Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
31 Drone Power System Design and Build
Bingye He
Yuyang Tian
Zhuoyang Lai
Zikang Liu
 design_document2.pdf
proposal3.pdf
 Jiahuan Cui
# Team members

Zhuoyang Lai (zlai7)

Yuyang Tian (yuyangt3)

Zikang Liu (zikangl2)

Bingye He (bingyeh2)

# Problem overview
The primary work involves designing the electric motor, rotor, structure, and circuitry of the electric power system. This system is intended to power a large drone capable of generating 5 kg of thrust at ground level. Achieving this goal requires a holistic approach where each component is optimized for high performance, efficiency, and lightweight construction. The motor must deliver sufficient power while maintaining efficiency and durability, while the rotor design needs to provide optimal aerodynamic performance for both takeoff and sustained flight. Meanwhile, the structural elements must be robust yet lightweight to support the overall system without compromising the drone’s agility or payload capacity. The circuit design is equally critical, as it must manage high current loads, ensure stable power delivery, and integrate advanced control systems to handle the dynamic demands of flight. Together, these integrated systems must work seamlessly to meet the demanding operational requirements of a large drone, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient performance from takeoff to flight.

# Solution overview
This project for drone applications encompasses four key subsystems. Subsystem 1 designs a high - torque - density BLDC motor by integrating electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical principles, using equations and MotorCAD for design and simulation, then manufacturing components like the stator, rotor, and housing, and validating performance through tests. Subsystem 2, based on the open - source VESC project, creates a custom motor control PCB with a high - performance microcontroller, gate driver, and current sensing circuitry, incorporating thermal management and communication interfaces, and programming it with modified firmware. Subsystem 3 manufactures the drone's rotor and supporter parts via the hot press process, designing the mold and heater, and carefully layering and processing carbon fiber. Subsystem 4 designs the blades using carbon fiber composite for high strength - to - weight and aerodynamic performance, with a specific shape and number, and creates an aluminum alloy hub with a vibration - damping mechanism for a secure connection to the motor shaft.

# Solution Components
## Sub system 1
For motor design, the aim is to design a high-torque-density BLDC motor optimized for drone applications. It combines electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical design principles to deliver peak performance within compact dimensions. Firstly, we use motor design equations (e.g., torque =) to determine core dimensions, number of turns, and magnet specifications. Then we use MotorCAD for iterative electrical and thermal simulations to optimize power flow, losses, and heat distribution. Based on the simulation, we should design and manufacture all motor components. For the Electromagnetic Core, an 18-slot, Si-steel stator paired with 22-pole N52 NdFeB magnets and AWG 23 copper windings for high torque (2.5NM) and efficiency (80%). The diameter of the core is within 80mm and length within 40mm. For wiring, we should ensure 3-phase,8turns, 3 strands to reduce resistance and loss, minimize counter electromotive force and improve thermal conductivity. An aluminum finned housing for heat dissipation, ensuring peak temperatures stay below 80°C. A 6205 angular contact bearing assembly and rigid polycarbonate enclosure for durability and vibration resistance. Finally, we should validate performance after assembly through bench tests (torque/speed measurements) and thermal imaging.

## Sub system 2
Based on the open-source VESC project, we will design and fabricate a custom PCB for motor control tailored specifically for drone applications. The board will feature a high-performance microcontroller (STM32F4 series) for real-time calculations and control algorithms, a DRV8301 gate driver for efficient MOSFET switching, and current sensing circuitry for precise current monitoring. The PCB design will incorporate thermal management considerations, robust power filtering, and communication interfaces for telemetry and control. After manufacturing, the board will be programmed with modified VESC firmware optimized for aviation applications, allowing compatibility with the existing VESC Tool software for parameter tuning and monitoring.

## Sub system 3
For the structure and rotor manufacture, we choose the hot press process to manufacture the rotor and supporter part of the drone. We design the rotor mold and the heater for the hot press carbon fiber process. To manufacture the rotor, we put the pre-impregnated carbon fiber layup to the mold layer by layer with its pattern vertical to increase the structure strength. After that, the mold is put into the heater to be heated in the temperature of about 160°C for about 2-3h. Then, the mold is gradually cooled to minimize thermal stresses, resulting in a robust and high-performance component suitable for demanding applications such as drone frames and rotor blades.

## Sub system 4
For the blades, we use a carbon fiber composite material with a thickness - to - chord ratio of 10 - 12% to ensure high strength - to - weight ratio and good aerodynamic performance. The blade shape is designed with a swept - back leading edge and a tapered trailing edge to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve lift - to - drag ratio. The number of blades is set to 4, with each blade having a length of 120mm and a root chord length of 30mm, tapering to 15mm at the tip. The hub is made of aluminum alloy 6061 - T6, which is machined to have a precise fit with the motor shaft. It is designed with a central bore for shaft insertion and four evenly - spaced arms to attach the blades. The hub also includes a vibration - damping mechanism, such as rubber inserts, to reduce the transmission of vibrations from the rotor to the drone frame.

# Criteria for Success
- Stability: The entire drone's structure shows no obvious damage or deformation, and the overall structure remains stable with the rotor.

- Performance: Delivering ≥5kg pulling force at 3000 RPM with 80% efficiency.

- Thermal Reliability and Durability: Maintaining motor <80°C under 100% load for 10 minutes and matching simulated thermal behavior in bench tests. Surviving 5 hours of cyclic testing (vibration/voltage spikes) without mechanical failure.

- Manufacturability: Cost-effective assembly process (e.g., modular design for easy part replacement). Compliance with drone weight limits (e.g., total system weight < 2KG).

- Precision: The VESC-based motor control PCB must provide precise control of the motor, handle the required current load without thermal issues, and successfully interface with the VESC Tool software for configuration and monitoring.

- Compatibility: The rotor should be directly compatible with the selected drone motor in terms of shaft diameter, mounting interface, and rotational speed range. It should also integrate seamlessly with the drone's power system and control electronics, without causing any interference or instability in the flight control system. Additionally, the total weight of the rotor system should be less than 0.5KG, and the diameter should not exceed 300mm.

Fountain show

Dingyi Feng, Tianli Ling, Zhelun Lu, Shibo Zhang

Featured Project

## Team

- Dingyi Feng(dingyif2)

- Tianli Ling(tling3)

- Zhelun Lu(zhelunl2)

- Shibo Zhang(shiboz2)

## Problem:

A fountain show on campus can make students feel more relaxed after class. However, some fountain shows only have monotonous, stiff, and single actions. Besides, they cannot automatically generate action and light effects. Compared with large fountain shows, small and medium-sized fountain shows have the advantage of time and space. In most cases, a large fountain show only has preloaded music which cannot be decided by audiences. Large fountain shows also require people to design the action and light effects for each music, which takes lots of time and effort. Compared with the large fountain show, our small fountain show will be more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, large fountain shows might result in large crowds gathering, but a small fountain show can reduce the risk of infection.

## Solution Overview:

Our fountain show would be built at a pool on the sourthwest of the main lake on campus. By manually programing, the fountain show could realize changing lighting effects and movements. Besides, our fountain show could also identify the music which was imported into our system, and automatically generate the lighting effects and movements with the music. If time permits, we will strengthen the human-computer interaction of our product. To be specific, people could scan the QR code or use our online system to choose the music they want, so that they can enjoy the fountain show at any time.

## Solution Components:

### Control Subsystem:

- Music colleccting and analyzing subsystem: Computer that can import music signals and analyze them.

- Converting subsystem: After music signal is analyzed, we need computer to convert useful signals into digital signals. Digital signals will be used to control LEDs and other mechanical subsystems.

### Mechanical Subsystem:

- Pump Subsystem: Water pump that can pump water from the lake. Valves will be used to control water’s flow rate of each nozzle.

- Lighting Subsystem: LEDs are needed to light our fountains. They are controlled by microprocessor on PCB. Their brightness and color can be changed with music.

- Motor Subsystem: Two motors are needed for each fountain nozzle to control the movements. The motors are controlled by microprocessor on PCB.

### Power subsystem:

- The pump is drived by DC power (12V 20~30A). PCB and computer will be drived by USB (5V 1A). Full module power supply with 12V and 5V output is needed.

## Criterion for Success:

- If it can successfully identify a piece of music and convert it to electrical signals that we need in controlling LED’s lighting and nozzle’s moving.

- If the whole system can work stably for a long time and whether it is safe to use without electric leakage or other problems.

- If music playing, fountain movements and LED lights are synchronized.

- If the fountain system is neat and whether the fountain performance is ornamental enough.