Can drones deliver?

This article deals with the feasibility of drone delivery using formulas to give the answer to this question.

Estimation of power consumption in kW can be determined by:

[math]\displaystyle{ \frac{(m_p+m_v)v}{370\eta r}+p }[/math]

mp= payload mass in kilo

mv= vehicle mass in kilo

r = lift-to-drag ratio

η = power transfer efficiency for motor and propeller

p = power consumption of electronics in kW

v = cruising velocity in km/h

The worst case energy requirement in kWh can be approximated by:

[math]\displaystyle{ \frac{d}{1-\psi }\frac{(m_p+m_v)v}{370\eta r}+\frac{p}{v} }[/math]

d = maximum range in km

ψ = ratio of headwind to airspeed

Average energy cost per kilometer can be approximated by:

[math]\displaystyle{ \frac{c}{e}\frac{(m_p+m_v)v}{370\eta r}+\frac{p}{v} }[/math]

c = cost of electricity in $/kWh

e = charging efficiency

Average battery cost per kilometer can be approximated by:

[math]\displaystyle{ \frac{k}{l}\frac{(m_p+m_v)v}{370\eta r}+\frac{p}{v} }[/math]

k = battery cost in $/kWh

l = life of battery, in cycles

Some of the formulas in this article could be used to determine how much power our drone would need to function and what the costs might be in operating it.