Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-hw7sx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T18:12:13.193Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Validation of endurance estimates for battery powered UAVs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

L. W. Traub
L. W. Traub*
Affiliation:
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, USA
*
traubl@erau.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An experimental investigation is presented to validate endurance estimates for a battery powered flight vehicle. In this study a radio controlled model aircraft was ‘flown’ inside a wind tunnel. Various Lithium Ion batteries were used to power the model. Battery electrical characteristics were recorded during each run to assess battery discharge behaviour. Theoretical estimates based upon battery characteristics yielded endurance estimates within 3% of that measured experimentally. The discharge characteristics of the batteries were found to be the largest source of uncertainty for endurance estimates.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 117 , Issue 1197 , November 2013 , pp. 1155 - 1166
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1. Retana, E.R. and Rodrigue-Cortes, H. Basic small fixed wing aircraft sizing optimizing endurance, 4th Annual ICEEE conference, 2007, Mexico City, Mexico, pp 322 – 325. Google Scholar
2. Lawrence, D.A. and Mohseni, K. Efficiency analysis for long-duration electric MAVs, AIAA Paper 2005 – 7090, 2005.Google Scholar
3. Traub, L.W. Range and endurance estimates for an electrically powered aircraft, JAircr, March-April, 2011, 48, pp 703 – 707.Google Scholar
4. Barlow, J., Rae, W. and Pope, A. Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, Wiley-Interscience, 3rd ed, 1999.Google Scholar
5. Su, Y., Liahng, H. and Wu, J. Multilevel Peukert equations based residual capacity estimation method for lead-acid batteries, IEEE, 2008, pp 101 – 105. Google Scholar
6. Smart Gauges, Peukert’s Equation, Accessed 20th February 2010, http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/peukert2.html Google Scholar
7. Gur, O. and Rosen, A. Optimizing electric propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, J Aircr, July-August 2009, 46, pp 1340 – 1353.Google Scholar
8. Andrea, D. Battery Management Systems for Large Lithium Ion Battery Packs, Artech House, 1st ed, 2010.Google Scholar