Design and sizing of evtol aircraft (development of complex lightweight mechanical actuating devices for eVTOL aircraft - Prototyping & Integration)

Abstract

As the world transits into a more sustainable future, electric vehicles are starting to become the dominant aspect in urban mobility. The idea of electric aircrafts is then born. Sky-high buildings, densely populated cities forbade the installation of long runways and airports. Singapore, for instance, simply could not afford the land space. Electronic Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircrafts is the more probable solution being put out. This concept is known as Urban Air Mobility, leveraging on the vast 3D space for transportation.

eVTOL combines the concept of helicopters’ vertical take-off capabilities with the aerodynamic advantages and efficiency of conventional airplanes to generate lift while cruising, all without the need for take-off or landing runways, making it the ideal form of transportation in cities. Combine that with fully electrical propulsion is the added challenge that will propel this concept into a sustainable and future-proofed piece of engineering masterpiece.

This report would serve to document the design methodologies used, and the process of manufacturing the prototype mechanisms to be used onboard the full-scale aircraft. The mechanisms designed would be integrated into the scale model that is built in collaboration with the team members from eVTOL Research & Innovation centre. While the author focused on worked only on this aspect but ultimately all the stakeholders would be contributing to the main project, in their own ways on the eVTOL design and sizing.

Challenges, analysis, and solutions in the form of multiple iterations along the way would be documented herein this report. As the project owner of the actuating mechanisms under the eVTOL project, the design and prototyping of the mechanisms, namely the tilting mechanism, variable blade pitch mechanism, and landing gear stowing mechanism has been performed and executed by the author. The tilting mechanism forms the major aspect of this project with substantial prototyping and testing of its kinematics.