Modeling of the Motor and Electronic Speed Controller of a Small UAV

Motor selection can be a very costly process in the preliminary stages of a new aircraft development. Often, extensive wind tunnel testing is necessary to understand the efficiencies of the motor and its electronic speed controller (ESC). Theoretical models to predict the performance of a BLDC motor and an ESC that rely on published information by the manufacturers were developed. This research extends existing methods for predicting motor and ESC performance by modeling them separately. The model was used to predict the performances of T-Motor's U7 V2.0 KV280 and the Zubax Myxa ESC, and the results were compared to wind tunnel tests. This model reduces costs by eliminating the need to purchase multiple motors and ESCs, as well as reducing the time consuming process of testing them in a wind tunnel.