Design and construction of a dual-rotor aero-system for education and research

Details

Supervisors

Bianchin, Gianluca ; Wielant, François

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électromécanicien, à finalité spécialisée: mécatronique

Abstract

enThis master's thesis presents the design, construction, and progressive validation of a dual-rotor aero-system intended for education and research in control engineering. The objective is to develop an in-house alternative to commercial platforms such as the Quanser Aero~2, whose mechanical design and embedded software are largely fixed. By designing the platform from scratch, the EPL control laboratory gains a system that can be modified, repaired, and adapted to future teaching and research needs. The platform is developed through an incremental prototyping approach. A first aero-pendulum (AP) prototype is used to validate the main actuation and sensing chain on a single pitch axis. A second single-axis twin-rotor (SATR) prototype extends the system to two rotors while keeping the yaw axis mechanically constrained. Finally, the Twin Rotor MIMO System (TRMS) integrates both pitch and yaw degrees of freedom in a compact laboratory platform. This progression allows the mechanical structure, the brushless motor and ESC actuation chain, the encoder and IMU measurements, and the Raspberry~Pi-based control architecture to be tested and validated step by step. The mechanical and electrical design choices are documented in detail, which include the 3D-printed propeller cages, the pivot assemblies, the electrical power architecture, the PWM motor control, and the embedded sensing and acquisition code. A simplified dynamic model is derived and experimental drop tests are used to identify the pitch dynamics of the AP and SATR prototypes. Classical PID-based controllers, extended with gravity compensation when required, are then used as validation tools for the electromechanical design. The results confirm that the proposed architecture is suitable for closed-loop control experiments on the AP and SATR prototypes, and that the final TRMS prototype constitutes a mechanically and electrically operational prototype for future MIMO control studies. The complete design files, source code, and experimental data are archived to support reproduction, maintenance, and further development, both within the EPL control laboratory and by other institutions wishing to reproduce the design and, if necessary, adapt it to their needs.