eVTOLUTION: Pioneering the Future of Urban Air Mobility

(IN BRIEF) The Horizon Europe project eVTOLUTION held its first public workshop, “Novel Tools for Novel Aircraft,” on February 6, 2025, at the GKN Technology Center in Bristol, UK. The event marked a significant milestone, where project partners shared initial results and outlined plans for future stages. eVTOLUTION is the first Horizon Europe project focused on enabling efficient, decarbonized, and quiet Urban Air Mobility (UAM), with an emphasis on energy management, noise reduction, cooling systems, and regulatory compliance. The project aims to improve the development of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, leveraging advanced digital design techniques to optimize aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. The project seeks to accelerate aircraft development through innovative design and optimization methods, including low-, mid-, and high-fidelity simulation, data-driven surrogate models, and machine learning techniques. By enhancing design accuracy and reducing noise emissions, eVTOLUTION aims to create aircraft that are environmentally friendly and suitable for urban environments. The consortium includes leading European institutions such as TU Delft, DLR, and the University of Bristol, along with industry partners like Vertical Aerospace and GKN Aerospace. Funded by Horizon Europe, the project is designed to reduce development time and improve aircraft performance, addressing the emerging need for sustainable air mobility.

(PRESS RELEASE) ST-GENESIUS-RODE, Belgium, 10-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The Horizon Europe project eVTOLUTION hosted its first public workshop, “Novel Tools for Novel Aircraft”, on February 6, 2025, at the GKN Technology Center in Bristol, UK. At this milestone event, project partners presented the initial outcomes of their work and outlined their plans for the next stages of the project. eVTOLUTION is the first Horizon Europe project aimed at enabling an efficient, decarbonized, safe and quiet Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

With a strong emphasis on energy management, noise reduction, cooling systems, regulatory compliance, and certification frameworks, the eVTOLUTION project focuses on improving both the scientific and practical aspects of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. By harnessing state-of-the-art digital design and optimization techniques, the project seeks to transform the aircraft development process, addressing the needs of an emerging, environmentally friendly transport system.

The project, a low-to-mid Technology Readiness Level (TRL) enabler, aims to develop knowledge, data, tools, and methods to optimize aerodynamic and aeroacoustic effects. Its primary goal is to implement a novel design and optimization framework based on:

1. Utilizing low-, mid-, and high-fidelity simulation methods.
2. Accelerating optimizations with data-driven surrogate models and physical models.
3. Enhancing design accuracy and robustness through advanced cross-validation and machine-learning methodologies.

This innovative approach will significantly reduce aircraft development time, improve the accuracy of predictions, and help engineers tackle noise issues while ensuring the highest levels of safety and performance. By focusing on enhancing aerodynamics and reducing noise emissions, eVTOLUTION is committed to mitigating the noise pollution traditionally associated with air travel, ensuring that these future aircraft blend seamlessly into urban environments.

The eVTOLUTION consortium brings together leading experts from various European institutions, both academic and industrial, including the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium), TU Delft (Netherlands), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), University of RomaTre (Italy), DLR (Germany), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), University of Bristol (UK), Vertical Aerospace (UK), and GKN Aerospace (UK), ESDU (UK), Mejzlik Propellers (CZ), and Heathrow Airport (UK)

Funded by Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (Grant Agreement No 101138209).

For more information, please contact:

Maria Teresa Ramandi
maria.teresa.ramandi@vki.ac.be

Website:

Here are some FAQs for the eVTOLUTION project:

1. What is the eVTOLUTION project?
eVTOLUTION is a Horizon Europe-funded project focused on advancing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by developing electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft that are efficient, decarbonized, safe, and quiet. The project aims to address challenges in energy management, noise reduction, cooling systems, and regulatory compliance.

2. When and where did the eVTOLUTION project hold its first public workshop?
The first public workshop for eVTOLUTION took place on February 6, 2025, at the GKN Technology Center in Bristol, UK. The event marked a milestone in the project’s progress, with partners presenting their initial outcomes and future plans.

3. What is the main goal of the eVTOLUTION project?
The main goal of the eVTOLUTION project is to develop new tools, methods, and knowledge to optimize aerodynamic and aeroacoustic effects in eVTOL aircraft. By using advanced simulation methods, machine learning, and data-driven models, the project aims to improve the design, safety, and performance of these aircraft while reducing their environmental impact.

4. What are the key focuses of the eVTOLUTION project?
The project focuses on improving several critical aspects of eVTOL aircraft, including:

• Energy management
• Noise reduction
• Cooling systems
• Regulatory compliance and certification frameworks The project aims to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly transportation system through innovations in these areas.

5. How does the eVTOLUTION project aim to reduce aircraft development time?
By utilizing low-, mid-, and high-fidelity simulation methods, as well as advanced cross-validation and machine-learning techniques, eVTOLUTION seeks to optimize the aircraft development process. This innovative approach will speed up the design process, improve prediction accuracy, and help engineers address noise-related challenges more effectively.

6. Who is involved in the eVTOLUTION project?
The eVTOLUTION consortium brings together leading experts from both academic and industrial European institutions, including the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium), TU Delft (Netherlands), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), DLR (Germany), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), University of Bristol (UK), and companies like Vertical Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, and Heathrow Airport.

7. What makes eVTOLUTION different from other projects in the same field?
eVTOLUTION stands out because it is the first Horizon Europe project focused on advancing Urban Air Mobility with an emphasis on improving not just the technology but also the practical aspects of eVTOL aircraft, such as noise reduction and regulatory compliance. The project integrates cutting-edge digital design and optimization techniques to accelerate development and reduce environmental impacts.

8. How will eVTOLUTION contribute to Urban Air Mobility (UAM)?
eVTOLUTION is working to create an efficient, quiet, and environmentally friendly solution for UAM by developing advanced eVTOL aircraft. These aircraft will address the growing need for sustainable air transport in urban environments, providing an alternative to traditional vehicles while minimizing noise and energy consumption.

9. What is the funding source for the eVTOLUTION project?
The eVTOLUTION project is funded by Horizon Europe, a European Union research and innovation program, under the Grant Agreement No. 101138209.

10. How does the eVTOLUTION project address noise pollution in air travel?
The project is focused on reducing noise emissions from eVTOL aircraft, which is a key challenge for urban air mobility. By optimizing the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of the aircraft, eVTOLUTION aims to minimize the noise traditionally associated with air travel, helping these vehicles integrate seamlessly into urban environments.

SOURCE: von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics