Higher performance with compact DC motors
Researchers, military personnel and industrial sectors are increasingly using miniature aircraft known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Useful for reconnaissance flights and surveillance, UAVs are much cheaper to maintain and run than manned flights thanks to the absence of personnel.
Controlling the air to fuel ratio for aircraft engines is a challenge. Minimising fuel consumption is essential, but this can't be done with any compromise to performance. Small aircraft require even more careful control. Every gram of fuel saved makes all the difference, helping to extend flight time and increase usable load. And the small size of a UAV means that its internal combustion engine must also be compact. So, what can a compact electronic drive system do to help accurately control fuel mixtures?
Replacing carburettor control
Historically, engines made use of a carburetor to control the mix of air and fuel in the engine. But carburetors cannot adapt the fuel mix to the different phases of flight. A carburetor perfectly tuned at sea level will have a mixture that’s too rich at altitude. The opposite is also true; the ideal mixture at altitude will be too weak on the ground.
To replace the carburetor, Currawong Engineering Pty Ltd has developed a new miniaturized electronic fuel injection (EFI) system designed specifically for small combustion engines. Its EFI system offers numerous benefits over carburetors, including enhanced performance, reduced fuel consumption and increased reliability.
So, how does the EFI system work? Butterfly or rotating valves are used to regulate the airflow. But unlike the carburetor, the EFI system includes an electronically controlled fuel injector to deliver specific quantities of fuel. The EFI system can control air and fuel intake separately for better engine performance and fuel efficiency. The electronic control unit (ECU) uses a variety of sensors to calculate the desired fuel/air mixture. These sensors include the inlet manifold air and cylinder head temperature sensors, as well as a variety of position and pressure sensors.
