Electric Propulsion System Characterization through Experiments

Abstract : Electrical propulsion system characteristics are very important in UAV design, operation and control. This article presents the characterization of electric propulsion sets through experiments. A motor test bench have been build based on previous experience in order to improve the quality of the measurements. Moreover, the bench fits in a wind tunnel, allowing to perform a complete characterization over the full airspeed range of the considered mini and micro-UAVs. After recalling the general theoretical model of an electric motor, results from various combinations are presented.