Saias, Chana AnnaRoumeliotis, IoannisGoulos, IoannisPachidis, VassiliosBacic, Marko2021-11-092021-11-092021-11-09Saias 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-21-12620742-4795https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4052955https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/gasturbinespower/article/doi/10.1115/1.4052955/1124991/https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/17257The 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.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Urban Air Mobility (UAM)tilt-rotorHybrid-Electric Propulsion System (HEPS)recuperated cycles19 Design Space Exploration (DSE)environmental impactpreliminary designArticle