liveforphysics
100 TW
This thread will be updated as I build my motor for the ES motor torque contest.
So far I'm at the buying materials stage. About $400 in composites and ceramic bearings alone so far, and I still haven't decided what to do for magnets yet, and I know the coil configuration I want, but haven't sourced the copper strips for making them yet.
The goal will be to target as close to the 3Kg limit as possible, because I think there are definite advantages in scaling things up. I'm also not going to use any materials that rust or corrode in my motor, so it would be marine-use capable.
So far I'm looking at doing an innovative bearing inside a tube, inside another bearing, inside a tube type of design. This requires at least 4 large bearings, which aside from corrosion is an additional motivator to go ceramic, as they are a lot lighter than steel. I think it will give my rotor the rigidity that will enable me to close up that flux gap as tight as possible though, which should pay-off in the end.
I ordered some honeycomb composite sheets for the rotors, and once the magnet design/layout is finalized, I will have someone with a CNC (or maybe I will buy my own, I've been wanting to do that forever) cut through the outer layer in the area the magnets will mount, so they recess into the rotor disk, but not flush, just enough that the top part of the carbon laminate hits in the middle of the magnet thickness. This way under high G loading the magnets force is balanced to hopefully cause less tipping/flexing, and the air gap between the raised magnets will form channels, which when layed next to the stator face, and given some inlet holes down close to the center will form a high flow air-pump naturally to keep a strong flow of air cooling the coils in the stator.
The work hasn't even begun yet, but I'm excited to give my best effort towards winning the contest.
So far I'm at the buying materials stage. About $400 in composites and ceramic bearings alone so far, and I still haven't decided what to do for magnets yet, and I know the coil configuration I want, but haven't sourced the copper strips for making them yet.
The goal will be to target as close to the 3Kg limit as possible, because I think there are definite advantages in scaling things up. I'm also not going to use any materials that rust or corrode in my motor, so it would be marine-use capable.
So far I'm looking at doing an innovative bearing inside a tube, inside another bearing, inside a tube type of design. This requires at least 4 large bearings, which aside from corrosion is an additional motivator to go ceramic, as they are a lot lighter than steel. I think it will give my rotor the rigidity that will enable me to close up that flux gap as tight as possible though, which should pay-off in the end.
I ordered some honeycomb composite sheets for the rotors, and once the magnet design/layout is finalized, I will have someone with a CNC (or maybe I will buy my own, I've been wanting to do that forever) cut through the outer layer in the area the magnets will mount, so they recess into the rotor disk, but not flush, just enough that the top part of the carbon laminate hits in the middle of the magnet thickness. This way under high G loading the magnets force is balanced to hopefully cause less tipping/flexing, and the air gap between the raised magnets will form channels, which when layed next to the stator face, and given some inlet holes down close to the center will form a high flow air-pump naturally to keep a strong flow of air cooling the coils in the stator.
The work hasn't even begun yet, but I'm excited to give my best effort towards winning the contest.