TY  - JOUR
A1  - Laarmann, Lukas
A1  - Thoma, Andreas
A1  - Misch, Philipp
A1  - Röth, Thilo
A1  - Braun, Carsten
A1  - Watkins, Simon
A1  - Fard, Mohammad
T1  - Automotive safety approach for future eVTOL vehicles
JF  - CEAS Aeronautical Journal
N2  - The eVTOL industry is a rapidly growing mass market expected to start in 2024. eVTOL compete, caused by their predicted missions, with ground-based transportation modes, including  mainly passenger cars. Therefore, the automotive and classical aircraft design process is reviewed and compared to highlight advantages for eVTOL development. A special focus is on ergonomic comfort and safety. The need for further investigation of eVTOL’s crashworthiness is outlined by, first, specifying the relevance of passive safety via accident statistics and customer perception analysis; second, comparing the current state of regulation and certification; and third, discussing the advantages of integral safety and applying the automotive safety approach for eVTOL development. Integral safety links active and passive safety, while the automotive safety approach means implementing standardized mandatory full-vehicle crash tests for future eVTOL. Subsequently, possible crash impact conditions are analyzed, and three full-vehicle crash load cases are presented.
KW  - eVTOL development
KW  - eVTOL safety
KW  - Crashworthiness
KW  - Automotive safety approach
KW  - Full-vehicle crash test
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13272-023-00655-0
SN  - 1869-5590 (Online)
SN  - 1869-5582 (Print)
N1  - Corresponding author: Lukas Laarmann
PB  - Springer Nature
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Möhren, Felix
A1  - Bergmann, Ole
A1  - Janser, Frank
A1  - Braun, Carsten
T1  - On the influence of elasticity on propeller performance: a parametric study
JF  - CEAS Aeronautical Journal
N2  - The aerodynamic performance of propellers strongly depends on their geometry and, consequently, on aeroelastic deformations. Knowledge of the extent of the impact is crucial for overall aircraft performance. An integrated simulation environment for steady aeroelastic propeller simulations is presented. The simulation environment is applied to determine the impact of elastic deformations on the aerodynamic propeller performance. The aerodynamic module includes a blade element momentum approach to calculate aerodynamic loads. The structural module is based on finite beam elements, according to Timoshenko theory, including moderate deflections. Several fixed-pitch propellers with thin-walled cross sections made of both isotropic and non-isotropic materials are investigated. The essential parameters are varied: diameter, disc loading, sweep, material, rotational, and flight velocity. The relative change of thrust between rigid and elastic blades quantifies the impact of propeller elasticity. Swept propellers of large diameters or low disc loadings can decrease the thrust significantly. High flight velocities and low material stiffness amplify this tendency. Performance calculations without consideration of propeller elasticity can lead to decreased efficiency. To avoid cost- and time-intense redesigns, propeller elasticity should be considered for swept planforms and low disc loadings.
KW  - Propeller
KW  - Finite element method
KW  - Blade element method
KW  - Propeller elasticity
KW  - Aeroelasticity
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13272-023-00649-y
SN  - 1869-5590 (Online)
SN  - 1869-5582 (Print)
N1  - Corresponding author: Felix Möhren
VL  - 14
SP  - 311
EP  - 323
PB  - Springer Nature
CY  - Berlin
ER  -