Minimum Energy Performance for Autonomous Control of Tiltrotor eVTOL Operations

The paper presents a novel strategy for minimum energy consumption in automatic conversion control of tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, exemplified by the Aston Martin Volante Vision model. We introduce a tilt schedule methodology that strategically balances conversion and reconversion performance with climb, descent, and cruise phases to minimize overall energy expenditure. Our approach accounts for critical factors such as blade loading, operation handling qualities, and passenger ride comfort within a predefined conversion corridor. The optimized trajectories approximate the minimum energy pathway, essential for operational efficiency in urban air mobility. Analytical results demonstrate that our proposed conversion and reconversion phase profiles significantly reduce energy consumption, contributing to the sustainability of tiltrotor flight operations. This research not only enhances understanding of tiltrotor dynamics but also serves as a pivotal step toward achieving globally optimized energy usage, marking a significant advancement in autonomous flight technology for advanced air mobility systems.