Takeoff and Performance Tradeoffs of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion for Urban Transport

A trade study investigating the use of distributed electric propulsion on fixed-wing aircraft to shorten takeoff distance. This aircraft configuration could potentially compete with VTOL aircraft in urban air transportation. The trade study was done using a MDO framework including blade element momentum method, vortex lattice method, linear-beam finite element analysis, classical laminate theory, composite failure, empirically-based blade noise modeling, motor and motor-controller mass models, and gradient-based optimization.

Summary:

• Validation of propeller-on-wing modeling, propeller performance, noise, and motor performance
• New method for smoothly evaluating propeller effects on discrete VLM
• Retrofit application maintaining the P2006T airframe, maximum takeoff weight, and balance
• Pareto fronts of takeoff distance for varying cruise speeds and noise levels
• System performance tradeoff evaluation including augmented lift, thrust, and takeoff profile

1. Moore, K., and Ning, A., “Takeoff and Performance Tradeoffs of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion for Urban Transport,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 56, No. 5, pp. 1880–1892, Sep. 2019. doi:10.2514/1.C035321 [BibTeX] [DOI] [PDF]

   @article{Moore2019,
     author = {Moore, Kevin and Ning, Andrew},
     doi = {10.2514/1.C035321},
     journal = {Journal of Aircraft},
     month = sep,
     number = {5},
     pages = {1880-1892},
     title = {Takeoff and Performance Tradeoffs of Retrofit Distributed Electric Propulsion for Urban Transport},
     volume = {56},
     year = {2019}
   }