Unmanned Aircraft Systems Performance in a Climate-Controlled Laboratory

Despite many research studies focus on strategies to improve autopilot capabilities and bring artificial intelligence onboard Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), there are still few experimental activities related to these vehicle performance under unconventional weather conditions. Air temperature and altitudes directly affect thrust and power coefficients of small scale propeller for UAS applications. Reynolds numbers are usually within the range 10,000 to 100,000 and important aerodynamic effects, such as the laminar separation bubbles, occur with a negative impact on propulsion performance. The development of autonomous UAS platforms to reduce pilot work-load and allow Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations requires experimental data to validate capabilities of these innovative vehicles. High quality data are needed for a deep understanding of limitations and opportunities of UAS under unconventional flight conditions. The primary objective of this article is to present the characterization of a propeller and a quadrotor capabilities in a pressure-climate-controlled chamber. Mechanical and electrical data are measured with a dedicated test setup over a wide range of temperatures and altitudes. Test results are presented in terms of thrust and power coefficient trends. The experimental data shows low Reynolds numbers are responsible for degraded thrust performance. Moreover, details on brushless motor capabilities are also discussed considering different temperature and pressure conditions. The experimental data collected in the test campaign will be leveraged to improve UAS design, propulsion system modelling as well as to provide guidelines for safe UAS operations in extreme environments.

Automated summary

Despite the focus on improving autopilot capabilities and introducing artificial intelligence to UAS, there is a lack of experimental activities related to their performance under unconventional weather conditions. Air temperature and altitudes have a direct impact on the thrust and power coefficients of propellers for UAS applications. The experimental data collected in this study aims to provide insights into the limitations and opportunities of UAS under unconventional flight conditions, with a focus on propeller and quadrotor capabilities.