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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Achieving Resilient In-Flight Performance for Advanced Air Mobility through Simplified Vehicle Operations

A research and development (R&D) approach is proposed for developing and validating concepts and technologies to achieve vehicle autonomy goals of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) through Simplified Vehicle Operations (SVO). The approach applies resilience-engineering and human-automation teaming (HAT) principles to a framework for defining vehicle-based functions for the management of missions and flight trajectories, focusing initially on the en route flight domain. To achieve the SVO goal of reducing pilot training requirements and thereby increasing the pilot pool for AAM, while at the same time promoting ever-safer operations, a framework for identifying essential functions is proposed. In this framework, functions are first categorized by high-level functional purpose (mission management, flightpath management, tactical operations, and vehicle control) and then subcategorized by attributes of resilient-performing systems (abilities to monitor, respond, learn, and anticipate). The categorization by functional purpose provides structure within which HAT designs can be holistically explored and total levels of human vs. automation responsibility can be varied. The subcategorization by resilient-system attributes provides a mechanism for capturing safety-critical functions that may not be codified in current operational procedures and training curricula, particularly those where humans proactively enhance safety in currently undocumented ways. An R&D approach consisting of seven strategies is proposed in which automation engineering and human-factors communities can collaborate in the research, development, and design of an SVO roadmap to enable the ambitious objectives of AAM.

AAM↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Capacity and Throughput of Urban Air Mobility Vertiports with a First-Come, First-Served Vertiport Scheduling Algorithm

In this paper, a first-come, first-served vertiport scheduling algorithm for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) was exercised to assess and compare the capacity and throughput of various vertiport configurations. The scheduler models each vertiport by the number of vertipads and parking spaces, and manages reservations on timelines for those vertiport resources, at a level of fidelity suitable for fast-time and system-level analyses of UAM concepts and other airspace studies. The paper defines the theoretical model that can be used to estimate the capacity of various vertiport configurations. The theoretical model provides an understanding of the conditions that can lead to either a parking space-limited or a vertipad-limited vertiport. Examples of potential throughput for some vertiport configurations are provided using both a queueing approach as well as a simulated UAM demand scenario. The study demonstrated that a first-come, first-served scheduling approach can have inefficiencies in the use of the vertiport resources. The inefficiencies can increase as the number of resources increases. Nonetheless, 80% or better peak throughput to capacity ratio was observed for most vertiport configurations.

UAM↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Considerations for Optimal Sensor Placement for Higher Accuracy Object Localization for Urban Air Mobility

Previous research into object localization has shown that sensor placement and alignment plays an important role in achieving higher accuracy levels of the estimated location of a tracked Urban Air Mobility Vehicle. In general, a near-orthogonal intersection between the ground node observation vectors results in the highest accuracy due to a smaller overlapping uncertainty region between both. This applies to triangulation by means of ground node camera angle observations as well as trilateration by means of ground node distance measurements. However, this simple concept is not easily fulfilled with a network of a limited number of static ground nodes and a moving object to be localized. This case study performs sensitivity analyses and explores practical ways on how to achieve higher estimate accuracy levels in this context.

sensor placement↗
NASA NTRS2025

Considerations for Optimal Sensor Placement for Higher Accuracy Object Localization for Urban Air Mobility

Previous research into object localization has shown that sensor placement and alignment plays an important role in achieving higher accuracy levels of the estimated location of a tracked Urban Air Mobility Vehicle. In general, a near-orthogonal intersection between the ground node observation vectors results in the highest accuracy due to a smaller overlapping uncertainty region between both. This applies to triangulation by means of ground node camera angle observations as well as trilateration by means of ground node distance measurements. However, this simple concept is not easily fulfilled with a network of a limited number of static ground nodes and a moving object to be localized. This case study performs sensitivity analyses and explores practical ways on how to achieve higher estimate accuracy levels in this context.

sensor placement↗
NASA NTRS2020

Multidisciplinary Systems Analysis of a Six Passenger Quadrotor Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Powertrain

There is a high degree of research interest in the design space for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, because these vehicles are seen as key enablers for urban air mobility (UAM). This work further explores the eVTOL design space, by presenting analysis of a six-passenger eVTOL quadrotor powertrain, with integrated power, propulsion, and thermal management systems modeled using the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) and the NPSS Power System Library. Four architectures are modeled at the same design point and compared over a design mission. Results from an architecture comparison study show that a hybrid architecture performs best in terms of cruise range, however, the hybrid needs batteries with high specific energy and specific power in order to obtain a benefit vs turboelectric architectures. Sensitivity studies are conducted to show correlations between component parameters and system metrics. This data provides useful indicators for further technological improvement. Lastly, an initial TMS model is presented, and sensitivity studies on TMS design parameters are presented as well, to show high level TMS design trends.

electrified propulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multidisciplinary Systems Analysis of a Six Passenger Quadrotor Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Powertrain

There is a high degree of research interest in the design space for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, because these vehicles are seen as key enablers for urban air mobility (UAM). This work further explores the eVTOL design space, by presenting analysis of a six-passenger eVTOL quadrotor powertrain, with integrated power, propulsion, and thermal management systems modeled using the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) and the NPSS Power System Library. Four architectures are modeled at the same design point and compared over a design mission. Results from an architecture comparison study show that a hybrid architecture performs best in terms of cruise range, however, the hybrid needs batteries with high specific energy and specific power in order to obtain a benefit vs turboelectric architectures. Sensitivity studies are conducted to show correlations between component parameters and system metrics. This data provides useful indicators for further technological improvement. Lastly, an initial TMS model is presented, and sensitivity studies on TMS design parameters are presented as well, to show high level TMS design trends.

evtol↗
NASA NTRS2022

Urban Air Mobility Electric Motor Winding Insulation Reliability: Challenges in the Design and Qualification of High Reliability Electric Motors and NASA’s Research Plan

This work was motivated by the needs of the emerging Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept. Guided by analyses of concept vehicles, electric motor winding insulation reliability was identified as a subsystem limiting the vehicle reliability. This paper covers NASA’s understanding of the current state-of-the-art for electric motor winding insulation reliability, life modeling and qualification testing in the context of UAM. The needed improvements to the accepted practice for qualification of high reliability UAM motors are highlighted. NASA’s Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technologies Project strives to develop new testing methods to support the rating and qualification of UAM motor winding insulation. We describe assumptions used to frame a research approach, and we outline a NASA RVLT research plan for motor winding insulation.

Thomas Tallerico↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Algorithmic Analysis of the Effect of Human Behavior on Future Urban Air Mobility Operations

The demand for a ride to work without running into the inefficiencies of traffic in a bustling, metropolitan area beckons for a system to tackle on-the ground traffic congestion, thus fueling the need for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). The instant gratification culture, notably its effect on Generation Z, has given way to the nature of impulsive decision making. The 2020 COVID-19 crisis, with its use of tap-to-gratify technology, highlights passengers preferring late booking. This last-minute airport reorganization crisis spearheaded our research goal to create a more user-personalized assessment of cancellation rates. Our research highlights that there will be a market in the 2030s for UAM, short-distance air transportation, and the world must prepare for the challenges that come with this new market. Through a two-part model, we obtained two randomized sets of profiles of user-specific and ridership attributes and their relationship with cancellations. Recommendations for future research include factoring this personalized aspect into cancellation projections to provide reasoned user discounts as well as a remedy for the scheduling chaos that stems from the airport organizational crisis.

Harbani Jaggi↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Comprehensive eVTOL Performance Evaluation Framework in Urban Air Mobility

In this paper, we developed an open-source simulation framework for the evaluation of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) in the context of Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and under the concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Unlike most existing studies, the proposed framework combines the utilization of UTM and eVTOLs to develop a realistic UAM testing platform. For this purpose, we first develop an UTM simulator to simulate the real-world UAM environment. Then, instead of using a simplified eVOTL model, a high-fidelity eVTOL design tool, namely SUAVE, is employed and an dilation sub-module is introduced to bridge the gap between the UTM simulator and SUAVE eVTOL performance evaluation tool to elaborate the complete mission profile. Based on the developed simulation framework, experiments are conducted and the results are presented to analyze the performance of eVTOLs in the UAM environment.

Mrinmoy Sarkar↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Survey of Cyber Threats and Security Controls Analysis for Urban Air Mobility Environments

Since the cyber threat landscape changes daily, cybersecurity needs to be an ongoing activity for every organization within the UAM environments. This paper will provide information on identified cyber threats and controls associated with an instance of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) environment. The MITRE ATT&CK model and framework and the selection of cyber threats and the National Institute of Standards and Technology publications for security control identification and cybersecurity risk identification will be leveraged for analysis.

Cyber Threats↗
NASA NTRS2019

Air Mobility Data & Reasoning Fabric

Throughout the world, especially in dense urban environments, the quality of life is being negatively impacted by ever growing commute time. Travel, beyond commuting, is increasingly driven by door-to-door challenges ? not just gate-to-gate considerations. Air Mobility may be an approach to address these challenges, as it can effectively convert our 2D mobility system to a 3D mobility system, vastly increasing mobility options.

Van Dalsem, William R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Urban Air Mobility Airspace Dynamic Density

Effective flight planning requires information about a variety of potential threats, such as adverse weather or airspace restrictions, and about alternatives available if unforeseen events occur. Expected traffic along the route of flight is also essential to a safe outcome so that, for example, adequate fuel/energy supply can be loaded prior to flight. A dynamic density (DD) metric is introduced for the emerging urban air mobility (UAM) concept to predict airspace congestion that may lead to loss of separation between aircraft or less efficient operations. Using inspiration from dynamic density metric research for traditional air traffic management and a two-way highway analogy, we develop a dynamic density metric for a portion of airspace (aUAM corridor) that aggregates the impact from five factors: aircraft density, density of populous clusters, mean number of aircraft in populous clusters, mean distance between aircraft, and minimum distance between aircraft. This works describes our methodology, rationale, use cases, and visualization techniques to efficiently present the DD metric to an operator for informed decision making. We also present an approach for validating the metric. However, validation remains part of future work.

UAM↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Establishing the Framework for e-VTOL Flight Mission Scenario Development for Urban Air Mobility Research using Cognitive Task Analysis

This paper focuses on applying specific protocol aspects of Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) methods to formulate non-routine flight mission use-case scenarios in support of a potential research study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center under the Air Traffic Management – eXploration (ATM-X) Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sub-project. The objective of use-case scenarios is to provide a hypothetical situation to elicit expert knowledge and feedback in a specific subject matter area. Use-case scenarios in the field of aviation, including UAM, can help to support the safe integration of these vehicles into the National Airspace System (NAS) through the examination of airspace procedures during non-routine events. Inherent in this type of research is the need to study in-flight non-routine scenarios that the UAM vehicle could encounter. Situations categorized as non-routine events are any events that occur outside of the original flight plan such as a mechanical malfunction or other in-flight emergency requiring special procedures, which can include diversions to a specified, or non-specified, emergency landing area. In specific instances, some non-routine events could be considered as “routine” during in-flight operations, such as the need to perform a go-around due to a balked landing. As the rate of technological expansion surrounding UAM grows rapidly in modern aviation, so does the need for research that focuses on the safe integration of these vehicles including research with a focus on the methods and development of airspace operational procedures. Research rooted in CTA methods provides a framework for developing use-case scenarios appropriate for environments where mental demands are substantial. Substantial mental demands exist while operating in the NAS for pilots, airline dispatchers, and air traffic controllers among many others. With the focus on UAM in mind, it is critical to frame a baseline use-case scenario using information as it pertains to current-day airspace operations. According to Dr. Robert R. Hoffman’s “Protocols for Cognitive Task Analysis,” one of the first steps to applying CTA methods to research is the concept of “bootstrapping” in which the researcher(s) familiarize themselves with the domain that is being studied. To formulate the non-routine flight mission use-case scenarios for the purpose of this potential NASA ATM-X UAM research study, and to inform the baseline use-case scenario, the practice of bootstrapping was utilized to acquire knowledge of current-day airspace procedures.

Heidi S Glaudel↗