Electric-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are becoming more prominent component of the militaries' arsenal. Brushless DC motors are the most efficient and lightest weight of all motor topologies, and is the most common type of motor used for propulsion. Aveox proposes to develop a state-of-the art brushless electric motor system for a high altitude UAV. This motor will drive a 6ft Dia. propeller without the use of a gear box. The basis for the design will be a continuation of the work that Aveox has been doing under a Joint Sponsored Research Project (JSR) with Boeing Aircraft, UCLA and NASA. The motor currently under development incorporates advanced materials and promises to set a new standard for power density and efficiency. Aveox proposes to further optimize the motor through three separate efforts: 1) Design a light-weight cooling system incorporating heat pipes, 2) Create an extremely light weight housing made from carbon fiber and 3) Further optimize the magnetic circuit via length and widing changes. the results of Aveox's efforts will be a motor system design suitable for flight tests inthe Phae II development.
Benefits: The benefits of this research will be a brushless motor system capable of very high sustained peak power (torque) while remaining light weight. This technology will lead to advances in high altitude UAV's and make the More Electric Aircraft (MEA) Generation III goals a reality
