A Convex Approach to Multi-phase Trajectory Optimization of eVTOL Vehicles for Urban Air Mobility

Ground transportation in urban areas faces increasingly severe congestion; however, roads cannot be expanded unlimitedly. Under the urban air mobility (UAM) concept, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can use the third dimension of the urban space for various transportation needs. However, the energy required to complete an UAM mission by an eVTOL vehicle must be less than the available energy stored in the battery pack. Furthermore, eVTOL vehicles must fly along the feasible paths, such as avoiding collisions with any obstacles to arrive at the destination vertiport safely. The objective of this paper is to develop a convex optimization approach for the trajectory optimization of a multi-phase eVTOL mission, including cruise, descent, and landing under various operational constraints in real time. Simulation results are provided to compare the convex optimization approach with a pseudospectral optimal control method.