A configuration-independent modeling toolset for the analysis of small-scale electric-powered UAVs

摘要

This paper presents a configuration-independent modeling and analysis toolset for small-scale electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. While the toolset was initially developed to model a novel unconventional LAV configuration, the similarity between core components and analysis methods shared by multiple electric LAV configurations and the desire to enable model reusability led it to be configuration-independent. Its purpose is to allow the designer to focus on configuration-specific modeling and analysis tasks by providing core component models and a modular analysis framework. The modeling approach and the associated theoretical background are presented. Models are validated at the component, subsystem and vehicle levels. Validation at the component and subsystem levels relies on original experimental data and relevant data found in the literature. Two usage examples of the toolset are finally presented for a conventional quadrotor vehicle, including validation data, and for a novel unconventional coaxial-rotor fixed-wing vehicle.