A test-bench for battery-motor-propeller assemblies designed for multirotor vehicles

Multirotor vehicles propulsion systems are based on the assembly of a (usually fixed pitch) propeller with an electric motor, powered by a battery pack. Resulting endurance and range performance of the vehicle are thus heavily constrained by the capacity of the battery pack. This study aims at providing a set of accurate measurements of propeller performance, together with a reliable estimate of power consumption in different operating conditions. A test bench was developed to measure propeller thrust and torque and all relevant electrical parameters. The results obtained from the measurements are then used to validate elementary models of the propeller, providing the premises for estimating propeller aerodynamic parameters, fundamental for physically consistent vehicle sizing at a preliminary design phase.