Test-bench Development for the Efficiency Analysis of UAV Motor-Propeller Sets

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become one of the most promising technologies in our days due to their outstanding autonomous capabilities, versatility and flexible operation. However, the autonomy offered by these systems limits their use in long-range applications. Also, the efficiency of the UAV propulsion systems remains low even though most of its components have evolved. The two main reason for these issues are: the energy density of the available batteries is quite low, and the propulsion system is not always properly sized according to the needs of the application. Therefore, increasing the flight time of the UAV by enhancing the efficiency of the propulsion systems is still a major challenge. In this sense, this paper aims for the design and implementation of a test-bench for propulsion system essays. Based on a mobile structure, it obtains thrust measures produced by the pair motor-propeller of a UAV. Moreover, by measuring the electric power consumption, the test-bench computes the energy efficiency of a given propulsion system configuration. The system is tested using the propulsion system components of a Skywalker X8 Fixed Wing UAV for two different configurations of the motor-propeller sets. Also, efficiency curves are plotted for each pair along with speed and power measures.