Towards a sustainable aerial mobility inspired by nature - Aerodynamics viewpoint

Abstract

It is undoubtable that in order to reduce our current impact on the climate the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and the energy sector should be cut down drastically. The most simplistic way will be to reduce transportation and consumption significantly, as recently seen during the nationwide lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic; however this came at great economic cost which we cannot afford as a society based on our current life style. Mobility systems still rely heavily on fossil fuels and even with the rapid advances in battery technologies electric propulsion is still limited to ground mobility systems which can afford the relatively low power to mass ratio. Therefore, this brings us back to square one of our traditional design approach where efficiency and reduction of power consumption is at the heart of the design process. Hydrogen is also emerging as another cleaner alternative for fossil fuel however the power to volume ratio is slowing down its implementation, especially for aerial mobility. Hence, the reduction of power consumption becomes a priority in the design process even for these carbon free technologies. In order to revisit the need for reducing the power consumption of mobility systems here we aim to adopt a completely different approach inspired by nature, where the living can engage into complex kinematics through minimal energy intake. The concepts in nature are always looking for the best return in terms of the energy input/consumed and work-done, therefore this approach will naturally lead to a highly optimal system which consumes the least and contributes positively towards our goal of achieving a sustainable aerial mobility system. Here, techniques for aerodynamic drag reduction and manoeuvrability enhancement will be reviewed alongside the equivalent concepts that already exist in nature.