Experimental Characterization of Brushless DC Motors and Propellers for Flight Application

Abstract

Although there exist a number of accurate UAV thruster models, these models require precise measurements of several motor and propeller characteristics. This paper presents simple motor and propeller models based solely on data provided by manufacturers. The theoretical performance predictions for the motors and propellers are computed and then compared to experimental results obtained in static thrust tests. The objective is to confirm the accuracy of the models and facilitate the selection of appropriate brushless DC motor and propeller combinations for flight applications.