DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-2-176-187
Abstract
Problem Statement (Relevance). Modern small unmanned aerial vehicles impose high demands on their performance quality, especially in extreme operating conditions. One of the key factors affecting the reliability and longevity of such vehicles is maintaining stable thermal conditions for the batteries in low-temperature environments. Optimizing thermal management becomes necessary to ensure the specified flight characteristics and improve the efficiency of the vehicle's power supply system. To maintain stable power system performance for small unmanned aerial vehicles under such conditions, the development of innovative approaches to thermal management is required. The use of LED lighting devices, due to their significant heat generation, can serve as an unconventional combined source of both light and heat for these aerial systems. This opens new prospects for the development of thermal management models that can provide additional support in maintaining the battery temperature at levels sufficient for normal operation. Objectives. The goal of this work is to develop a battery heating management model for small unmanned aerial vehicles using LED systems, aimed at maintaining optimal operating temperatures for the batteries and improving the reliability and quality of flights in low-temperature conditions (down to -15 degrees Celsius). Methods Applied. This study utilizes a comprehensive approach that includes numerical modeling of thermal processes based on differential heat transfer equations, as well as experimental research aimed at evaluating the efficiency of the proposed model in real-world operating conditions. The modeling was conducted using Python and MATLAB programming languages, ensuring high accuracy and adaptability of the calculations. The simulation of the system's operation was based on data concerning the dynamics of temperature changes, battery characteristics, and LED light sources. Methods of optimal thermal process modeling were applied, along with an analysis of the compliance of the developed model with quality and operational standards under the specified temperature conditions. Originality. For the first time, the integration of LED systems as an active element of thermal management for small unmanned aerial vehicles is proposed, enabling not only illumination but also battery heating in extreme temperature conditions. The developed mathematical model takes into account the main parameters affecting heat transfer and system performance, such as material heat capacity, thermal conductivity coefficients, convection, and radiation. Special attention is given to modeling the interaction of thermal flows within the power source of small unmanned aerial vehicles and accounting for aerodynamic effects on its body, which helps maintain the required flight quality under extreme temperature conditions. Result. The conducted modeling and experimental studies showed that using LEDs to maintain optimal battery temperatures leads to a significant increase in battery life. Practical Relevance. The application of the proposed model and strategy significantly improves the operational characteristics of small UAVs, enhancing their reliability and efficiency in cold climatic conditions. The developed model can be integrated into the design and operation of small UAVs, improving flight quality and the effective use of these devices, thereby expanding their applicability in moderately cold climatic regions.
Keywords
thermal management, small unmanned aerial vehicles, small unmanned aerial systems, flight quality management, power source heating, LED light sources, energy efficiency, performance optimization, quality management
For citation
Kuzmenko V.P. Development of a Battery Heating Control Model for a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Led Systems to Ensure the Specified Flight Quality. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2025, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 176-187. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-2-176-187
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