Quadrotor drones thrust measurement apparatus

The UAV field has been growing rapidly and is poised for even larger growth in the coming years. While the military has been using UAV aircrafts for years, there is potentially room for growth in the civilian market. UAVS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities have generated much interest. For these reasons, a few years ago, Quadrotor UAV undergraduate research and development studies were started at Western New England University Controls Laboratory. One major design concern of any Quadrotor drone development platform is how to measure the torque developed at the output shaft of each of the Quadrotor motors. Fraction horsepower (HP) DC motor dynamometers are hard to find and very expensive. Research publications on how to measure and estimate a brushed or brushless DC motor characteristic parameter methodology are also too complex for undergraduate students to understand in order for them to design and develop a measurement apparatus [1-6]. In this paper we will discuss the design and development of an affordable torque measurement apparatus to measure efficiency and estimate characteristic parameters of fraction horsepower brushed and brushless DC motors.