We initially predicted that 2 propellers pushing the AEV would create the most thrust and therefore be the most energy efficient. The results surprised us:
Plot for Power over Time:
As seen in the data above, The single push orientation used far less energy than the other three orientations. 1 pushing used about 25.7 watts. The next lowest was 1 pulling which used 33.7 watts. This leads to the idea that 1 propeller pushing the AEV is the ideal propulsion system for the AEV.