E-Drone: Transforming the energy demand of supply chains through integrated UAV-to-land logistics for 2030

研究背景：货车是英国增长最快的有执照的道路车辆类别，对二氧化碳排放有显著影响。履行服务职能的货车占活动的很大比例，鉴于城市当局对货运车辆施加的准入限制越来越多，物流提供商正在认真调查替代运营做法。我们提出的关于无人机(UAV)和陆上物流系统如何结合和管理以创建新服务的研究，将为监管和运营标准对混合物流机队能效的影响提供基本的新理解。无人机越来越被视为一种协助最后一英里物流的新模式，病理学被视为一个现实领域，可以在商业规模上利用无人机，以显著减少服务时间和排放。由于NHS每年在病理物流上的支出估计为25亿GB，随着患者数量的增加，有必要重新思考如何在降低物流成本的同时减少能源需求，同时改善患者从出血到诊断的时间。无人机全球市场预计将从2016年的20亿美元增长到2020年的近1270亿美元，并将对受控和非受控空域产生重大影响。无人机进入后勤机队的最大障碍是目前在民用空域内缺乏无人机的整合，这需要制定适当的空中交通规则。只有通过模拟量化管理无人机使用的法规和操作影响，才能实现无人机在该领域的真正节能和整体生存能力。目的和目标：我们的研究愿景是检验物流解决方案的节能潜力，该解决方案涉及无人机与传统和可持续的最后一英里交付解决方案(货车、货运自行车和通过微型集合点的步行搬运工)一起运行。这涉及到在各种法规下，对无人机操作将如何在共享空域与有人驾驶飞机一起运作产生根本的新理解。该项目使用一个基于NHS病理样本运输的案例研究来调查这一点。我们的主要研究目标是：可测量的目标：1)调查目前在索伦特地区的NHS病理物流的集体运输和能源影响。2)开发新的模拟工具来量化无人机和陆地物流系统的能源消耗，其结果是：i)共享空域的潜在新型交通规则；ii)无人机碰撞和动态自动路径重新规划规定；iii)冲突解决规则；iv)允许的协调类型；V)地面物流系统和基础设施的可用性和定位，以便有效地与无人机互动并为其提供服务。3)使用模拟工具和现场试验评估在索伦特地区大规模采用无人机进行医疗物流对空域和能源使用的影响。4)对利益相关者的关切以及与实现物流能源效益的无人机干预相关的监管和治理需求有基本的新理解。潜在的应用和好处：作为项目的一部分，我们的研究成果将由米尔斯全球物流公司和Steve Porter Transport进行试验，并将提供证据，证明将无人机引入其物流机队会给运营商带来切实的好处。该项目将为共享空域的无人机监管和管理政策提供证据，交通部、民航局和NATS强调这是一项关键要求。它还将提供第一个具体证据，证明在真实的运营和监管条件下，将无人机与陆地物流相结合会带来能源需求方面的好处。

CONTEXT OF THE RESEARCH:Vans are the fastest-growing category of licensed road vehicle in the UK, significantly impacting on CO2 emissions. Vans performing service functions make up the large proportion of activity and, given the increasing access constraints imposed on freight vehicles by city authorities, alternative operating practices are being seriously investigated by logistics providers. Our proposed research into how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and land logistics systems can be combined and managed to create new services will provide fundamental new understanding into the impacts of regulation and operating criteria on the energy efficiency of mixed logistics fleets. UAVs are increasingly seen as a new mode to assist in last-mile logistics with pathology being seen as a realistic domain that could utilise UAVs on a commercial scale, to significantly reduce service times and emissions. With the NHS spending an estimated £2.5 billion annually on pathology logistics and with patient numbers rising, there is a need to re-think how logistics costs could be reduced along with energy demand whilst improving the bleed-to-diagnosis times for patients. The UAV global market is estimated to grow from $2 billion in 2016, to nearly $127 billion by 2020 and will have a significant impact on both controlled and uncontrolled airspace. The greatest barrier to UAV adoption into logistics fleets is the current lack of integration of UAVs within civil airspace which requires development of suitable air traffic rules. The true energy savings and overall viability of UAVs in this domain will only be realised when the regulations governing their use and the operational implications have been quantified through simulation.AIM AND OBJECTIVES: Our research vision is to examine the energy reduction potential of logistics solutions involving UAVs operating alongside traditional and sustainable last-mile delivery solutions (vans, cargo cycles and walking porters via micro-consolidation points). This involves generating fundamental new understanding of how UAV operations will function in shared airspace alongside manned aircraft under various regulations. The project uses a case study based around NHS pathology sample transportation involving simulated and live trials across the Solent region to investigate this.Our key research objectives are to:Measurable objectives:1) Investigate the collective transport and energy impacts of current 'business-as-usual' NHS pathology logistics across the Solent region.2) Develop new simulation tools to quantify the energy consumption of UAVs and land logistics systems resulting from: i) potential new types of traffic regulation for shared airspace; ii) UAV collision and dynamic automated path re-planning stipulations; iii) conflict-resolution rules; iv) types of permitted coordination; v) the availability and positioning of ground logistics systems and infrastructure to effectively interact with and service UAVs.3) Evaluate using the simulation tools and live trials the impact on air space and energy use of a large scale take-up of UAVs for medical logistics across the Solent region.4) Develop fundamental new understandings of stakeholder concerns and the regulatory and governance needs associated with UAV interventions that realise energy benefits in logistics.POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS AND BENEFITS: Our research outcomes will be trialled by Meachers Global Logistics and Steve Porter Transport as part of the project and will provide evidence of the tangible benefits to carriers from adopting UAVs into their logistics fleets. The project will provide evidence for UAV regulation and management policies for shared airspace, highlighted as a key requirement by the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority and NATS. It will also provide the first concrete evidence of the energy demand benefits of integrating UAVs with land logistics under real operating and regulatory conditions.