Energy consumption comparison of static pitch propeller and variable pitch propeller using maximum thrust equation approach in small scale electric unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

Variable pitch propeller is being implemented in a small-scale electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)21 to improve efficiency of energy consumption, especially in a cruise flight condition of UAVs. The pitch value of the variable pitch propeller is determined with an equation that depends on two main variables which is the UAV’s airspeed and RPM of the UAV’s motor. In this paper, the energy consumption of a variable pitch propulsion system during a UAV’s cruising condition is being compared with the energy consumption of a cruising condition of a UAV using a fixed pitch propeller. As a result, the variable pitch propeller propulsion system is proven to be more efficient than a fixed pitch propeller propulsion system.