Drone Delivery Battery Swap Throughput

Translate swap station cycle times, bay counts, and availability into practical throughput metrics for drone logistics operations.

Time from touchdown to redeployment including diagnostics.
Number of simultaneous swap bays staffed or automated.
Total hours the hub processes swaps each day.
Availability after accounting for maintenance or weather pauses. Defaults to 95%.
Expected swap demand from all drones to compare against capacity. Defaults to 0 if blank.

Operational planning aide. Validate with digital twin simulations and airspace approvals before scaling fleets.

Examples

  • 3.5 minute cycle, 4 stations, 18-hour window, 94% uptime, demand 60 swaps/hour ⇒ 64.46 swaps/hour available, 1,160.23 swaps/day, utilisation 93.09%.
  • 2.8 minute cycle, 3 stations, 12-hour window, uptime blank, demand blank ⇒ 61.07 swaps/hour capacity, 732.86 swaps/day, utilisation 0%.

FAQ

How do I capture battery charging constraints?

Model charging fleet availability separately and ensure charged packs exceed the swap throughput. Pair this calculator with state-of-charge forecasting to avoid bottlenecks.

What utilisation target should I aim for?

Keep utilisation below 85% during steady-state operations to absorb spikes from urgent deliveries or temporary bay outages.

Does the cycle time include landing sequencing?

Include approach and clearance procedures up to the point another drone can safely enter the bay. Shared airspace controllers may add extra buffer minutes in dense corridors.

Additional Information

  • Result unit: swaps per hour and swaps per day.
  • Cycle time should include automated QC scans and safe taxi clearances to avoid optimistic capacity claims.
  • Use lower uptime values during monsoon or winter seasons when weather often grounds drones.

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