Cable Optimization and Drag Estimation for Tether-Powered Multirotor UAVs

Abstract

The flight time of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is typically constrained by their high power consumption. Tethered power systems present a viable solution to extend flight times while maintaining the advantages of multirotor UAVs, such as hover capability and agility.

This paper addresses the critical aspect of cable selection for tether-powered multirotor UAVs, considering both hover and forward flight. Existing research often overlooks the trade-offs between cable mass, power losses, and system constraints. We propose a novel methodology to optimize cable selection, accounting for thrust requirements and power efficiency across various flight conditions.

The approach combines physics-informed modeling with system identification to combine hover and forward flight dynamics, incorporating factors such as motor efficiency, tether resistance, and aerodynamic drag. This work provides an intuitive and practical framework for optimizing tethered UAV designs, ensuring efficient power transmission and flight performance. Thus allowing for better, safer, and more efficient tethered drones.

Resources

• Paper (arXiv)
• Interactive Web Demo

Citation

If you use this work in your own research, please cite:

@inproceedings{beffert2025icuas,
  author    = {Beffert, Max and Zell, Andreas},
  title     = {Cable Optimization and Drag Estimation for Tether-Powered Multirotor UAVs},
  booktitle = {2025 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS)},
  publisher = {IEEE},
  year      = {2025},
  month     = May
}