SBIR-STTR Award

A major innovative thrust in urban air mobility (UAM) is underway to provide on-demand, affordable, quiet, and fast passenger-carrying operations in metropolitan areas through an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) capability enabled through new Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) technology. However, designing and building safe eVTOL aircraft presents a significant challenge. Most notably, interactional aerodynamics (IA) has historically been a key safety of flight issue for VTOL aircraft, and no aircraft to date, commercial or military, even approaches the complexity of IA associated with the multi-prop, compound, eVTOL aircraft concepts being developed. This is a critical, looming, safety of flight issue for eVTOL aircraft. Continuum Dynamics, Inc., (CDI) is in a unique position to address this issue, by providing an accurate, real-time, piloted eVTOL aircraft flight simulation with high-fidelity interactional aerodynamics. This would allow eVTOL aircraft developers to fly eVTOL aircraft in general flight conditions, wind conditions, and aircraft failure modes, within the safety of the lab, early within the design process with realistic interactional aerodynamics. Current piloted eVTOL aircraft flight simulations cannot model interactional aerodynamics with the required fidelity because they lack real-time free wake technology. CDI has this ability, as the only organization to have developed and implemented real-time free wakes in piloted rotorcraft flight simulations, including several NASA and Navy rotorcraft flight simulators and trainers. The goal of the proposed effort is to leverage this prior work and bring this technology and expertise in modeling interactional aerodynamics in flight simulations to eVTOL aircraft developers. By teaming with The Pennsylvania State University, (PSU), high-fidelity, near-real-time acoustic prediction will also be provided with the software, creating a tool capable of virtual certification of both safety and noise for new eVTOL aircraft concepts. Prototype software demonstrating the proposed capabilities and their critical importance will be developed and presented to the USAF in Phase I.

A major innovative thrust is underway to develop Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL)/Urban Air Mobility aircraft. However, designing safe eVTOL aircraft is challenging. Notably, interactional aerodynamics (IA) has historically been a key flight safety issue for VTOL aircraft, and no existing aircraft approaches the complexity of IA associated with future eVTOL aircraft concepts. Continuum Dynamics, Inc., (CDI) is uniquely positioned to address this issue, by providing an accurate, real-time, piloted eVTOL aircraft flight simulation with high-fidelity interactional aerodynamics. This would allow flying eVTOL aircraft in general flight/wind conditions and failure modes within the safety of a computer simulation with realistic IA. Current piloted eVTOL aircraft flight simulations cannot model IA with the required fidelity because they lack real-time free wake technology. CDI is the only organization to have developed and implemented real-time free wakes in piloted NASA & DoD rotorcraft flight simulations and trainers. Teaming with Pennsylvania State University allows high-fidelity, near-real-time acoustic prediction to be included, supporting virtual certification of both safety and noise for new eVTOL aircraft concepts. Phase I work demonstrated feasibility of the proposed approach and presented a Phase II plan to DAF personnel and stakeholders eager to pull this technology forward.