Publicação
Technology Assessment of eVTOL Personal Air Transportation System
| Resumo: | This thesis intended to provide a holistic vision on the potential consequences of the introduction of emerging electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing (e VTOL) Personal Air Transportation System (PATS) to contribute to the forming of public and policy opinion, and to assess the impacts and the feasibility of that. Instead of looking from a detailed vehicle design viewpoint, we tried to understand the need, the impacts, and the perceptions and the concerns of stakeholders. Thus, it was set a framework and methodology starting with a technology assessment point of view in the light of transportation system analysis. Limitations of the current ground and airline transportation systems, increasing congestion, poor block speed, combined with expanding population and demand for affordable on- demand mobility are driving the development of future transportation technology and policy. The third wave of aeronautics might be the answer and could bring about great new capabilities for society that would bring aviation into a new age of being relevant in daily lives since eVTOL PATS is envisioned as the next logical step in the natural progression in the history of disruptive transportation system innovations. However, there are a lot of questions. Although there was difficulty since the system was an emerging air transportation mode, an interdisciplinary study has been conducted to assess the impacts of developing such a capability. The research questions were determined to address the research objectives. What is the current state of mobility and eVTOL air transportation mode? What are the potential benefits of eVTOL air transportation mode for user and society? What are the perceptions of service providers, regulator, and user? What are the main challenges including technology, regulation, operation, social and environment aspects to enable the system? What are the enabling technologies? Nevertheless, with the results obtained lately from the research activities, revolutionary technologies and regulations are bringing us closer to eVTOL PATS reality every day. It can be argued that a new socio-technical transition will come about like the transition from horse drawn carriers to cars. Even if it is still a long way to go, it seems rather likely that the time has been arriving in the next decade. Their existence and operation would therefore need to be taken into consideration for today’s planning considerations and construction projects to be able to have this emerging air transportation mode available in the future. As the technology underlying eVTOL PATS evolves, wider eVTOL adoption across various markets is likely to be supported further if a set of key challenges such as safety and security, ease of use and autonomy, noise, infrastructure, and air traffic management are overcome. Achieving drastic improvements in ease of use, safety and community acceptable noise are the most critical steps towards the future feasibility of this market. Multi-use demos and demonstrating successful operation with early vehicles, namely eVTOL PATS prototype field operations, will create public acceptance and understanding of potentials in emerging air transportation mode for public good, use and learn in multiple applications. The overall perception of the user, service provider and regulator are positive, and the support is high. Shortly, a successful implementation and sustainable transition will depend on overcoming technological hurdles, regulatory frameworks, operational safety, cost competitiveness, and sensibilities of the affected communities. There is a need to enable people and goods to have the convenience of on-demand, point-to-point safe travel, further, anywhere in less travel time, through a network of pocket airports/vertiports, and there is a significant potential benefit so that policy makers, regulators and metropoles’ transportation planning departments should consider an inclusion of eVTOL air transportation mode into the scenarios and policies of the future. |
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| Autores principais: | Yazan, Abdurrahman Mete |
| Assunto: | Technology Assessment Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Personal Air Transportation System (eVTOL PATS) Key Enabling Technologies Door-to-Door Block Speed Travel Time Saving Daily Radius of Reach |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | tese de doutoramento |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Resumo: | This thesis intended to provide a holistic vision on the potential consequences of the introduction of emerging electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing (e VTOL) Personal Air Transportation System (PATS) to contribute to the forming of public and policy opinion, and to assess the impacts and the feasibility of that. Instead of looking from a detailed vehicle design viewpoint, we tried to understand the need, the impacts, and the perceptions and the concerns of stakeholders. Thus, it was set a framework and methodology starting with a technology assessment point of view in the light of transportation system analysis. Limitations of the current ground and airline transportation systems, increasing congestion, poor block speed, combined with expanding population and demand for affordable on- demand mobility are driving the development of future transportation technology and policy. The third wave of aeronautics might be the answer and could bring about great new capabilities for society that would bring aviation into a new age of being relevant in daily lives since eVTOL PATS is envisioned as the next logical step in the natural progression in the history of disruptive transportation system innovations. However, there are a lot of questions. Although there was difficulty since the system was an emerging air transportation mode, an interdisciplinary study has been conducted to assess the impacts of developing such a capability. The research questions were determined to address the research objectives. What is the current state of mobility and eVTOL air transportation mode? What are the potential benefits of eVTOL air transportation mode for user and society? What are the perceptions of service providers, regulator, and user? What are the main challenges including technology, regulation, operation, social and environment aspects to enable the system? What are the enabling technologies? Nevertheless, with the results obtained lately from the research activities, revolutionary technologies and regulations are bringing us closer to eVTOL PATS reality every day. It can be argued that a new socio-technical transition will come about like the transition from horse drawn carriers to cars. Even if it is still a long way to go, it seems rather likely that the time has been arriving in the next decade. Their existence and operation would therefore need to be taken into consideration for today’s planning considerations and construction projects to be able to have this emerging air transportation mode available in the future. As the technology underlying eVTOL PATS evolves, wider eVTOL adoption across various markets is likely to be supported further if a set of key challenges such as safety and security, ease of use and autonomy, noise, infrastructure, and air traffic management are overcome. Achieving drastic improvements in ease of use, safety and community acceptable noise are the most critical steps towards the future feasibility of this market. Multi-use demos and demonstrating successful operation with early vehicles, namely eVTOL PATS prototype field operations, will create public acceptance and understanding of potentials in emerging air transportation mode for public good, use and learn in multiple applications. The overall perception of the user, service provider and regulator are positive, and the support is high. Shortly, a successful implementation and sustainable transition will depend on overcoming technological hurdles, regulatory frameworks, operational safety, cost competitiveness, and sensibilities of the affected communities. There is a need to enable people and goods to have the convenience of on-demand, point-to-point safe travel, further, anywhere in less travel time, through a network of pocket airports/vertiports, and there is a significant potential benefit so that policy makers, regulators and metropoles’ transportation planning departments should consider an inclusion of eVTOL air transportation mode into the scenarios and policies of the future. |
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