Conceptual design and analysis of a box fan-in-split-wing tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft

Abstract

Purpose

With the advancements in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft technology such as batteries, mechanisms, motors, configurations and so on, designers and engineers are encouraged to create unique and unconventional configurations of eVTOL aircraft to provide better capabilities and higher efficiencies to compete in the market. The box fan-in-split-wing tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft is an innovative design that aims to address the aerodynamic inefficiencies such as propeller effects in cruise and engine mounts drag that existed in traditional eVTOL aircraft designs such as vectored thrust, rotorcraft, lift + cruise and multi-copter configurations. This paper aims to propose a multi-disciplinary design process to conceptually design the box fan-in-split-wing Tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft.

Design/methodology/approach

An unconventional methodology was used to design the UAM aircraft, and the following parameters are considered: capable of vertical take-off and landing, highly aerodynamic with a high lift-to-drag ratio, low Cd₀ modern and appealing, rechargeable or battery swappable and feature to minimise or negate propeller drag. A heavy emphasis on improving performance and weight based on aerodynamics was enforced during the conceptual design phase. MAPLA and XFOIL were used to identify the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft.

Findings

Upon determining the key parameters and the mission requirements and objectives, a list of possible VTOL configurations was derived from theoretical and existing designs. The fan in the wing/split wing was selected, as it could stow the propellers. A tiltrotor configuration was selected because of its ability to reduce the total number of lift props/motors, reducing powerplant weight and improving aerodynamic efficiency. For the propulsion configuration, a battery–motor configuration with a hexa-rotor layout was chosen because of its ability to complement the planform of the aircraft, providing redundant motors in case of failure and because of its reliability, efficiency and lack of emissions. Coupled with the fan-in-wing / split wing concept, the box wing seamlessly combines all chosen configurations.

Originality/value

The box fan-in-split-wing Tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft aims to address the aerodynamic inefficiencies of earlier designs such as propeller effects in cruise and engine mounts drag. The potential benefits of this aircraft, such as increased range, endurance and payload capacity, make it an exciting prospect in the field of Urban Air Mobility.

Citation

Oyama, Y., Rostami, M. and Chung, J. (2024), "Conceptual design and analysis of a box fan-in-split-wing tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 96 No. 9, pp. 1139-1151. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-06-2023-0167