Abstract: A method of optimizing an Urban air mobility (UAM) network is disclosed which includes receiving a predetermined vertiport network, wherein each vertiport in the predetermined network is represented by a plurality of parameters, receiving a customer demand schedule representing customer demand for each said vertiport, using a model simulating the UAM network thus outputting a solution for the plurality of parameters, inputting the output of the simulation to a genetic algorithm (GA), optimizing the GA to thereby generate an optimized solution based on minimizing a mathematical function associated with the plurality of parameters until a predetermined termination criteria associated with network size is reached, and outputting the optimized solution.

Abstract: An embodiment of a device for generating an acoustic signal in a fluid includes an engine operable to repeat a thermodynamic process to vibrate a membrane of the engine to generate an acoustic signal having more than one period. The thermodynamic process includes heating mass inside a chamber of an engine to generate pressure inside the chamber; in response to generating the pressure, moving in a first direction a portion of a membrane of the engine; removing mass from inside the chamber to decrease the pressure inside the chamber; and in response to decreasing the pressure inside the chamber, moving the membrane portion in a second direction. In an embodiment, because the engine repeats the thermodynamic process, the engine can generate and sustain an acoustic signal for a significant amount of time.

Abstract: A device for generating an acoustic signal in a fluid includes an engine operable to repeat a thermodynamic process to vibrate a membrane of the engine to generate an acoustic signal having more than one period. The thermodynamic process includes heating mass inside a chamber of an engine to generate pressure inside the chamber; in response to generating the pressure, moving in a first direction a portion of a membrane of the engine; removing mass from inside the chamber to decrease the pressure inside the chamber; and in response to decreasing the pressure inside the chamber, moving the membrane portion in a second direction. Because the engine repeats the thermodynamic process, the engine can generate and sustain an acoustic signal for a significant amount of time.