Real-Time eVTOL Powertrain Modeling for the NASA Vertical Flight Simulator

This paper presents the development, verification, and validation results of an electrical Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) powertrain model. To better understand the potential impact of powertrain limitations on eVTOL aircraft handling qualities, a powertrain model was developed, integrated into revolutionary vertical lift technology (RVLT) reference vehicle designs, and tested in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS). The high computational complexity required to capture the relevant powertrain physics may conflict with the ability to execute the simulation models in real time. In this paper, the authors present models and modeling decisions related to motors, batteries, and interconnections. Physics-based models and empirical models are used in tandem to support the modeling effort. Simulated motor-data comparisons are made to data collected from the NASA Scaled Power ElEctrified Drivetrain (SPEED) and Advanced Reconfigurable Electrified Aircraft Lab (AREAL) testbeds. The empirical battery model is compared to experimental 18650 battery data.