Customer:

A small Midwest-based UAV designer

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Description:

Design of of UAVs (i.e., drones) and their control systems requires knowledge of several motor parameters, including thrust curves, power draw, torque, and the variations of these items over time.

 

The customer’s unique VTOL airplane-like UAV concept was driven by two co-axially mounted electric motors, which drove a pair of counter-rotating propellers. Motion in the plane’s roll axis could be controlled to some degree by the difference between torque output between the two motors.

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Customer Requirements and Challenges:

• Thrust Measurement 

  • Range: 0 - 50 lbf (222 N)

  • Resolution:  <= 0.5 lbf (2.2 N)

  • Accuracy: <= 0.25 lbf (2.2 N)

  • Linearity requirement: ~3%

  • Sampling Frequency  / Time Resolution: 20 Hz / 0.05 seconds (preliminary)

• Torque Measurement

  • Range requirement: to be determined by engineer

  • Accuracy requirement: to be determined by engineer

  • Sampling Frequency  / Time Resolution: 20 Hz / 0.05 seconds (preliminary)

• Power Measurement

  • Range: 0-2000 W​

  • Accuracy: +/- 2 W

  • Sampling Frequency  / Time Resolution: 20 Hz / 0.05 seconds (preliminary)

• Current Measurement:

  • Range: 0-100 A​

  • Accuracy: 0.5 A

  • Sampling Frequency  / Time Resolution: 20 Hz / 0.05 seconds (preliminary)

• RPM Measurement:

  • Range: 0 - 50,000 RPM​

  • Accuracy: 100 RPM

• Size: As compact as possible​​

• User Interface: Windows PC based application

• Motor physical size range: diameter up to 3" (76 mm)

• Propeller size range: up to 16" (406 mm)

• Motor mount: changeable with hand tools

• Power source

  • Motors under test: LiPo Battery packs & ESCs, separate from instrumentation supply​

  • Instrumentation: Bench top power supply, or Power Over USB from PC

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Project Currently In Progress - Check Back Soon!​