Semi-analytical range and endurance computation of battery-powered multi-copter unmanned aerial systems under steady wind conditions

Abstract

The range and endurance of an unmanned aerial system operating nominally in an outdoor environment depends upon the available power and environmental factors like the magnitude and direction of the prevailing wind. This paper focuses on the development of semi-analytical approaches to computing the range and endurance of battery-powered multi-copter unmanned aerial system under varying wind conditions. The analytically derived range is verified against a comprehensive unmanned aerial system simulation which includes experimentally validated elements such as the propulsion system and electric power consumption modules. It is shown that the analytical approach yields the range maps in close agreement with the simulation results.