illuminated vertical-lift operations without fixed infrastructure. The primary contribution is a traceable topic-to-capability mapping supported by standards and research, plus a modeling, simulation, and optimization workflow to validate safety zones, capacity, scheduling, and resilience. Conclusions identify practical deployment pathways and research gaps for certification-aligned operations.
The rapid expansion of electric aviation and eVTOL operations introduces tightly coupled challenges related to energy‑constrained aircraft design, battery and thermal management, mission planning, and the generation of certification‑relevant evidence. This paper presents an integrated simulation workflow developed by AVL, Unisphere, and blueflite that combines high‑fidelity electric powertrain and battery models with a guidance‑level, digital‑twin‑based 4‑D trajectory simulation driven by historical weather and operational constraints. At each mission time step, the trajectory layer provides time‑resolved environmental and routing conditions, while the system‑level models compute instantaneous power demand, state‑of‑charge evolution, and thermal response, enabling mission feasibility assessment under realistic wind, temperature, and airspace effects. The workflow is calibrated and validated using flight telemetry from blueflite's active eVTOL cargo aircraft development, ensuring alignment between simulation assumptions and real‑world mission execution. The validated framework is subsequently applied to seasonal route studies and large‑scale virtual flight campaigns spanning multiple regions and years, enabling statistically robust assessment of energy margins, thermal behavior, and mission‑duration variability. The results demonstrate how integrated, traceable simulation can bridge conceptual design and real‑world electric flight operations, supporting informed decision‑making by OEMs and operators in aircraft design, validation, and deployment planning.