MSc & MSc Funded Theses

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Performance evaluation of UAM configurations cost estimation for the eVTOLs.
(Cranfield University, 2021-08) Wu, Xiaolong; Lu, Linghai
With the development and progress of society, the pressure on road traffic is increasing daily, causing enormous time and economic losses to the public. The concept of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) was proposed in order to identify a speedy and effective way of commuting in congested cities. There are many different categories of eVTOLs on the market and many countries and companies are developing it, however the various types of vehicles have different target scenarios and will incur different operating costs. This research project will identify the most suitable configuration of eVTOL in the given scenario, predict its cost and present the lowest cost optimisation solution. The research project started with a reference and evaluation of the similarities and differences between the cost structure of electric general aviation and eVTOL. Top-down, bottom-up and parametric methods were then used to initially determine the cost structure and cost formula. Furthermore, the Lilium five-seater configuration was identified as the target for this project based on the requirements of the specified scenario. Finally, the operating cost per seat-mile, operating cost per hour, annual operating cost and the optimal trajectory schedule were obtained for the specified scenario.