uavdex 0.1.9

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Design EXploration - A Python package for multidisciplinary analysis and optimization of electric group 1-2 UAVs.

UAV DEsign eXploration

Sammy N. Nassau, RPI DBF 2021-2026

IN PROGRESS: April 2026 is the target for public release

UAVDEX Repo

UAVDEX enables rapid determination of electric aircraft propulsion quantities (i.e. thrust or efficiency) across the entire flight envelope. It is intended primarily for students competing in design competitions such as AIAA Design/Build/Fly or SAE Aero.

The tools to thoughtfully design aircraft should be accessible to all.

Example analyses using UAVDEX

Installation

Anaconda is recommended. In anaconda prompt with a desired environment (not base) activated, simply run:

pip install uavdex

PointDesign

This object allows for calculation of electric aircraft propulsion with specified components across the entire flight envelope.

Key inputs that define a single flight condition:

• Uinf: freestream velocity over the propeller
• h: altitude
  • OR rho: density
• dT: throttle setting (0-100%)
• SOC: battery state of charge (0-100%)
  • OR Voc: cell voltage (~3.5-4.15 for LiPo)
  • OR t: runtime

Runtime assumes constant current. This is valid when designing an aircraft that spends most of its flight time in a single condition (i.e. cruise).

Component initialization

import uavdex as ud

design = ud.PointDesign() 			                    # initialize PointDesign object
design.Motor('C-4130/20', nmot = 2)                     # add a motor, and specify the # of motors (nmot = 1 by default)
design.Battery('Gaoneng_8S_3300', discharge = 85)     # add a battery, and specify the maximum discharge (default is 80%)
design.Prop('16x10E')                                   # add a propeller

To view and edit the databases use

design.OpenMotorData()      # opens an editable csv
design.OpenBatteryData()    # opens an editable csv
design.OpenPropellerData()  # opens a folder containing .dat files from https://www.apcprop.com/technical-information/performance-data/?v=7516fd43adaa

Alternatively, for a list of options printed to the console:

design.MotorOptions()
design.BatteryOptions()
design.PropellerOptions()

All values required are typically provided by the manufacturer, meaning users can add whatever components they desire.

PointResult

A simple function to get propulsion quantities (called 'propQ' in the code) at a specified flight condition.

PointResult example

import uavdex as ud

# Component Initialization
design = ud.PointDesign() 			   # initialize PointDesign object
design.Motor('C-4130/20', nmot = 2)    # add a motor, and specify the # of motors
design.Battery('Gaoneng_8S_3300')      # add a battery 
design.Prop('16x10E')                  # add a propeller

# PointResult
# Uinf_mps:	velocity in m/s   (alternatively use Uinf_fps, Uinf_mph, Uinf_kmh, Uinf_kt)
# dT: 	throttle (0-100%)
# h_m: 	altitude in m         (alternatively use h_ft, rho_kgm3, rho_slugft3, rho_lbft3)
# t_s: 	runtime in s          (alternatively use t_m, t_hr, SOC, Voc)
propQs = design.PointResult(Uinf_mps = 15, dT = 70, h_m = 50, t_s = 30, 
                            verbose = True) # this returns propQs as an array and also prints to console. To stop printing, set verbose = False.

which prints the following to the console:

At Uinf = 15.00 m/s, Throttle = 70%, Density = 1.219 kg/m³, Runtime = 30.0 s
Total Thrust (N)               = 49.204
Total Thrust (lbf)             = 11.062
Total Thrust (g)               = 5017.426
Total Thrust (oz)              = 176.984
Total Torque (N-m)             = 1.746
Total Torque (lbf-ft)          = 1.288
RPM                            = 6202.703
Drive Efficiency               = 38.587
Propeller Efficiency           = 65.074
Gearing Efficiency             = 100.000
Motor Efficiency               = 91.527
ESC Efficiency                 = 65.100
Battery Efficiency             = 99.519
Mech. Power Out of 1 Motor (W) = 567.097
Elec. Power Into 1 Motor (W)   = 619.593
Elec. Power Into 1 ESC (W)     = 951.756
Waste Power in 1 Motor (W)     = 52.497
Waste Power in 1 ESC (W)       = 332.163
Waste Power in 1 Battery (W)   = 9.193
Current in 1 Motor (A)         = 28.198
Current in 1 ESC (A)           = 30.321
Current in Battery (A)         = 60.641
Voltage in 1 Motor (V)         = 21.973
Voltage in 1 ESC (V)           = 31.390
Battery Voltage (V)            = 31.390
Voltage Per Cell (V)           = 3.943
State of Charge                = 84.687

propQs is an array containing the following propulsion quantities,

Index	Symbol	Description	Units
0	T_N	Total Thrust	N
1	T_lbf	Total Thrust	lbf
2	T_g	Total Thrust	g
3	T_oz	Total Thrust	oz
4	Q_Nm	Total Torque	N·m
5	Q_lbfft	Total Torque	lbf·ft
6	RPM	Propeller Speed	RPM
7	eta_drive	Drive Efficiency	%
8	eta_p	Propeller Efficiency	%
9	eta_g	Gearing Efficiency	%
10	eta_m	Motor Efficiency	%
11	eta_c	ESC Efficiency	%
12	eta_b	Battery Efficiency	%
13	Pout	Mechanical Power Out of 1 Motor	W
14	Pin_m	Electrical Power Into 1 Motor	W
15	Pin_c	Electrical Power Into 1 ESC	W
16	Pw_m	Waste Power in 1 Motor	W
17	Pw_c	Waste Power in 1 ESC	W
18	Pw_b	Waste Power in 1 Battery	W
19	Im	Current in 1 Motor	A
20	Ic	Current in 1 ESC	A
21	Ib	Current in Battery	A
22	Vm	Voltage in 1 Motor	V
23	Vc	Voltage in 1 ESC	V
24	Vb	Battery Voltage	V
25	Voc	Voltage Per Cell	V
26	SOC	State of Charge	%

LinePlot

To plot a sweep of any one of the 4 inputs (Uinf, dT, h/rho, Voc/SOC/t) with the others fixed, use a LinePlot. The output variable plotted on the y-axis will be a selected propQ from the list above.

To select a propQ output, input a single variable or a list of variables as shown below

propQ = 'T_lbf'                       # for a single plot
# OR
propQ = ['T_lbf', 'eta_drive', 'Ib']  # to create multiple plots of propQs for the same sweep

LinePlot example

import uavdex as ud
import numpy as np

# Component Initialization
design = ud.PointDesign() 				# initialize PointDesign object
design.Motor('C-4130/20', nmot = 2)		# add a motor, and specify the # of motors
design.Battery('Gaoneng_8S_3300') 		# add a battery 
design.Prop('16x10E') 					# add a propeller

# LinePlot usage
design.LinePlot(propQ = ['T_lbf','eta_drive','Ib'], Uinf_mps = np.linspace(0, 50), dT = 100, h_m = 100, t_s = 30)

~5s runtime, n = 200 --> ~15s runtime)

n = 120

ContourPlot (sweeps of velocity and runtime)

design.ContourPlot(propQ = ['T_lbf', 'eta_drive', 'Ib'], Uinf_mps = np.linspace(0, 45, n), t_s = np.linspace(0, 300, n), dT = 100, h_m = 100)

<!-- the following is incredibly cooked, but it gets the plots to be large and pretty -->
<!--TODO update plots!!!!!>
<table>
  <tr>
    <td align="center" valign="top">
      Thrust for Uinf vs t<br>
      <img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_V_t_T.png" width="600"><br>
      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
    </td>
    <td align="center" valign="top">
      Propulsion Efficiency for Uinf vs t<br>
      <img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_V_t_eta.png" width="600"><br>
      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
    </td>
    <td align="center" valign="top">
      Battery Current for Uinf vs t<br>
      <img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_V_t_Ib.png" width="600"><br>
      &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
At some constant velocity, the right side bound of the contour plot indicates the runtime of the propulsion system in seconds. This is determined by where SOC = (1 - discharge). Additional bounds can originate when the propulsion system cannot generate thrust at some combination of Uinf, dT, Voc, and h. 
                                          
### Additional ContourPlot examples
<!--TODO update plots!!!!!>
<table>
	<tr>
		<td width="33%" valign="top">
			<p align="center">
				<a>Efficiency for velocity vs throttle
          <pre>design.ContourPlot(propQ = 'eta_drive',
                  Uinf_mps = np.linspace(0, 45, 200), 
                  dT = np.linspace(20, 100, 200), 
                  h_m = 50, 
                  t_s = 20)</pre>
        </a>
			</p>
			<img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_V_dT_eta.png">
		</td>
		<td width="33%" valign="top">
			<p align="center">
				<a>Efficiency for velocity vs cell voltage
          <pre>design.ContourPlot(propQ = 'eta_drive',
                  Uinf_mps = np.linspace(0, 45, 200), 
                  dT = 100,
                  h_m = 50, 
                  Voc = np.linspace(3.5, 4.2, 200))</pre>
        </a>
			</p>
      <img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_V_Voc_eta.png">
		</td>
		<td width="33%" valign="top">
			<p align="center">
				<a>Efficiency for cell voltage vs throttle
           <pre>design.ContourPlot(propQ = 'eta_drive',
                  Uinf_mps = 30.0,
                  dT = np.linspace(20, 100, 200),
                  h_m = 50, 
                  Voc = np.linspace(3.5, 4.2, 200))</pre>
        </a>
			</p>
			<img src="./Examples/ContourPlot_Voc_dT_eta.png">
		</td>
	</tr>
</table>
The bounds on these plots occur when the throttle setting and battery voltage are low, meaning the propulsion drive cannot produce thrust at the given velocity. Therefore, efficiency goes to zero.


## Future updates
1. Automatic boundary selection (no input array needed, just specify which variable is the sweep)
2. Battery resistance near low SOC modeled
3. Manual limit lines based on component values (i.e. ESC waste power < 500 W)
4. Expansion of database features
5. Functions for the best Uinf, dT, h for maximum efficiency

Have any requests? Submit a ticket on the google form below or open a github issue thread.
#### TODO: GOOGLE FORM

Want a propulsion component added to the default package CSV sheets? Request here:
#### TODO: GOOGLE FORM

<!--
### Primary Objects:

#### PointDesign
PointDesign is the primary method for electric


#### DesignStudy
#### ClassicalSizing

# Propulsion Models 
--> 

[1]: https://rincon-mora.gatech.edu/publicat/jrnls/tec05_batt_mdl.pdf
[2]: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew-Gong-2/publication/326263042_Performance_Testing_and_Modeling_of_a_Brushless_DC_Motor_Electronic_Speed_Controller_and_Propeller_for_a_Small_UAV_Application/links/5b52a5c545851507a7b6f581/Performance-Testing-and-Modeling-of-a-Brushless-DC-Motor-Electronic-Speed-Controller-and-Propeller-for-a-Small-UAV-Application.pdf
[3]: https://web.mit.edu/drela/Public/web/qprop/motor1_theory.pdf
[4]: https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/11/1/16