One of the most recent breakthroughs in the aircraft industry is eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing). An aerial vehicle that can take-off vertically and move in any direction. eVTOL’s present several advantages over current vehicles and could have a variety of applications in the future.
eVTOL applications
Air Taxi
A number of companies in a variety of nations have begun to work on air taxi projects. Air taxis are ideal for congested locations, as they allow people to commute between two points in less time. Furthermore, in locations where passenger demand exceeds the current transportation system’s capacity, adding air taxis would be a great initiative. Unlike Ground vehicles, air Taxis do not require tracks or roads, which makes infrastructure development and maintenance much easier.
Emergency response
eVTOLs are the most efficient and safe way of transport in the event of a natural disaster. This can include everything from rescuing and transporting hurricane or earthquake victims to volcano evacuations. Another application is search and rescue in areas where ground vehicles are ineffective, such as rivers, forests, and mountains.
Firefighters also benefit from eVTOLs, since these vehicles can manage flames in tall buildings as well as forest fires. Furthermore, in congested areas, employing eVTOLs is faster and rescuers can get to the scene of an incident much faster, which also applies to police and medical transport. eVTOLs can be a lifesaver, especially because they can give a more flexible and direct journey.
Cargo transport
eVTOLs can be shown to be far more efficient and faster than ground vehicles in a variety of situations, from large cargo deliveries to parcel deliveries. If there are no passengers onboard during deliveries, employing eVTOLs is less risky, and acceptance of eVTOLs is higher. Furthermore, a quicker delivery time would result in a better customer experience, which various businesses may benefit from. Furthermore, in remote places where a ground vehicle takes days to make a single trip, an eVTOL may make numerous flights in the same amount of time. eVTOLs can also be utilized to carry critical supplies such as vaccines, masks, and other medical equipment, in the event of an emergency.
Motor Controller’s & Veronte Autopilot 4x for eVTOL
Redundancy and efficiency is essential when it comes to manned flight operations or flights over populated areas. Embention’s Veronte Autopilot 4x and new Motor Controllers designed specifically for eVTOL’s, provide the vehicle with the parameters needed to reach the requirements for a safe flight.
Veronte Autopilot 4x is the first eVTOL autopilot including 4x redundancy, and can be adapted to all kinds of eVTOLS vehicles without requiring modification of the source code. In compliance with the DO178C and DO254 aviation standards up to DAL-B, the system provides the vehicle with the reliability evidence needed for passing the most demanding certification processes. The fly-by-wire technology in Veronte Autopilot 4x permits to safely control the aircraft from a joystick installed in the pilot cabin. This redundant fly-by-wire solution is robust to single point of failure and compatible with redundant sticks, cabin buttons and actuators. Therefore, redundancy can be extended to all the critical systems within the aircraft.
Finally, energy efficiency is a parameter that needs to be taken into account from early stages in the design of an eVTOL since power consumption affect’s flight time. As a solution, Embention has developed new Motor Controllers, MC280 and MC25KW, in order to help achieve high efficiency due to the use of FOC control and the specific electronics for its management.
