New Electric Motor is 50% Smaller but has 2x More Torque

[MitchJi]

Hi,

http://www.treehugger.com/files/200...ed-electric-motor-more-powerful-efficient.php

New Electric Motor is 50% Smaller but has 2x More Torque

Less is More With Electric Motors Too
Electric motors are very efficient compared to gasoline or diesel engines, but it seems like there is still room for improvement. One promising company working on this is a spin-off from Oxford university called Yasa Motors ("Yasa" stands for "Yokeless And Segmented Armature"). Their electric motor was first developed for the Morgan LIFEcar high-performance hydrogen car, but its characteristics - 50% of the volume giving 2x the torque for the same power output - mean it could be used in other things than electric cars, including renewable energy generation and aerospace (lighter airplanes use less fuel...). Even electric bikes could benefit!

The above is from a 2007 white paper. It's possible that these numbers have since been improved.
Image: Yasa Motors

Scaling Up
Yasa motors has just got £1.45 million ($2.42 million) from a funding round with private investor Seven Spires Investments Limited, and a grant from the UK's Technology Strategy Board. This will help them develop a mass-produced version of their lightweight-but-powerful electric motor that can have applications in many fields, including electric cars and renewable energy generation.

In a 2007 white paper (pdf), they claimed a 95% peak efficiency, but back then they were only at a 20% improvement in torque, so it's probable that peak efficiency has been improved since then.

Yasa Motors has been working for 8 months with Delta Motorsports to make an electric motor for a 4-seater that will be tested on the track at the end of this year. "The company is aiming to sell a low volume of the motors in its first year, as well as scaling up production and developing new models."

 

[Lock]

Nice!
View attachment YasaMotors_2009.PNG

More detail here:
http://www.isis-innovation.com/licensing/3056.html

Greatly reduced weight – the use of iron and copper is reduced
High efficiency (up to 97%) through the intelligent use of new materials
Excellent manufacturing possibilities
The design allows for the use of novel combinations of materials even for large machines
Reduced torque ripple due to multi phase winding
Improved cooling characteristics due to segmented design
Scalable for large generators such as those used in renewable energy (e.g. low speed wind and tidal) applications.

These features combine to give a motor that is both lightweight and delivers extremely good power to weight performance. An Oxford motor for automotive application weighed just 13kg but delivers a peak torque of 130Nm (10Nm/kg) and peak power of about 50kW. Simulations show that the same motor is capable of achieving a peak torque of over 200Nm and a peak power of over 150kW. Suitable for high torque applications the technology could be applied to regenerative braking systems within hybrid vehicles for example or wind turbines without the requirement for direct drive gearboxes. A prototype has been built which has matched its modelled characteristics.

tks
LOk