Efficiency of brushed and brushless electronic speed control systems and Lithium batteries

This paper presents experimental results of brushed and brushless electronic speed control system (1) operating temperatures, and (2) run-times per similar battery charge. These two sets of data are then used with information on each speed control's mass and heat capacity to calculate each system's efficiency, i.e. the more heat generated, the more power that was wasted as heat. The influence of temperature on the performance of pouch-type Lithium-Polymer batteries used by RC hobbyists is also explored using firstly, Peltier cells combined with a water-cooled heatsink, and secondly, cold water immersion. Heat capacity measurements of these batteries are also attempted to capture data useful for designing potential cooling systems for these batteries. A cost-benefit comparison of brushed and brushless electronic speed control systems in terms of actual Amp-hour extraction from batteries is also presented.