Industrial Mathematics
6514
Creation
of an Electric Motor Sizing Tool
for Remote-Controlled Aircraft
Objectives:
Primary focus:
Creation of an electric motor sizing tool for remote-controlled
aircraft (based on AIAA-DBF requirements)
Development of equations that govern electric batteries, motors, and propellers
Building of these equations using approximate solutions, or dimensional analysis
where appropriate
Compare with
experimental results:
Wind tunnel and static testing of various battery/motor/propeller
configurations
X-Plane
Students Involved:
Mark Birney, Caleb Branscome, Travis Danner, Tom Ender, Andrew Frits, Holger
Pfaender,
Colin Pouchet, Jenni Ritchie, Eric Upton, Marie White
Motivation:
The goal of the AIAA Design-Build-Fly
competition is to design, build, and demonstrate the flight capabilities
of an unmanned, electric powered, radio controlled aircraft. An
electric motor sizing tool would be very useful in the performance,
prediction, and design of the radio controlled aircraft.
Task Definition:
Project Results:
- Completion of simple, standalone models for
motors, propellers, and batteries
- Propulsive elements were integrated into a
single model
- Significant experimental data was collected
- Model Results were validated against
experimental data
- Evaluation and selection of low Reynolds
number airfoils
- Integration of results into X-Plane
simulation for use by the DBF team
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Future
Work:
- Wind
tunnel experimentation
- Verify
propeller non-dimensionalization with velocity
- Validate
propeller model with forward velocity
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- Motor
torque testing
- Allow
for better calibration of motor model
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- Fully
Integrated Testing
- Test
battery + motor + propeller in wind tunnel
- Allow
for verification of fully integrated model
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- Integrate
propulsive models with X-Plane
- Optimize
propulsion system with aerodynamics
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- Build an aircraft and compare the results!
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Analytical Work
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Experimental Work
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Acknowlegments: Dr. John McCuan, Adam Broughton, ASDL, DBF
