An Unmanned Helicopter Energy Consumption Analysis

Abstract

The number of operations incorporating E-VTOL aircrafts is increasing each year, and the optimization of the energy consumption of such vehicles is a major problem. In this paper, a small-scale ARCHER helicopter’s energy consumption is analyzed, wherein different flight conditions, main rotor revolutions, and flight control system settings are considered. The helicopter dynamic model was developed in the FLIGHTLAB environment and was then validated based on flight test data. The model used for the calculation of energy consumption was developed using the electric and dynamic characteristics of the main rotor, electric motor, and transmission system. The main part of this work concerns the analysis of electric energy consumption during the vehicle’s flight via the use of an automatic flight control system (AFCS) that ensures repeatable flight conditions. The AFCS was designed such that it includes both path and attitude control to provide hover and cruise control modes. The helicopter’s energy consumption was analyzed during different phases of flight, when executing maneuvers, and using different main rotor angular velocities to perform - a given task. The results show that the level of energy consumption significantly depends on the helicopter’s main rotor revolutions, flight speed, and the maneuvers performed. The proposed methodology can be used in prospective energy-efficient mission planning and UAV helicopter design.