Comprehensive Simulation for eVTOL Aircraft-Diagnosing Coupled Airframe-Propulsion Dynamic Instabilities

The design, development, and testing of an eVTOL aircraft requires multiple physics-based simulation applications to address technical challenges and optimize the configuration for stringent mission requirements. While existing rotorcraft simulation and analysis tools are utilized for the analysis of eVTOL configurations, the adoption of an electrified propulsion system introduces new challenges. These tools are tailored for analysis of coupled system dynamics including elastic structures, airloads, and wake interactions, but are lacking capability for detailed electrified drive system dynamics. As a result, the dynamics of the electric drive system are often analyzed separate from the flight and structure dynamics. This can cause important coupled interactions to be overlooked and require costly late-stage design changes. This paper describes and demonstrates the coupling of GT-SUITE, a detailed electric propulsion modeling and analysis tool, with the comprehensive rotorcraft analysis tool, FLIGHTLAB. The objective of coupling these applications was to provide eVTOL analysis capabilities that enable improved designs in terms of mission range, operation capabilities, and flight safety. The successful coupling of these applications was demonstrated with lift and cruise propellers based on the Uber Elevate configuration.