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Starter motor doubles as generator for UAVs

An Aveox product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 5, 2005

Aveox has developed an integrated starter/generator principally for the unmanned air vehicle industry, but now finding interest from military and other specialised vehicle manufacturers.

Within the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) world, weight saving is of prime importance.

Until recently, UAVs were powered by a heat engine of some sort (often a rotary or Wankel) type.

The engine was started using a more or less standard electric starter motor and the electric power required for flight control was taken from a separate generator driven by the flight engine - the same inefficient system used in the motor cars we drive every day.

Now Aveox has developed an integrated starter/generator principally for the UAV industry but now finding interest from military and other specialised vehicle manufacturers who recognise the benefits of an integrated system, not least of which is the high efficiency available with the Aveox design.

As an example of what can be achieved with an integrated solution, Aveox has developed a package comprising starter motor/generator, gearbox and controller box.

The motor/generator weighs an astonishing 1.85kg, the controller 1.3kg (including its heatsinked enclosure).

In start mode the motor produces a minimum of 4Nm of torque at 1000rev/min from a 24V supply, taking 22.1A.

After start, when the motor now acts as a generator, it supplies up to 1.5kW of power at 28V over a speed range of 3000 to 8500rev/min.

The generator efficiency at the maximum 1.5kW output is 90.9% at 3000rev/min and 83.4% at 8000rev/min.

The Aveox designed control system may be contained in a 4 x 5 x 2inpackage.

The control box can provide intelligent switchover from battery backup to generator output, start and backup battery management including charge control, load partitioning, load switching, built-in testing diagnostics and fault reporting.

The whole system will operate over a temperature range of -55 to +85C.

Aveox specialises in custom built motors and controllers; the specifications of the integrated system described can be changed to match a wide range of required start voltages and generator voltage/power outputs.

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