Interesting new design on EV motor

[Pat Conlon]

Get the Germans refocused from ICE design over to EV design and this is what they come up with....a contactless 95% efficient motor.
No rare earth rotors, no slip rings, just a wireless transfer of power to the rotor.
Quite remarkable.

IMHO German engineers are the finest in the world.....and this is just the beginning.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/mahles-electric-motor-says-look-ma-no-contacts

[fj1289]

Very cool!

I like the claim "nothing to wear out" - there is still a shaft and bearings I'd assume.   Plus, there is going to be heat generated in electrical components that will cause things to degrade over time.   

Is there any mention on size or weight vs traditional motors for the same output?

I picked up a couple electric fork lift motors a while back to do some kind of an EV project.  A contractor also, but that is as far as that has gone.  The controller and battery pack is where the real commitment occur!

[Waiex191]

How is this different from any induction motor?  We  have many of them in the factory where I work, from fractional HP up to a couple thousand, and there are no slip rings.  Mid 90% efficiency is the norm.  i think the Germans may be applying clever marketing to a very old idea.

[fj1289]

Slightly off topic - fun read about a cool home made EV - White Zombie tab at the top

http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/index.html

[Pat Conlon]

Bryan, unlike conventional induction motors, this new motor uses no rare earth for the rotor.
Instead, the Mahle rotor has copper windings (just like the old school armatures) so how do you get the power to the moving rotor windings without brushes or slip rings?
Wirelessly...with no physical contact.

Here's a good video on the Mahle website. (Scroll down)
https://www.mahle.com/en/news-and-press/press-releases/mahle-develops-highly-efficient-magnet-free-electric-motor--82368

Chris, other than Mahle's press releases, I can find no peer reviews.....yet.
Mahle Industries appear to be very reputable and well respected.

Cheers.   Pat

[Waiex191]

I am pretty sure the Baldor and ABB induction motors I've bought for work have squirrel cage rotors and no rare earth.  When you say rare earth do you mean magnets?

[Pat Conlon]

Yeppers. Rare earth minerals (from China) used in high gauss magnets.

There are four main types of magnets: ceramic (ferrite), AlNiCo, Samarium Cobalt (SmCo), and Neodymium (NdFeB). The latter is one of the most commonly used in motors for hybrids vehicles and EVs

For EV's:
If the spinning rotor has copper windings, then it also has a slip ring. (Mahle exception)
If the spinning rotor is a non energized lump of iron (surrounded by a stator field) then rotor uses rare earth.
These motors are compactly designed for EV applications.....not necessarily for industrial use, although that remains to be seen. Mahle did mention something about the ability to scale up the design.

I am sure not all industrial motors use rare earth. This discussion pertains to EV motors.

China has worked hard to corner the market on rare earth supplies.
It is refreshing to see a solution that is not dependent on the export whims of another country.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/materials/complaints-over-chinas-rare-earth-export-policies-get-serious

[red]

Get the Germans refocused from ICE design over to EV design and this is what they come up with....a contactless 95% efficient motor.  No rare earth rotors, no slip rings, just a wireless transfer of power to the rotor.
Quite remarkable.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/mahles-electric-motor-says-look-ma-no-contacts

Pat,

Looks like they re-invented Nikolai Tesla's old induction motor;:no magnets, no contacts, et c.  There is one of those motors in every clothes dryer that has a Push-To-Start switch.
Mr. Tesla was a pure genius.  He was the champion of the modern AC power systems.  Seems very ironic that the so-called "Tesla" car runs on batteries (DC power).    

[JPaganel]

Mahle are the guys who made the fuel pumps in my BMW bikes.

Makes sense they would branch into propulsion motors.