Design exploration and performance assessment of advanced recuperated hybrid-electric UAM rotorcraft

Date published

2021-11-09

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Publisher

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

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Article

ISSN

0742-4795

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Citation

Saias CA, Roumeliotis I, Goulos I, et al., (2022) Design exploration and performance assessment of advanced recuperated hybrid-electric UAM rotorcraft. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Volume 144, Issue 3, March 2022, Paper number GTP-21-1262

Abstract

The design of efficient, environmentally friendly and quiet powerplant for rotorcraft architectures constitutes a key enabler for Urban Air Mobility application. This work focuses on the development and application of a generic methodology for the design, performance and environmental impact assessment of a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system, utilizing simple and advanced recuperated engine cycles. A simulation framework for rotorcraft analysis comprising models for rotor aerodynamics, flight dynamics and hybrid-electric powerplant performance is deployed for the design exploration and optimization of a hybrid-electric rotorcraft, modelled after the NASA XV-15, adapted for civil applications. Optimally designed powerplants for payload-range capacity, energy efficiency and environmental impact have been obtained. A comparative evaluation has been performed for the optimum designs. The respective trade-offs between engine, heat exchanger weight, thermal efficiency, as well as mission fuel burn and environmental impact have been quantified. It has been demonstrated that a recuperated gas turbine based hybrid-electric architecture may provide improvements of up to 6% in mission range capability without sacrificing useful load. At the same time, analyses performed for a representative 100 km mission suggest reductions in fuel burn and NOX emissions of up to 12.9% and 5.2% respectively. Analyses are carried at aircraft and mission level using realistic UAM mission scenarios.

Description

Software Description

Software Language

Github

Keywords

Urban Air Mobility (UAM), tilt-rotor, Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System (HEPS), recuperated cycles, 19 Design Space Exploration (DSE), environmental impact, preliminary design

DOI

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Attribution 4.0 International

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