Unmanned Systems Technology 007 | UMEX 2016 report | Navya ARMA | Launch & recovery systems | AIE 225CS | AUVs | Electric motors | Lethal autonomous weapons

68 I t is not difficult to see the attraction of electric motors as the propulsion source for unmanned systems. An electric drive system – the electric motor and its associated power electronics – can achieve efficiencies above 90%, compared with the 30% or so available from an internal combustion engine (ICE). An added allure is the fact that brushless electric motor technology, on which electric drive systems in unmanned platforms are based, is well established, and is already used in many other industrial applications. The brushless dc (BLDC) motor is the ideal choice for applications that require high reliability, high efficiency and a high power-to-volume ratio. In general, a BLDC motor is considered to be a high-performance device capable of providing large amounts of torque over a wide speed range. The motors are a derivative of the most commonly used dc motor, the brushed dc motor, and the two types share the same torque and speed Mark Venables investigates the electric motor options for unmanned systems Electric avenues April/May 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology Quiet operation is a key attribute with an electric propulsion system. This is an acoustic testing facility (Courtesy of NWUAV)