Our test stands collect comprehensive temperature data to offer a full picture of your system’s thermal properties.
What Kinds of Motor Heat Tests Can I Perform?
Examples:
- Test climactic limits - determine the maximum environmental temperature for safe operation
- Endurance test with heat factors - a classic endurance test with a repeating throttle pattern in a warm environment
- Test operating limits - determine the maximum operating settings your drone can handle before overheating
- Flight replay with temperature probes - use thermal probes to measure the temperature of different components throughout your flight
Reasons to Perform Motor Heat Testing
- Determine motor heat limits in the absence of clear documentation
- Prevent motor overheating and failure
- Establish safe operating limits
- Save money by protecting components
- Optimize flight profiles to based on motor thermal data
How to Perform Motor Heat Tests
- Install your motor and propeller on the test stand
- Attach up to 3 temperature probes to different areas of the propulsion system, such as the motor, battery or ESC
- Create a model to estimate the difference in temperature at the heat source vs. at the site of the probe - see page 2 here for an example
- Open the RCbenchmark software and connect the test stand
- Design a manual or automated testing protocol that takes your propulsion system through throttle operating points based on real flight data or operating limits
- Click ‘Run’ and observe as data on your propulsion system comes in, as well as temperature data from the locations of your temperature probes
- Export the data to .CSV and look for drops in performance to indicate overheating or use the temperature probe data to record safe operating temperatures