Holistic Investigation of Ground-Based Infrastructures for Advanced Air Mobility: Methodology and Application

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) addresses future transportation challenges by extending networks into the air, helping cities like Hamburg overcome infrastructural limitations. Ground-based infrastructures (GBIs) are crucial for integrating AAM, connecting air and ground transport through subsystems like landing areas, gates, and terminals, tailored to local demands. Our previous work identified necessary GBI subsystems and modeling methods, using scenario techniques to understand influences and constraints in mission planning, topology, maintenance, repair, and energy management. This paper details a simulation-based analysis of GBIs, emphasizing topologies, maintenance, and energy management interactions. AAM is modeled as a complex optimization problem within a simulation environment, using scenario analysis to set parameters and objectives. Network optimization aims to strategically plan local capacities for parking, charging infrastructure, and traffic flows, improving fleet operations. Infrastructure design integrates air and ground systems for VTOL vehicles, with key performance indicators and the Vertiport Design Problem optimizing topology. Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Ports are designed to be demand-responsive, integrating ground-based infrastructure and mission management systems. Energy management systems consider energy requirements, charging power, range, state of charge, and electrical grid use. MATLAB Simulink models estimate drone energy demand across various scenarios. Subsystem interactions are defined in a workflow for overall system simulation, divided into sub-workflows, exploring synergy effects between parameters.