Special Seminar: “An Overview of Recent Electric VTOL (eVTOL) Research at RPI’s Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift (MOVE)”

Abstract:
In recent years, there has been tremendous interest in the development of large multi-rotor electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft for Urban Air Mobility. However, it should come as no surprise that this new class of aircraft face a new set of engineering challenges, distinct from those associated with conventional rotary-wing aircraft. This seminar presents an overview of selected activities at RPI’s Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift (MOVE) focused on advancing eVTOL aircraft technology. Specific topics covered include several interesting phenomena pertaining to interactional aerodynamics and acoustics of various multi-rotor/rotor-wing arrangements, noise and vibration reduction using relative rotor phasing, and flight controls and fault tolerance of eVTOL aircraft. In addition to sample results from completed studies, the seminar will discuss ongoing eVTOL research and future directions, as well as provide selected examples of related research at the MOVE Center on wind-turbines and morphing large rotor systems.

Bio:
Farhan Gandhi obtained his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from U of Maryland’s Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center in 1995. After 17 years on the Penn State Aerospace Faculty, he moved to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2012 as the Redfern Chair in Aerospace Engineering. He assumed responsibilities as RPI’s Aerospace Program Director in 2014, and as Founding Director of RPI’s Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift (MOVE) in Spring 2018. Gandhi is an AIAA Fellow, a Technical Fellow of the Vertical Flight Society (formerly the American Helicopter Society), and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has chaired multiple major technical conferences and technical committees. One of the nation’s top experts in VTOL aircraft aeromechanics, advanced VTOL configurations (including multi-rotor eVTOL aircraft for Urban Air Mobility), reconfigurable vertical lift, and adaptive structures, he held a Joint Faculty Appointment with the US Army Research Lab, Vehicle Technology Directorate (2018-2021). Over a 28-year academic career, Gandhi has published over 115 journal papers, 239 conference papers, and advised 28 PhD students to graduation. He currently leads a vibrant research group comprising of 2 research scientists and 10 PhD students. Gandhi has been a plenary/keynote speaker at several major technical conferences and has delivered prestigious lectures such as the 2022 Royal Aeronautical Society’s Cierva Lecture in VTOL aircraft, and the 2019 AIAA Adaptive Structures Lecture, among others.