Mode-Switching Algorithm to Improve Variable-Pitch-Propeller Thrust Generation for Drones Under Motor Current Limitation

Research and development are active in multirotor drones. Attention has been focused on improving drone mobility performance by introducing variable-pitch propellers. However, previous studies have not considered main motor currents in their controller design. The aim of this study is to improve thrust response by controlling the variable-pitch propeller in the thrust dimension while keeping steady-state efficiency. Feed-forward control of thrust by switching modes using the maximum current was designed. The control is designed to switch between a thrust-reaching mode that uses pitch angle and rotational speed and an efficiency-optimizing mode. The mode-switching transitions were verified by simulation, and the effectiveness of the proposal was experimentally validated.