
Thomas Tallerico is a Research Mechanical Engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland Ohio. He conducts fundamental research on advanced drivetrains for aerospace applications including research on mechanical gears, magnetic gears, and electric motors.
Future electric and hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles will require high-efficiency and lightweight electric motor-driven propulsion systems. One key to designing an optimum electric motor-driven propulsion system, is to have a method for estimating the mass and efficiency of a gearbox for different power levels, motor speeds, and propeller speeds. Understanding the trade space for gearbox mass and efficiency allows the overall optimization of the propulsion system.