Electric Propulsion System for Exceptionally Short Takeoff and Landing Electric Air Vehicles

Over the past few years, electric propulsion systems have been widely used in automotive applications. The next decade is likely to see the electrification of aerial vehicles. In the past 20 years, the passengers’ demand for air trips has increased by roughly 5% annually, and it leads to many problems such as emission, noise pollution, and airport capacity shortage. An electric airplane that can take off and land in an extremely short runway, which is called an electric Extremely Short TakeOff and Landing (e-ESTOL) aircraft, can solve all the mentioned problems. Besides, a smaller version of an e-ESTOL can be a potential solution to urban road traffic. With this in mind, in this article, the feasibility of converting a conventional fixed-wing direct-drive propeller airplane to an e-ESTOL airplane is examined. The main aim of this article is to address the effect of takeoff and landing runways lengths on the electric motor specifications, including power, torque, and speed. In addition, the effect of cruising speed on the motor specifications is investigated. In the end, the impact of the braking system and airplane weight on the landing distance is analyzed in the case that thrust reverser is not used.