Development of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft Design Tool for the Application in a System of Systems Simulation Framework

Abstract

Aeronautical system architectures and aviation use cases feature complex interactions of several subsystems, systems and operational concepts or tactics. The evaluation of manifold impacts on performance and effectiveness due to the multi-level interdependencies necessitate system of systems design and assessment. In this thesis, a tool for conceptual design of vertical take-off and landing aircraft is developed as part of an agent-based simulation framework for system of systems fleet operations. For demonstration, the emerging aviation segment urban air mobility is considered, where two disparate electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft architectures (i.e., multirotor and tiltrotor) are designed and assessed regarding performance and effectiveness. Sensitivities of the subsystem and system/aircraft design and their impacts on the system of systems level are shown.