Energy consumption modeling and optimization of an eVTOL aircraft: Integrating weight, motor, and battery dynamics

Abstract

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as a frontier technology in urban air mobility (UAM), have garnered significant attention from both academia and industry in recent years. This study addresses the high energy efficiency design challenge for eVTOL aircraft by proposing a multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO) framework. Weight, motor efficiency, and electrochemical-aging-thermal coupled model of the battery were developed and integrated to construct a comprehensive whole-aircraft energy consumption analysis model. Using optimization algorithms, design parameters were optimized for various mission scenarios. Results demonstrate that the proposed optimization achieves an 11.44 % reduction in total energy consumption and a 15.81 % increase in maximum take-off mass compared to the baseline. Furthermore, the study identifies those key parameters, including cruise range, cruise height, and hover time, significantly influence the aircraft's energy consumption. This research not only provides theoretical foundations and design guidelines for developing commercially viable eVTOL systems with higher energy efficiency and longer battery life but also lays crucial theoretical groundwork for advancing the practical implementation and commercial application of eVTOL technology.