Experimental Characterization of Propulsion System for Mini Aerial Vehicle

In recent times, mini and micro aerial vehicles have shown significant potential as miniature unmanned aircraft for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes. Selection of correct combination of engine and propeller is very crucial step in the design of this class of vehicles. The objective of present study is to establish measurement system and obtain performance maps for available mini/micro vehicle class propellers and engines. Wind-Tunnel facility was developed and different experimental set-ups were designed for measuring thrust and power of different power plant systems. Results of experimental facilities were validated with those available in literature for particular power plant. Established measurement system complements for optimizing propeller design and selecting best engine or motor for given geometry of vehicle with given mission requirements.