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Takeoff And Performance Tradeoffs Of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion For Urban Transport, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning
Takeoff And Performance Tradeoffs Of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion For Urban Transport, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning
Faculty Publications
While vertical takeoff and landing aircraft have shown promise for urban air transport, distributed electric propulsion on existing aircraft may offer immediately implementable alternatives. Distributed electric propulsion could potentially decrease takeoff distances enough to enable thousands of potential inter-city runways. This conceptual study explores the effects of a retrofit of open-bladed electric propulsion units. To model and explore the design space we use blade element momentum method, vortex lattice method, linear-beam finite element analysis, classical laminate theory, composite failure, empirically-based blade noise modeling, motor and motor-controller mass models, and gradient-based optimization. With liftoff time of seconds and the safe total …
Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Optimization Of An Electric Aircraft For On-Demand Mobility, John Hwang, Andrew Ning
Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Optimization Of An Electric Aircraft For On-Demand Mobility, John Hwang, Andrew Ning
Faculty Publications
Distributed electric propulsion is a key enabling technology for on-demand electric aircraft concepts. NASA’s X-57 Maxwell X-plane is a demonstrator for this technology, and it features a row of high-lift propellers distributed along the leading edge of its wing to enable better aerodynamic efficiency at cruise and improved ride quality in addition to less noise and emissions. This study applies adjoint- based multidisciplinary design optimization to this highly coupled design problem. The propulsion, aerodynamics, and structures are modeled using blade element momentum theory, the vortex lat- tice method, and finite element analysis, respectively, and the full mission profile is discretized …
Distributed Electric Propulsion Effects On Traditional Aircraft Through Multidisciplinary Optimization, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning
Distributed Electric Propulsion Effects On Traditional Aircraft Through Multidisciplinary Optimization, Kevin Moore, Andrew Ning
Faculty Publications
Electric aircraft face a steep tradeoff between the demand for runway performance and range. While fuel based propulsion technologies typically increase in specific power with increasing size, electric propulsion is typically much more scalable. This system scalability enables alternative designs including distributed propulsion, optionally powered propulsion units, and vectored thrust, which can all contribute to better runway performance and range. In this paper, we explore how continuously powered distributed propulsion can reduce takeoff distance while still satisfying range constraints. We use a combination of a blade element momentum method, a vortex lattice method, experimental data, and nonlinear optimization techniques to …