19-1- T15.01-2847

 Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) Vehicles toward Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Regional Airliners

 Next Generation Distributed Electric Propulsion Urban Air Mobility Aircraft Analysis/Design Tools

Name:  Continuum Dynamics, Inc.

Name:  Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Street:  34 Lexington Avenue

Street:  505 Tenth Street NW

City:  Ewing

City:  Atlanta

State/Zip:  NJ 08618-2302

State/Zip:  GA 30332-0420

PHONE:  (609) 538-0444

PHONE:  (404) 594-0950

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) :
Begin: 2
End: 4

Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft development, enabled by Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), is transforming the aerospace industry by providing on-demand, affordable, quiet, and fast passenger-carrying operations in metropolitan areas. Designing and producing safe reliable UAM aircraft is particularly challenging given the relative infancy of electric propulsion for aeronautical applications, and that the complex aeromechanics associated with multi-rotor and ducted propulsors interacting with each other and the airframe impacts fatigue, performance, control and handling qualities. As UAM aircraft concepts start to mature to the point that sub-scale demonstrators and proof-of-concept aircraft are being developed, there is a need for improved analysis tools, to support more detailed design, control law and control system development and testing. Unfortunately, the current generation of CFD-based high fidelity tools is unsuitable for many design and analysis applications due to cost, expertise and setup requirements. To directly address this market need, the team of Continuum Dynamics, Inc. and Georgia Institute of Technology proposes to build upon ongoing work for NASA and the Department of Defense to develop a suite of mid-fidelity aeromechanics tools that directly address modelling assumptions and limitations of current and emerging design tools without being as costly as contemporary high fidelity overset CFD-based approaches. 

Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

The proposed effort supports several of NASA ARMD’s Strategic Thrusts ( #3 - Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles and #4 - Transition to Low-Carbon Propulsion) and ongoing Advanced Air Vehicle Program (AAVP) projects (the Advanced Air Transport Technologies (AATT) project, the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program (TACP), and the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technologies (RVLT) project. The proposed analysis tool will be able to assist in the design and evaluation of new configurations.

Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

The proposed effort will produce a CFD-level mid-fidelity aeromechanics analysis tool for DEP and UAM aircraft, in addition to conventional and advanced rotorcraft. Commercialization opportunities are anticipated from licensing the new modeling tool and providing related support and engineering services in support of UBER Elevate, DoD’s Future Vehicle Lift and other current and future projects.

Duration: 13