Energetics of rotary-wing exploration of Titan

Rotary-wing vehicles have the potential to enable exploration of Titan at scales ranging from hundreds of kilometers to millimeters. This paper examines the flight power demands of multi-rotor vehicles (e.g. quadcopters or co-axial helicopters), considering both hover and forward flight. Specifically, this paper examines power demands of a small (1 kg) co-axial helicopter as well as a larger (350 kg) multi-rotor vehicle. In both cases the power requirements are well within the capabilities of current batteries and electric motors: the 350 kg vehicle requires 1.87 kW aerodynamic power for hover and 1.32 kW aerodynamic power for cruise at an airspeed of 9.5 m/s; the 1 kg vehicle requires 3.63 W aerodynamic power for hover and 3.17 W aerodynamic power to cruise at 4 m/s. Energy requirements of the 1 kg vehicle are driven mainly by thermal management and power required by avionics: this has a significant influence on range, endurance, and optimal flight speeds. The flight performance characteristics of both vehicles are capable of fulfilling meaningful scientific goals.