Prospects of applying switched reluctance drives with outer rotor in unmanned aerial vehicles

This work addressed the relevance of utilising a switched reluctance drive in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designs. This approach aimed to enhance the reliability of the electric drive system and reduce its cost by eliminating expensive permanent magnets. The objective of this study was to compare various motor types as power drives for electric-powered UAVs. This comparison was based on key operational characteristics of the motors and their reliability levels. The stated goal was achieved using mathematical analysis methods and subsequently implementing the developed models in specialised software. The switched reluctance motor model is based on a magnetic field model of its magnetic system, which in turn relies on the integral equations method. The results of the mathematical modelling were used to generalise the potential applications of this type of drive for specific traction purposes. The paper presented a mathematical model of an external rotor switched reluctance motor designed within the dimensions of a standard brushless DC motor. This model was implemented in specialised software. The obtained characteristics of the developed motor satisfy the necessary requirements for drone propulsion system parameters. The proposed approach for evaluating the feasibility of using switched reluctance motors as traction drives in UAV systems, along with the analysis performed using the developed mathematical model, demonstrated the prospects of such a solution. The results obtained in this work can be used in the development of an alternative drone electric drive system based on reluctance machines without the use of permanent magnets