One of the main advantages of using eVTOL aircrafts over traditional transport means is their versatility. They can be used in urban environments in complete safety, to quickly transport people from one place to another, avoiding traffic jams and reducing pollution.
It’s important to know each part of the system in detail and maximize overall efficiency maintaining the high reliability that is needed.
The high efficiency of Embention’s new motor controllers
The power consumption by an eVTOL directly affects its flight time, therefore energy efficiency is a parameter that must be taken into account from early stages in the design. With the new motor drives (commonly known as ESC) developed by Embention, high efficiencies can be achieved when controlling the motors, thanks to the use of the FOC control and the specific electronics for its management.
The MC280 and MC25KW drives, are designed under the DO-254 and DO-168 standard and to work in a temperature range from -40ºC to 70ºC, with an admissible input voltage of 24 – 550VDC, being able to reach high powers with a fast response.
The main communication with the driver for speed or torque control is CAN bus. It has 2 isolated CAN interfaces for those applications where redundancy is a necessity. Other inputs such as PWM or serial are also available for other configurations. Both ESCs can work in sensorless mode, therefore no external encoder is needed to measure the position of the rotor. It is possible to add some type of encoder (Hall Effect, SIN / COS, Incremental) for redundant sensing through peripheral inputs; if one of the external measurements fails, the control unit goes into autonomous mode, without sensors.
The MC280 and MC25KW units can be configured before being used in the final aircraft, you may configure limits, failure modes and operating modes (with or without regenerative braking), as well as different acceleration curves. Another important characteristic is the capacity to know in real time the data necessary for the maneuverability of the aircraft. It is possible to measure instantaneous current consumption, power, rotor speed and a great variety of data.
All this data is stored in an integrated non-volatile memory unit, which records them during the operating cycle in order to be able to analyze them later and is transmitted to the autopilot for advanced control or early failure detection.
Embention presents its new range of electric drives equipped with the highest technology for use in critical applications. Developed in compliance with DO178C and DO254, these motor controllers for eVTOL are the perfect choice for manned vehicles and systems requiring to go through a certification program.
