Drone Design Parameter basics by Avionics Club, SVNIT
- 1. Drone Design Parameter Aksh Patel S.V. National Institute of Technology
- 2. Drone Basic Component • FC Controller • Sensor • BLDC Motor • ESC • Propeller • Battery • Frame • GPS • RC
- 3. Drone Motor • Sensorless BLDC motor is used in Drone • Selection of motor • Total Weight of Drone (Including all Component) • Required thrust to lift Drone 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑥 9.81 • For Quart Copter 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 4
- 4. Drone Motor • Thrust to Weight Ratio • If the thrust of all motors is less, the drone will not respond well to your control and its take-off. • It is important to make sure that the motors used in your drone can product around 50% more thrust than the actual weight of the drone. • Drone motors have to remain stable and well functional even in times of slightly windy condition. • High thrust to weight ratio, a drone will have greater agility and acceleration but it will be harder to control as well. • For racing drones, the recommendable thrust to weight ratio is 5:1 • For aerial photography, the recommendable thrust to weight ratio is 3:1 or 4:1 https://robu.in/selecting-quadcopter-motor-a-detailed-guide-2021/
- 5. Drone Motor • KV Rating • KV rating means the rpm of the motor produces per volt. • if we choose the motor of 1000 KV and use 12V lipo battery for power, the total RPM becomes, 1000*12=12000 • After mounting the propeller on the motor, the RPM decreases due to the air resistance. The higher KV motors spin the propeller faster and can draw more current. • Voltage and Current Draw • The voltage of the battery has a large impact on the motor. The drone motor spins faster with a higher voltage and draw the more current. https://robu.in/selecting-quadcopter-motor-a-detailed-guide-2021/
- 6. Drone Motor • Motor Movements https://robu.in/selecting-quadcopter-motor-a-detailed-guide-2021/
- 7. Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) • ESC stands for Electronic Speed Controller. It is an electronic circuit that connects the motor, the battery, and the flight controller, whose primary purpose is to change the speed and direction of the drone.
- 8. What is inside ESC? https://www.tytorobotics.com/blogs/articles/what-is-an-esc-how-does-an-esc-work
- 9. ESC Protocols • Standard PWM (1000us – 2000us) • Oneshot125 (125us – 250us) • Oneshot 42 (42us – 84us) • Multishot (5us – 25us) • Dshot • Dshot150 (106.8us) • Dshot300 (53.4us) • Dshot600 (26.7us) • DShot1200 (13.4us) • ProShot https://www.jouav.com/blog/electronic-speed-controller-esc.html
- 10. Controller used in ESC • ATMEL's 8-bit supports SimonK firmware and BLHeli ESC firmware • SILABS' 8-bit can only execute BLHeli or BLHeli_S • Atmel ARM Cortex 32-bit (especially STM32 F0) - can execute BLHeli_32 https://www.jouav.com/blog/electronic-speed-controller-esc.html
- 11. ESC Selection Parameter • Voltage and Current Ratings • ESC can handle the voltage and current requirements of your drone's motors. • It is recommend to select 20-30% higher current rating then motor required • Size and Weight • ESC must fits within the size and weight constraints of your drone's design. • Smaller and lighter ESCs are preferable for drones that prioritize agility and speed. • PWM Frequency • The PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) frequency of the ESC affects motor response and efficiency. • Higher frequencies generally provide smoother operation and reduced noise.
- 12. ESC Selection Parameter • BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuit) • The BEC powers your drone's electronics • Compatibility • ESC is compatible with your flight controller and other components in your drone's system • Reliability and Durability • ESCs from reputable manufacturers known for quality and reliability. • Drones are subject to various environmental conditions, so durable ESCs are essential for long-term performance.
- 13. Propellers • Drone propellers provide lift for the aircraft by spinning and creating an air flow, which result in a pressure difference between the top and bottom surface of propeller. • For multirotor drones propellers are arrange in pairs, spinning either clockwise or anti-clockwise to create balance.
- 14. Propellers • Drone Propellers can be constructed with two, three , or four blades • Propellers with more blades provide greater lift due to more surface area moving through the air per rotation https://www.thecoronawire.com/drone-propellers-explained-detailed-beginners-guide-to-drone- anatomy/#:~:text=There%20are%20several%20different%20types,for%20each%20of%20these%20categories
- 15. Material used for Propellers • Plastic • Widely use • Cheap and flexible • Last longer even after a few crashes as they have the potential to slightly bend • Save money in long run • Cause vibration while they are rotating which can affect the stability and overall performance of your drone https://www.thecoronawire.com/drone-propellers-explained-detailed-beginners-guide-to-drone- anatomy/#:~:text=There%20are%20several%20different%20types,for%20each%20of%20these%20categories
- 16. Material used for Propellers • Carbon Fiber • Stronger • Lighter in weight • Cause less vibrations hence better stability • More expensive • May damage motor more in crash because does not break easily https://www.thecoronawire.com/drone-propellers-explained-detailed-beginners-guide-to-drone- anatomy/#:~:text=There%20are%20several%20different%20types,for%20each%20of%20these%20categories
- 17. Type of Propeller • Tapered propeller • More pronounced tips • Smaller surface areas means that they have to rotate at greater RPMs to create enough thrust for the drone to operate. • Props:- consume less power than bull-nose propellers.
- 18. Type of Propeller • Bull-nose propeller • Bull-nose propellers are a recent addition to the drone industry • Props have tips that are thicker than tapered propellers and are blunter. • Higher surfer area means produce more trust • Heavy in weight required more power • Primarily used for racing drones • Folding propellers
- 19. Drone Propeller Pitch • Pitch of a drone propeller is the angle of the blades • Pitch of each blade is too low, • The blade is flat for example, then the propeller will be able to rotate at a very high RPM but will not generate as much lift as there will be less overall thrust. • Respond quickly to inputs and use less power • Pitch of each blade is too High, • The blade is much steeper angled, then the propeller will rotate at a much lower RPM but will generate a lot more lift as there will be much more thrust. • Respond slowly to inputs and use more overall power.
- 20. Propeller Selection Parameter • Factors to take into consideration when choosing new propellers • Size • Pitch • Blade Configuration • Material • Factor to considering to select the size propeller • Weight • Length • Surface area • Bore
- 21. Propeller Selection Parameter • Pitch • The pitch of a drone propeller is also important when deciding which to get for your drone. • The higher the angle/pitch of your drone, the faster it will go. However, drone props with a higher pitch consumer much more battery power and require more rotational speed than props with lower pitch. • Blade Configuration • More blades increases thrust and power • Cost is flight time due to an increased use of battery power and your drone will be less responsive to your inputs
- 22. Propeller Selection Parameter • Material • Probability of crash
- 23. Propeller Spec. from Propeller • Drone propeller manufacturers usually specify two main measurements, quoted in the form A x B. The first number is the total length of the propeller from end to end. The second is the pitch
- 24. Motor KV vs Propeller Selection • Higher KV motors will try to spin the propeller faster, generating more thrust and power (while drawing more current). • Larger props are typically paired with low KV motors, while smaller, lighter props work better with high KV motors.
- 25. Types of Drone Battery • Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) • Lithium-ion (Li-ion) • Lithium polymer (LiPo) https://coastaldrone.co/drone-batteries-everything-you-need-to- know/#:~:text=Drone%20batteries%20are%20rechargeable%20batteries,hazard%20if%20not%20handled%20properly.
- 26. Choosing a Drone Battery • Find Out How Much Current Your Drone Can Draw • Current draw from the drone motors • Current draw from Other Components • Decide the Battery Size • Battery voltage • The higher voltage rating motors will produce higher power/RPM. • The batteries with higher voltages ratings have more weight. • Battery C rating • Capacity • Capacity is another important factor to consider when choosing a drone battery. It refers to how much energy a battery can store and is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh) https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/
- 27. Choosing a Drone Battery • Discharge Capacity • Discharge rating refers to how fast a battery can discharge its energy safely. Also known as the C-rating. • C- rating define how much current a battery can continuously supply for its given charge cycle. The higher the C- rating, the better the performance. • Maximum Discharge Current = C-Rating * Capacity https://coastaldrone.co/drone-batteries-everything-you-need-to- know/#:~:text=Drone%20batteries%20are%20rechargeable%20batteries,hazard%20if%20not%20handled%20properly.
- 28. Choosing a Drone Battery • Battery Connectors • Power connector • Balance connector • Why the LIPO battery’s always come with female connectors.? https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/
- 29. Choosing a Drone Battery • Battery Connectors (Power Connector) https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/
- 30. Choosing a Drone Battery • Balance connector • The balance lead/connector is mainly used for balance charge to ensure all cell voltages are equal. https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/
- 31. Drone Battery Voltage Rating with Series Configuration of cell https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/
- 32. Drone Battery Voltage Rating with Series Configuration of cell https://robu.in/how-choose-lithium-polymer-battery-for-drone/ Balance Connector Power Connector Discharge Capacity 3S Battery: 3 cell in series
- 33. Drone flight time formula • Flight Time 𝐹𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 = 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝐴𝐴𝐷 • Average amp draw 𝐴𝐴𝐷 = 𝐴𝑈𝑊 𝑥 𝑃 𝑉 • Omni Flight Time calculator https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/drone-flight-time#drone-flight-time-formula
- 34. Flight Time with Drone Movement • Actual flight time may be differ then calculated flight time • If drone only moves around slightly – for example, during aerial photography – the flight time will be about 75% of the calculated time. • If drone flies in strong wind or moves around a lot, the flight time will decrease to around 50%. • If Drone in FPV racing or flying at high throttle levels, the flight time will decrease to 25-30% of the calculated value. https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/drone-flight-time#drone-flight-time-formula
- 35. Quadcopter frame and lipo battery and motor and propeller size matching table: https://genstattu.com/blog/how-to-choose-quadcopter-frame
- 36. Drone Frame Selection Parameter • Material • Carbon fiber • Lightweight and durable but can be more expensive • Aluminium • Strength and stability but may be heavier • Plastic • Lightweight and inexpensive but may lack durability. • Size and Weight • Frame Type • Quadcopter • Hexacopter • Octocopter • Compatibility • Assembly and Customization • Vibration Dampening
- 37. GPS Selection Parameter • Accuracy • GPS modules with high accuracy, typically measured in meters. • The lower the margin of error, the better the performance. • Update Rate • Update rate determines how often the GPS updates its position data per second. • Higher update rates provide smoother and more accurate tracking, crucial for drones requiring real-time positioning. • Satellite Coverage • Ensure the GPS receiver can connect to a wide range of satellites to provide reliable positioning, especially in areas with obstructed or limited satellite visibility. • Size and Weight • Choose a GPS module that is compact and lightweight to minimize impact on the drone's payload and flight characteristics
- 38. GPS Selection Parameter • Power Consumption • GPS module with low power consumption to extend the drone's flight time. • Integration • how easily the GPS module can be integrated into your drone's existing hardware and software systems. • Compatibility with your flight controller and autopilot software is crucial. • Signal Strength and Sensitivity • A GPS module with high signal strength and sensitivity can maintain a strong connection even in challenging environments such as urban canyons or dense foliage.
- 39. GPS Selection Parameter • Multi-Constellation Support • Support multiple satellite • Price • GPS Used In Drone • Positioning • Navigation • Return-to-Land (RTL) • Geofencing
- 40. Drone RC Type • Compatibility • Range • Frequency Band • Number of Channels • Mode of Operation • Ergonomics and Comfort • Battery Life • Telemetry and Feedback • Additional Features • Price
- 41. Drone RC Type • Generally Available RC • 6 Channel • 10 Channel • Communication Protocol • PWM • PPM
- 42. THANK YOU