June 6th, 2024 / by Nicolas Zart, Electric Air Mobility, LLC. Founder and ATOS ASSOCIATION Supporter
We covered the differences between vertiports and their energy in part 1. In the second part of our exploration of vertiports, we move from the conceptual to the practical, delving into the inner workings of these futuristic travel hubs.
NASA AAM Traffic
Vertiports Terminals: The Future of Travel
Terminals at vertiports focus on efficient passenger flow. At Electric Air Mobility, LLC, we design our terminal by minimizing obstacles and maximizing flow, while offering amenities in conveniently located areas. All terminals are designed to incorporate security features like TSA checkpoints and staff operations. If vertistops offer shelter and mini-terminals, vertiport and vertihub terminals will resemble more traditional airports, providing amenities and revenue streams.
What are Smart Vertipads?
Vertipads, or modernized helipads are designed for eVTOL operations and are a key component of vertiports. While their basic function is to provide a stable surface for takeoff and landing, they require surfaces to keep aircraft in place during windy and icy conditions. De-icing is needed in northern areas to ensure all-weather landing capabilities, as well as good water evacuation and debris protection from landing and taking-off aircraft. This ensures smooth operations regardless of weather conditions. Today, developers are creating “Smart Vertipads” equipped with sensors that communicate with aircraft, enabling data exchange for automated pre-flight checks and improved safety. This should hel reduce insurance costs.
Managing Vertiports: Energy, Traffic, and Resources
Vertiports will play a crucial role as energy hubs, generating, storing, and even potentially reselling electricity back to utilities during peak times. Not only do vertiports need to know how many aircraft will use their vertipads the following day, but they must also plan for enough electricity and hydrogen storage for the next, and have a safety surplus. They will help load-balance energy during peak times by incorporating smart grid features on top of generating added revenue streams for vertiports.
Lilium
Data management backed artificial intelligence (AI), will be the brain behind these operations, analyzing flight data and energy, predicting traffic and energy demands, ensuring efficient resource management, and more for robust vertiport operations. At Electric Air Mobility, we are working hard in determining how much AI will be of use and for what. Unlike common belief, we feel AI will play a crucial role, but will not automate all aspects of vertiport management. There are tasks human brains can do as well, if not better, at the very least, at this stage of development.
Safe operations rely on the safe integration of modernized air traffic management (ATM) and unmanned traffic management (UTM). Both systems must seamlessly mesh. Currently, most of the work is done on enabling AAM ATM and UTM to interface with existing ATM systems. This enables AAM operations to integrate with traditional aviation. Vertiports will operate with drones. Drone technology will be instrumental in coordinating traffic, providing weather information, and supporting civil operations, further enhancing the safety and efficiency of vertiport management.
The Grand Ecosystem: MROs, Location, and Network Routes
The success of vertiport networks heavily depends on their strategic location and many criteria such as public transportation, aerial traffic, highway systems, railroads, waterways, and more. Choosing the right place for a scalable vertiport is crucial, as well as the closest source of energy.
Electric Air Mobility, LLC is also looking into the development of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMR) as a source of future energy solutions. Lastly, maintenance, repairs, and overhaul stations (MROs) must be strategically located to minimize downtime and ensure fast access. All of these points and more are taken into consideration before choosing a specific location for a network of vertiports
The Future of Vertiports: Lifestyle Hubs
Vertiports are more than just transportation hubs; they are energy hubs and lifestyle destinations. Imagine a single location that combines entertainment, shopping, and essential services like doctors’ offices, all under one roof while accessing a quiet and efficient electric aircraft to go to work, home, or visit a tourist site.
PSS Uber LA
Vertiports enhance human mobility, offloading land traffic congestions, and offering innovative environments that seamlessly blend cutting-edge technologies with everyday needs for a brighter and more efficient world.
Credit to: Nicolas Zart