Electric Machine Design and Integration for an Electric Propulsion System in Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in both civilian and military applications around the world. There are several types of UAVs with classifications according to several quantities. Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs comprise one of these classifications. Hybrid or electric propulsion systems are another topic that is becoming popular. Implementing electric propulsion systems in vehicles could result in more efficient, environmentally friendly, and improved systems in comparison with conventional systems. This concept can be seen in the automotive sector, and today, it is popular in the aviation sector. Based on a literature review, full-electric concepts are often applied to some classes of UAVs. MALE-class UAVs are often used with conventional propulsion systems, as they need a long endurance during flight. It is known that current battery technologies and weight limitations on board do not allow as long of a flight time as conventional systems. Even knowing this, there could be some advantages to choosing an electric propulsion system in MALE-class UAVs. The effects and performance of electric propulsion in MALE-class UAVs were studied with a newly designed electric machine and a newly created UAV model.