Instructor: Dr. James Wang
Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft – or eVTOL – are aircraft propelled by electric power and capable of carrying people. There has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in these aircraft, driven by advances in electric-propulsion, digital manufacturing, high-fidelity simulations, and drone technologies (mobile computing and deep-learning). However, man-rated aircraft are more complex than drones, and require more than a clever combination of scaled-up components from consumer electronics and automobiles. Maturation of eVTOL into a safe, sound, and sensible aircraft require a clear understanding of rotary-wing fundamentals, principles of enabling technologies and timely resolution of its major barriers. The objective of this course is to introduce these fundamentals, technologies and barriers.
Taught by Dr. James Wang, this course will provide an overview of the unique design challenges and opportunities of this new class of vehicles. Both electric and hybrid-electric passenger-carrying vertical flight aircraft will be covered for a variety of missions ranging from personal/private use to urban air taxis to regional electric VTOL bizjets.
Students will be given insights from an industry expert on developing eVTOL aircraft from the beginning to the end of the project: from how to conduct a conceptual study, configuration trade, preliminary design and detail design, to finding partners, manufacturing, assembling, bench testing, flight testing, and certification, to conducting scheduling & cost estimation. The course will also cover the state of the art in several technology areas, such as batteries, motors and hybridization.