Designing a power train for a Quadcopter

[Jack_the_JOAT]

Hello All

I am working on a power train for a quadcopter - see attached the PDF.

I am wondering about the gearbox for power transmission, guessing its a bevel gear design.

I would like to keep the belt drives on the same plane.

Also, should I step the RPM down from the motor to the drive shaft? Thinking a belt or a direct geared connection might be best.

Or step the RPM down when I transfer to the belts?

Can anyone advise on what this might be called and maybe a manufacturer?

Thanks in advance.

Jack.

 

[btrueblood]

Please don't double post.

 

[Jack_the_JOAT]

ok - new to the forum, didn't know where I should post this particular question

won't do it again.

Thanks!

 

[3DDave]

Just use a vertical shaft motor and dispense with the gear boxes.

OTOH this is the least popular system for multi-rotor helicopters. To control it requires the addition of separate pitch controls for each of the 4 rotors, a significant complication with a large number of moving parts.

 

[Jack_the_JOAT]

ok 3DDave, thanks for the advice

I am looking to use an ICE for this particular project, not electrical motors for a variety of reasons.

Are you suggesting 4 separate motors? each at a mounting point? And then control the engines directly?

Can you elaborate a bit?

any links to people doing this? I have found 2 different projects that are working with a central motor and distributed power.

Thanks in advance.

 

[3DDave]

There are always some who look at the previously discarded solutions and want to make them work. The first thing they should do is figure out why they have been discarded and look to solve those problems before adding new ones to the pile.

There are three, non-working examples, at the bottom of this:

https://www.flyability.com/gas-powered-drone

This video appears to be one of those in the above page:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0htR3HfzXmI

The question is, what is the advantage of a quadcopter with a single engine when a larger single rotor, as helicopters have, can give greater lift capacity?

Quads with fixed pitch blades and independent electric motors eliminate all the mechanisms associated with helicopters; putting 4X the complexity of a helicopter doesn't seem to be beneficial.