PFR - Aerospace Engineering Sciences Senior Design Projects ...

Project Final Report – CUDBF April 30 th , 2009
ASEN 4028: Aerospace Senior Projects
9.0 Electrical Design Elements
Author: Brett Miller
Co-Author: Jarryd Allison, Ross DeFranco
9.1 Propulsion Electrical Design Elements
9.1.1 Propulsion Electrical Overview
The diagram shown in Figure 77 shows an overview of the propulsion electrical system required
to produce thrust to power the aircraft.
Figure 77: Propulsion Electrical Block Diagram
For the pilot to control the amount of thrust, a signal is sent from the transmitter to the receiver.
The signal flows from the receiver, where it is split in two different directions, and flows to each
speed controller. The speed controllers then draw power from the battery pack and through the
40 amp fuse. The power then splits and flows to each motor, which spins the propeller, and that
produces thrust.
9.1.2 Propulsion Batteries
The battery selection was one of the most important processes for the aircraft. The battery pack
itself will end up being the heaviest single components in the aircraft, with an estimated weight
of 1.2lbs. The battery chemistry was limited to NiCad or NiMH chemistry by competition rules.
A trade study was conducted comparing top of the line 1400mah NiCad and NiMH batteries to
determine the best choice for the aircraft as shown in Table 19. Lowest weight, lowest internal
resistance, and the highest recommended maximum continuous discharge were considered for
each cell.
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