Hardware-software system for studying the effectiveness of propeller-engine groups for unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

The subject of the article is the development of a laboratory tester for the study of the effectiveness of propeller-engine groups (PEG) of electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The need to create such solutions is due to the fact that the development and testing of unmanned platforms in the format of prototypes and their flight tests are time-consuming and expensive processes, it is not possible to assess the limit parameters of motors and their electronic speed controllers (ESC). Hardware devices and software for testing PEG separately can reduce the cost and speed up this process, as well as make the result more optimal both in terms of technical parameters and in terms of economic efficiency. A solution has been developed that allows to measure the motor amperage, the generated thrust of PEG, the voltage on the battery, the temperature of the motor, and then calculate PEG effectiveness indicators on their basis, visualize them in graphs, and thus compare the thrust and energy efficiency of various engine-propeller groups with propellers up to 30” ‘in size’. It is shown how the test results allow you to choose the optimal solution for assembling propeller-motor groups for light and medium UAV, and optimally design unmanned platforms for airborne geophysical prospecting.