Public Funding for Technelec Limited

Electric motors are ever increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Manufacturing and prototyping these motors are often a difficult and time-consuming process. The design of the motors must consider the manufacturing methods available from the start, limiting the design choices available. Using Additive Manufacturing (AM) to produce these windings creates opportunities to rapidly prototype these motors in the UK. Moreover, such technology could present an opportunity for new high-performance motor designs that were previously infeasible with present manufacturing methods. Creating a winding design for an AM process is complex, designing the winding to be both electrically optimal for the machine and optimal for the AM process will be investigated. This project will concentrate on manufacturing individual conductors which will then be connected to printed circuit board (PCB) end windings. High frequency motors require "litz" wire to produce low resistance windings at these high AC frequencies. This project will attempt to build "litz" wire with AM methods allowing for high copper densities within the motor whilst maintaining the benefits of using multiple small conductors to make up a larger conductor. The outcomes of this project will allow current motor designs to be rapidly prototyped using AM machine windings. These new AM structures will then be used as the base for a new generation of electric machines which are designed specifically for AM giving the potential for performance benefits and manufacturability within the UK.

no public description

Electric vehicles are powered predominantly by one type of motor containing rare earth permanent magnet. The rare earth magnet material is extracted from its ore at considerable environmental cost. Permanent magnet motors are limited in speed, and always consume power when the vehicle is moving. Premature end of motor life occurs by the magnet degrading. The subsequent recycling process is a challenging task. This feasibility study is looking at a different type of motor: the Switched Reluctance Motor which contains no magnet and has a simple construction. The motor can run fast enabling the same power to weight as the permanent magnet motor, has no drag torque and a longer life in the harsh automotive environment. At the end of life the recycling of constituent motor parts is simpler. The switched reluctance motor has not been adopted as an alternative drive motor because the power electronics driving the motor is not a standard design increasing its cost. Capacitors in the circuit are put under more stress and the control of the motor is complex to maintain low acoustic noise and smooth motor rotation. This feasibility study is investigating combining a switched reluctance motor with a new configuration of power electronics which will potentially create a low cost, highly integrated, efficient electric vehicle drive with power available over a wide speed range.