Simulation-based analysis of vertiport airside operations and capacity

RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen)

Abstract

The growing demand on ground transportation systems especially in urban areas as well as the technological advances in distributed electric propulsion, electric energy storage, and automation have pushed the idea of providing innovative aerial mobility services in urban environments and beyond. This concept is commonly referred to as Urban Air Mobility (UAM). UAM focuses on the operations of aircraft that are capable of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL). These aircraft will require a designated infrastructure to perform eVTOL operations as well as ground operations, which is referred to as vertiports. Due to the limited footprint availability in urban areas, the development of an adequate infrastructure of vertiports is considered a major hurdle. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a firm understanding of the capacity that vertiports can provide, depending on their design and operational conditions. To date, the effect of these factors on the delay and the associated practical capacity of vertiports is not sufficiently understood. This thesis presents a comprehensive methodology to analyze the capacity of vertiport airside operations based on simulation modeling. The simulation model is developed as discrete event simulation using the Anylogic software. In the simulation-based analysis, the measures throughput capacity, delay, practical capacity, and utilization of the vertiport airside are deter-mined. The capacity analysis focuses on the effect of the vertiport design, considering 120 designs based on the three topologies satellite, linear, and pier, and on the effect of operational parameters. Moreover, the effect of the queuing policy on delay and capacity is assessed. The delay analysis reveals that vertiports operating under a significant demand level exhibit a high level of either arrival delay or departure delay, depending on whether the vertiport is limited by arrival and departure capacity or by stand capacity. Therefore, it is suggested to determine the practical capacity of vertiports by applying an acceptable level of average delay separately for both arrival delay and departure delay. The most influential factor on vertiport airside capacity has been identified as the ratio of parking stands to approach and takeoff areas. The capacity analysis shows that the ratio of practical capacity to throughput capacity depends on infrastructural and operational parameters. Thus, focusing on practical capacity is crucial to understand which levels of traffic demand can be served at future vertiports under realistic and acceptable conditions. The proposed methodology for vertiport airside capacity assessment expands on existing research in the field of UAM. The findings on the vertiport airside capacity and the impact of infrastructural and operational factors can be used by UAM stakeholders, such as vertiport planners and future UAM operators, to cope with the uncertainties that the development of this novel transport system is still facing.

Authors 1

1. Eva Christine Wille corresponding Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen