Method for Characterization of a Multirotor UAV Electric Propulsion System

Abstract

Due to their abilities, multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used in various missions that require complex and precise movements, so they are a typical representative of aerial robots. Since this type of UAV is characterized by high energy consumption, it is of most importance to precisely choose the system parameters and components in order to achieve the required flight performance that meets the mission requirements. In this paper, a method for characterization of the multirotor UAV propulsion system is proposed, which is a fundamental step in the design process of this type of UAV. For the purpose of method validation, experimental measurements and signal acquisition were performed, and the measurement results for the considered electric propulsion units were shown. An identification procedure is presented, which is used to process the measurement results or manufacturer’s data and display them as propulsion unit static maps. Based on static maps, the characterization process of the electric propulsion system is performed, and the propulsion unit characteristics are shown.

Keywords

• multirotor UAV
• propulsion system
• electric propulsion unit
• identification procedure
• static maps
• propulsion characterization