Whenever a new mode of transportation is developed, it’s almost a guarantee that it won’t be long before someone decides to find a way to race it. Whether it be horses, cars or even helicopters, pitting forms of transport against each other is a tradition as old as transportation itself. So it should come as no surprise that the first eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) racing series is scheduled to kick off later this year.
The racing series is a result of a partnership between eVTOL racecar developer Airspeeder and data/cybersecurity company Acronis, the latter which will be responsible for securing the data for the LiDAR and machine vision technology that will allow the vehicles to stay safe yet close together. Each vehicle will be protected by a virtual force field that will keep them from colliding but enable them to race in a tight formation.
Airspeeder recently announced that the world’s first professional racing eVTOL vehicle is currently being manufactured in preparation for the race series later this year. The Airspeeder Mk3 electric flying pod was developed in partnership between Airspeeder and manufacturer Alauda, and 10 of them are being built in Adelaide, South Australia, to be provided to racing teams later in 2021.
The Mk3 vehicles are designed in an octocopter X formation, which will allow the pilots to move vertically while carrying out sharp hairpin turns. The pilots will be operate the unmanned vehicles from the ground. A “slide and lock” system enables rapid removal and replacement of batteries in pit stops. The lightweight, carbon fiber crafts will weigh only 220 pounds and will be able to reach speeds of over 75 mph.
While racing of any type can easily be seen as pure entertainment, the purpose goes much further than that. Racing allows engineers to work out vehicle details in terms of performance and safety. Before eVTOL can be safely and effectively used as everyday transport, several questions must be answered, and an ideal way to do so is to observe these vehicles in a controlled environment that allows them to be pushed to their limit.
The role of simulation in the development of eVTOL cannot be ignored, either. Factors such as noise, battery life and performance, and safety must be evaluated in a virtual environment before they can be tested in physical prototypes. The SIMULIA portfolio and 3DEXPERIENCE platform provide solutions for assessing these factors and speeding up development. The following examples are just a few of SIMULIA’s tools that have been used for eVTOL simulation:
- PowerFLOW for noise assessment
- Simpack for multi-disciplinary propeller simulation
- XFlow for evaluation of flight handling and dynamic stability
- Abaqus for design and certification of composite materials
Physical evaluation, like that which will take place in the racing series, is the next step following simulation and prototyping, and it is a large step closer to creating eVTOL that can be used as air taxis and cargo transport in urban and suburban environments.
The cyber solutions provided by Acronis will enable the eVTOL pilots to gather real-time data about battery and system performance, as well as general information about safety and performance. Multiple major companies are currently developing their own versions of flying taxis, and this development could benefit greatly from the information gathered in the upcoming racing environment.
Airspeeder and Acronis’s radar and LiDAR force field technology could potentially have a significant effect on the safety of eVTOL in crowded urban environments, preventing them from colliding with other eVTOL as well as ground obstacles such as buildings. The racing tests of the Airspeeder Mk3 will provide crucial information on dynamics, performance, safety, and powertrain technology, which will then be used in the manufacture of the manned Mk4.
Behind-closed-door testing will be carried out in Australia before the international racing calendar is announced later this year.
