DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PLATAFORM FOR THRUST TESTING OF AIRCRAFT ELETRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM

Resumo

The objective of this work is to develop an experimental platform for measuring thrust data from the engine and propeller assembly of electric aerial vehicles, contributing to the validation of the aeronautical design phase. As electric propulsion systems gain prominence in modern aviation, accurate experimental data is crucial to ensuring efficiency, reliability, and optimal performance. The proposed platform facilitates the acquisition of experimental data from the engine and propeller, assisting in the proper sizing of the propulsion system. In this way, this paper examines how the thrust curve is influenced by different combinations of engine and propeller. Understanding these relationships is useful to optimize the propulsion system design by improving efficiency and power management. The propulsion system analyzed consists of a brushless electric motor, commonly used in electric aircraft due to its high efficiency, low maintenance requirements, and excellent power-to-weight ratio. To ensure accurate data acquisition, a measurement system was implemented using the Arduino platform. The setup includes load cells to measure thrust, current and voltage sensors to monitor power consumption, and an rpm encoder to determine motor speed. The experimental data are saved on an SD card for processing and analysis in the Matlab environment. Also, a flight controller Pixhawk was still used to control the motor speed. The experimental procedure involved testing several motor and propeller configurations under controlled conditions, systematically, varying propeller profiles, voltage levels, and load conditions. So, it was possible to determine how different design choices affect thrust and system performance. The results provide valuable insights for engineers working on electric propulsion systems, very useful to select the most suitable components for specific applications. Therefore, the developed experimental platform can be applied to an evaluation tool for researchers and engineers in the field of electric aviation. It provides a practical and reliable method for gathering performance data and, for example, validation of theoretical models. Additionally, the platform can be expanded for future studies on hybrid-electric propulsion, battery technology optimization, and aerodynamically improved propeller designs. Finally, this paper demonstrated that the platform is effective in studying and optimizing propulsion system parameters.