Flight Control Simulation and Battery Performance Analysis of a Quadrotor under Wind Gust

Quadrotors are utilized in various applications, such as industrial and public services. Despite their various applications, the operation of quadrotors is restricted by wind disturbances due to their small size and multiple propellers. The wind disturbances cause additional thrusts of the propeller, resulting in more battery energy. To consider the additional battery energy, this study developed a multidisciplinary simulation tool that can estimate the control performances changed by the wind disturbances and corresponding battery capacity. The simulation tool was validated by comparing analysis results with those of flight test data. Then, the impact of wind disturbances on the required battery energy was investigated in various wind conditions. As a result, the remarkable difference of 13% total battery capacity caused by the wind disturbances was revealed. It was concluded that the conceptual design process should consider the ambient air environment.