UAM Electric Motor Drive System with Predictive Maintenance

Most eVTOL/UAM platform designs employ distributed electric propulsion (DEP) architectures which consist of an electrical power distribution bus feeding an array of DC-AC inverters and electric motors. Each electric propulsion unit presents a potential failure point that could result in catastrophic system failure at the platform level. In order to achieve widespread commercial use and public acceptance of UAMs, it is critical to minimize the size and weight of the DEP components while maximizing reliability and safety. The motor controller stage represents an opportunity to address each of these challenges through the development of power-dense conversion electronics with an intelligent control system that enables advanced fault classification and predictive maintenance algorithms. CRG and UDRI propose to develop an advanced electric motor drive system with predictive maintenance capabilities to improve size, weight, performance, safety, and total lifecycle costs of UAM platforms in support of Agility Prime and the growing commercial market.