Close
The EDS200 dynamometer is a complete system designed for characterizing high-powered electric and hybrid drive trains. The EDS200 is capable of speeds up to 5000RPM and 500Nm of torque. The system regenerates power from the test article, and places it back onto the 480V grid, significantly reducing the energy consumed during testing.
ESAero is currently the prime contractor of X-57 and has been involved with several other electrified propulsion systems for NASA research. An integral part of the X-57 project required detailed information on the Cruise motor and controllers. There was also a need to qualify these motors for use flight. ESAero helped define the testing requirements, and procedures for most of the hardware to be used on X-57 including the cruise motors and controllers.
In order to Qualify/Accept the Cruise motor controller there was a need to build a system that could produce repeatable results while safely driving the components up to their full power.
Testing these components at high power can be a huge draw on facilities power. This can lead to issues with the utility provider, permitting, and facility power capability.
There was also the need to understand the performance and efficiency of the system. This in particular is difficult due to the high frequencies seen in the electrical signals going to the motor. These signals must be sampled simultaneously and at a high enough frequency to properly characterize the power usage.
ESAero build a dynamometer stand to perform he required tests on the cruise motor. The system allows for the full range of performance specifications to be tested in a repeatable safe fashion.
The EDS200 is capable of speeds up to 5000RPM and 500Nm of torque. The system regenerates power from the test article, and places it back onto the 480V grid, significantly reducing the energy consumed during testing.
A turn-key test cell designed for the characterization and certification of high- powered electric drive trains.
The system can fully characterize the performance of an each component in an electric drive train. This ability has given a large amount of insight into the dynamics at time scales not usually available. This insight can help to improve the efficiency and the safe use of these components. It can also assist in control software design and updates throughout the life cycle of a system.
The Field Adaptable Supply Technology (FAST) swarming system is a rapidly deployable and affordable platform for small payload aerial delivery. Using plug-and-play hardware, the FAST swarming system is quickly deployable to any area. A user-friendly system enables fleets of vehicles to deliver over 2.3lb of payload over 3 mi. Designed and built in the USA with a robust supply chain and lean manufacturing techniques, large quantities of FAST systems can be rapidly deployed, even for disposable missions such as target and counter UAS tests. Assembled in under 2 minutes.
The FAST system consists of multirotor vehicles equipped with real time vehicle-to-vehicle cooperation. The vehicles are designed to be adaptable to multiple types of low-cost components resulting in rapid, low-cost manufacturing and deployment.
The FAST System was originally developed as a humanitarian aid relief vehicle. The vehicles and GCS can be quickly manufactured in response to a natural disaster or any incident where small scale supplies are needed to be quickly dispersed over a large area.
This case study focuses on a cost effective swarming UAS with the application of a single operator. UAS swarm has the potential to distribute tasks and coordinate the operation of many vehicles with a single operator.
The current UAS market presents many challenges in producing and deploying systems:
• Supply chain limitations
• High unit cost
• High deployment and testing cost
• Complex operational logistics
• Non-domestic manufacturing
• Lack of vehicle-to-vehicle awareness
The FAST system aims to overcome these challenges by utilizing an adaptable and robust supply chain combined with an integrated dedicated swarm algorithm.
Designed and built with an integrated vehicle-to-vehicle cooperation algorithm, large quantities of FAST systems can be rapidly deployed using a single operator with minimal training.
Each FAST system GCS includes a tablet for easy deployment of vehicle swarms. All coordination between the vehicles and flight path assignments are handled using the integrated swarm algorithm.
The FAST system has proven that by using plug-and-play hardware, the swarming system can be quickly deployed to any area at a very low cost.
Specific development of autonomous swarms with UAV-to-UAV communication and coordination ability is central to advancing the utility of UAV swarms.
Advantages of the swarming capabilities include time-savings, reduction in man-hours, reduction in labor, and a reduction in other associated operational expenses.
Formed in 2003, ESAero has been serving the needs of the engineering industry through its work on entrepreneurial concept development, aircraft modifications for the military, and commercial conceptual air vehicle designs. Learn more about ESAero's projects and services.
