Propulsion system to expedite the development of eVTOL technology

新一代小型电动（垂直起降-- eVTOL）飞行器为旅行、商业和贸易带来了令人兴奋的新机会。它们的自主性也使它们非常适合无人驾驶运输，高价值的交付，如医疗援助。一些早期功能的车辆计划在COVID-19危机中用作救护车。这些车辆的推进技术是其技术成功的关键因素。性能要求和操作条件可以合理化，因为车辆增加了动力装置，以增加动力和安全性（冗余）。然而，目前，许多不同类型的系统正在试用，取得了不同的成功。这增加了这些车辆的开发和采用的成本和障碍。该项目建议通过创建一个模块化的可扩展推进系统来消除障碍并加快进入市场的路线，以适应大多数风扇驱动的eVTOL车辆。这将通过将该领域多年的经验与功能强大的模拟工具链相结合来实现。例如，它将确定对于给定的一组操作条件，是否具有以下各项更有效：\* 轮毂驱动风扇，电机直径较大，以风扇速度运行\* 轮毂驱动风扇，直径较小，更快的电机连接到变速器，以实现风扇速度\* 尖端驱动风扇与非常大的直径电机\* 风扇由远程安装的电机驱动，电机通过驱动轴和驱动装置连接该项目将产生系统组件的许多详细设计-尽可能自动化。这些系统将被组合起来，产生大量（几百个）候选系统，并计算在规定的运行条件和使用情况下的效率（损失）、质量、几何形状和成本。还将包括代表动力装置体积对风扇有效性影响的计算。每个候选产品的安全问题将通过单独的评审产生。将设计多种电机技术和拓扑结构、逆变器技术以及一系列传动类型和传动比。风扇类型将通用化。从所产生的数据中，将清楚地比较效益，并在必要时建立一个评分矩阵，以说明其他标准。最具竞争力的解决方案将被选择并详细说明。计算的性能将与竞争系统一起展示。还将生成系统的3D CAD模型。

The new generation of small electrified (vertical take-off and landing -- eVTOL) air vehicles promises exciting new opportunities for travel, business and commerce. The autonomy they incorporate also makes them highly appropriate for unmanned transport, high value deliveries such as medical aid. Some early functioning vehicles are planned to be used as ambulances in the COVID-19 crisis.The propulsion technology for these vehicles is a critical contributor to their success as a technology. The performance requirements and operating conditions can be rationalised as vehicles multiply the propulsion units to increase power and safety (redundancy). Yet currently, many different types of system are being trialed with varying success. This is adding cost and barriers to the development and adoption of these vehicles.The project proposes to remove barriers to and expedite the route to market by creating a modular, scalable propulsion system to suit the majority of fan driven eVTOL vehicles. This will be achieved by combining many years of experience in this field with an extremely capable simulation toolchain.It will for example, determine whether, for a given set of operating conditions, it is more efficient to have:\*Hub driven fans with larger diameter motors operating at fan speed\*Hub driven fans with smaller diameter, faster motors coupled to a transmission to achieve fan speed\*Tip drive fans with very large diameter motors\*Fans driven by remotely mounted motor linked by driveshafts and actuationThe project will generate many detailed designs of the components of the system -- automated where possible. These will be combined to generate a large number (several hundred) of candidate systems.Efficiency (losses) for defined operating conditions and use cases, mass, geometry and cost will be calculated. Calculations to represent the effect of the volume of the power unit on the effectiveness of the fan will also be included. The safety concerns around each candidate will be generated by separate reviews.Multiple motor technologies and topologies, inverter technologies and a range of transmission types and ratios will be designed. The fan type will be commonised. From the data generated, a comparison of the benefits will be clear and, where necessary a scoring matrix will be created to account for additional criteria. The most competitive solution will be selected and specified in detail.The calculated performance will be presented alongside the competing systems. A 3D CAD model of the system will also be generated.