Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft
What is eVTOL aircraft?
An eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft is an aircraft that uses electrical power to hover, take off and land vertically. These vehicles are aircraft optimized for electrical propulsion powered by banks of batteries. eVTOLs require new approaches and innovative technologies to achieve flight and fly safely.
eVTOL aircraft rely on electrical power for propulsion, adding a new layer of difficulty over traditional vertical take-off and landing aircraft
What is the purpose of eVTOL?
The near-term goal of many eVTOL companies is to develop vertical take-off and landing vehicles which can provide quick and accessible short-range transportation for both people and cargo at a price comparable to current ground transportation. In the emerging market for urban air mobility (UAM), an air taxi eVTOL has to be greener, safer, faster, quieter and more efficient than a helicopter or traditional automobile taxi.
eVTOL design
eVTOL aircraft rely on electrical power for propulsion, adding a new layer of difficulty over traditional vertical take-off and landing aircraft. They also have a high level of electrical, electronic software and communications network content. Meanwhile these developments are happening in the startup environment which is fast-paced and characterized by change. It can be difficult to manage the complexity of the systems involved. This may lead to many additional iterative cycles of design, test, correct and retest.
How are eVTOLs powered?
eVTOLs are powered by batteries providing electrical power. While necessary technologies now exist to enable eVTOLs to be practical, battery power density is still a limiting factor, requiring efficient and effective design of the power distribution and control systems.
Development solutions
Successful E/E systems development solutions for eVTOL:
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Use design tools that have strong multidisciplinary integration. This accelerates the design process and eliminates errors from the start
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Leverage a digital twin to identify and prevent errors, analyze performance and quickly complete trade studies. This reduces risk early in the design, resulting in reduced cycles of trial-and-error, saving cost and time
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Provide a rich set of design data into the manufacturing process, which is readily transferred into today’s advanced manufacturing tools
Key benefits
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Supports integrated end-to-end model-based design, manufacturing and service domains, to transform quality and reduce costs
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Enables customers to drive electrical, electronics, network and embedded software design from the platform’s E/E system architecture
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Provides downstream support for harness manufacturing and vehicle service domains; a complete and unrivaled end-to-end solution
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Creates a comprehensive, configuration controlled, digital twin for E/E system development, accelerating development cycles and ensuring traceability