Preliminary design of an electromechanical actuator for eVTOL aircrafts in an urban air mobility context

Urban areas face issues like traffic congestion, noise, and pollution. In this context Urban Air Mobility (UAM) offers a solution by utilizing the urban airspace for transportation, in particular, the exploiting of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles is promising in terms of noise and environmental pollution, despite challenges like safety issues and financial constraints. To overcome these issues, Prognostic and Health Management (PHM) plays a vital role in ensuring safety and reliability. The proposed case study focuses on a compact Electro-Mechanical Actuator (cEMA) for flap control surface. A preliminary design is proposed with the aim of reducing dimensions and weight while maintaining performance and reliability. This work represents one of the first steps in the creation of a digital twin for the design, sizing, and application of PHM logics.