Optimizing Propulsion System in Various Drone Categories: A Comparative Experimental Study

This article aims to conduct a comprehensive performance analysis of various propeller configurations and motors for uncrewed aerial vehicles. The experimental method is used for this study through the performance analysis of the motors and propellers at various conditions. In this study, the test rig has been manufactured specially to test the propeller and motor configuration as per the standard to obtain the thrust at various supplied voltage. This study proved that the increase in the size of propeller leads to increase in the thrust, as well as it can be used for specific applications of the drone like racing drone. It reveals that the maximum diameter of a propeller is 14 inches, which produces the thrust in the range of 2400 g to 361 g depending on motor capacity compared to the other size of the propellers. The novelty of the work is to analyze the performance of propellers and motors for optimization and application of drones through experimental methods. This method can be used for any kind of regular as well as customized drone for existing and future applications. © 2024 SAE International.