The structure and working mode design of the electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicle composite power supply

Abstract

The limited endurance and poor dynamic response of single power source systems have become critical bottlenecks restricting the performance of electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). To address these issues, this paper proposes a design scheme for a composite power supply system tailored for micro electric UAVs. The overall vehicle structure integrating the composite power supply is designed, and the operational principles of the composite power system are systematically analyzed. Based on the power distribution control objectives, multiple working modes of the composite power system are formulated, and quantitative mode switching thresholds, including motor demand power, battery SOC, and supercapacitor voltage, are established. The main circuit topology of the composite power supply is optimized and designed, followed by a detailed analysis of the control strategies for each working mode. A MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform matching the proposed topology is built to complete multi-condition flight simulation verification, and the simulation results verify the rationality of the topology and the effectiveness of the mode switching control strategy. The proposed design effectively coordinates the power output between different energy sources, improving the system’s dynamic response capability and overall energy utilization efficiency. This work provides a viable technical solution for enhancing the endurance and power performance of micro electric UAVs.