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Plastic Bonded Iron Powder Motors Can Halve the Cost and Double the Output of Electric Motors
11 October 2007
Researchers at Lund University (Sweden) have developed a technique for making magnetic components in electric motors from plastic bonded iron powder (PBIP) that can cut aggregate production cost in half and nearly double the output of the motor. The method is the result of 15 years of collaboration between researchers from the fields of electrical power systems and industrial production.
A key component in motors is the magnetically conductive material, usually made up of bundled laminated thin plates with coils wound around them. This type of motor construction contains many small parts and takes a long time to manufacture.
Together with his research colleagues Tord Cedell and Mats Andersson, Lund Professor Mats Alaküla has found that an alloy of iron powder in plastic (PBIP) functions well in such motor applications. The concept of PBIP is to surround the metal particles with insulating plastic material to provide low conductivity and high permeability. Properties of PBIP vary depending upon the shape of the metal particles and the choice of plastic material.
Centrifugal molding is used to arrange and pack the metal particles in an optimized structure—i.e., with better arrangement than if molded without centrifugation, but not too dense to allow contact between particles.
Molding melted plastic and iron particles also enables full freedom of form. Besides higher quality and greater freedom of form, the technique reduces the number of production steps from about 60 to only a few. The development of the material itself started in the late 1980s at the Section for Industrial Production, within the framework of the materials technology consortia, funded partly by what is now Vinnova (Research and Innovation for Sustainable Growth).
This research is funded with a total of SEK 12 million (US$1.9 million) over five years from Vinnova, the Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF), and Industri Kapital. A patent is pending, to be issued in late October. Whether a new company will be formed or the technology licensed out has not yet been decided by the researchers at CEMEC (Center for Electro-Magnetic Energy Conversion).
The technique is not suitable for high-performance motors, such as servo motors. But for fans, pumps, household appliances, and cars it’s a perfect fit. The technology can pave the way for new possibilities, such as facilitating the conversion of cars to electric hybrid power. It’s worth mentioning in this connection that all methods that lead to simpler and cheaper production indirectly help curb carbon dioxide emissions.
—Mats Alaküla
A prototype of the technology will be on display at the Lund University Faculty of Engineering booth at the Technology Fair in Älvsjö, Stockholm, Sweden, 16-19 October.
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October 11, 2007 in Motors | Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: jack | October 12, 2007 at 08:45 PM
HEY YOU GUY'S WITH THE BRAINS IN THEIR FEET //LET'S JUST CHEER THIS NEW PRODUCT FOR THE IMPROVEMENT IN OUR GRANDCHILDREN'S LIVES SO HIP /HIP//HOURA FOR THE INVENTOR'S
Posted by: frank | October 13, 2007 at 08:35 AM
if we make the motor as a cup motor (armature on the outside) then rotation and creep will not lead to eventual contact between armature and stator.
worth considering.
Posted by: James Goldan | October 13, 2007 at 10:41 AM
I would like to get a higher HP motor in my Honda Civic Hybrid. Something that would give me instant boost for about ten seconds like the throttle response of my old 401 Buick from the 60's but still let me get 40+MPG when cruising. Perhaps this is a battery draw issue(too much, too fast), but the Honda design where the electric motor replaces the flywheel is clever. It would just be nice to have more power on tap than 100HP to propel a 3000 pound car. I only need it for acceleration bursts.
Posted by: frank | October 13, 2007 at 02:59 PM
Frank,
I agree. People are looking for zip and mileage. Nothing says that you can not have both.
Posted by: sjc | October 15, 2007 at 08:38 PM
I have read through the portion of the document which was the basis of this article and I cannot find any reference to "Double the Output" of electric motors. In fact I see some challenges with the low permeability of PBIP.
Could the author or someone else please point out the section or page number of the article where this claim is made?
ftp://ftp.elteknik.chalmers.se/Publications/MSc/Horrdin&OlssonMSc.pdf
Posted by: Alex | October 20, 2007 at 10:30 AM
There was a post way back in oct 2007 that basically stated... "Second of all, the research physicists you admire so much spend 99% of their time on obscure physical phenomena which are of no use or application to any kind of human problem. It's an indulgence of social inadequates so they don't have to interact with real people in any meaningful way."
I'm just an average guy but I understand that it only takes one out of a billion ideas to change the complete course of mankin just like Einstein did years ago...We all have a place on this earth and will eventually fall in the natural order of things...don't poopoo anyone's profession too fast or too soon because nobody knows everything about everything....not even you...and yes, Einstein was probably a social misfit!!
Posted by: Jack Ellenberger | March 29, 2008 at 12:31 AM
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jack: the NO2 thing's getting old.
So is your Clark Kent routine.