Analysis of Quadcopter Body Frame Vibration During Hovering Flight with Variable Rotor Speeds

Quadcopters and other propeller-driven vehicles and machinery experience periodic vibrations that can impact their performance and longevity. However effective implementation of vibration reduction techniques requires accurate identification and characterization of these vibrations. This paper presents an analysis of the measured vibration of a quadcopter in hovering flight under varying propeller speeds and fit of parts. To collect data, four accelerometers were placed on the drone's arm, with an additional accelerometer positioned inside the center of the frame. Sampling was conducted at a frequency of 1 kHz using a myRio-1900. The collected data from four flights was subsequently analyzed using time-domain graphs and spectrograms from the Gabor transform. Results indicated a prominent presence of blade pass frequency and its harmonics, alongside asynchronous vibrations observed during flights with loosely fitted components.