Collaborative optimization framework of battery charging/swapping stations for eVTOLs based on closed-loop supply chain and space-time network

Abstract

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, by virtue of their advantages such as high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and low noise, are regarded as an effective means of alleviating urban traffic congestion. Although eVTOLs have policy support, industrial foundations, and market prospects globally, their commercialization process still faces obstacles. Purely electric eVTOLs confront constraints including limited battery energy density, high operational power requirements, and challenges associated with rapid energy replenishment, which collectively restrict their flight endurance and application scenarios. To tackle these issues, following an investigation into battery energy replenishment strategies, a closed-loop supply chain-based optimization framework for eVTOL battery charging and swapping is proposed. First, a time-space network technique is employed to solve the modeling challenge of an efficient and flexible battery transportation system between charging stations and swapping stations. Subsequently, aiming to maximize the operational revenue of the model, optimized management of battery swapping, transportation, and charging processes is implemented, facilitating coordinated operation among eVTOLs, swapping stations, and charging stations. On this basis, the model is solved by Gurobi, verifying its feasibility. Finally, the results of sensitivity analysis show that the model performs excellently in several aspects, including battery swap service quality, system sustainability, and operational resilience.