ABSTRACT

Recent developments in battery and motor technology have seen an upsurge in

the utility and performance of electric small unmanned aerial vehicle. This thesis
considers the design of such configuration from an overall propulsive, and energy
perspective. A prototype system was constructed with an electric propulsion system.
The selected propulsion systems for the small unmanned aerial vehicle are Turnigy
D2836/8 Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) Outrunner Motor with a power rating of
336W, Hobbyking 30C Electronic Speed Controller 3A UBEC, Turnigy 5000mAh 3S
LiPo pack Battery and 10x4.5 SF Black Counter Rotating Propeller.
The system was tested using the constructed test rig and the results show that
the maximum thrust produced is 1.046kg
f
at full throttle where it exceeds the drag force
of the selected designed.
In terms of endurance, the selected battery is a Turnigy 5000mAh 3S LiPo pack
battery weighting 404 grams and has energy density of 494.55 kilojoule per kilogram,
which can last for 16.67 minutes.