Automotive Engineering - March 2023 - 16

The push for
e-propulsion
PROGRESS
Upstarts and heavy-hitter
suppliers alike are fast-tracking
advances in existing technology
- as well as radical new
solutions.
by Chris Clonts
Infinitum's axial-flux arrangement delivers coolant
directly into the center of the mechanism to cool the
stator and other parts. Coolant drains into a sump where
it is recirculated.
E
lectric powertrain development continues at a
fervent pace as OEMs, suppliers and startups
try to optimize current technology while forging
ahead into new areas. Although battery engineering
and development enjoys almost daily industry
discussion, traction motor and power electronics remain
the investment focus of many established and
startup suppliers. Efficiencies gained in these systems
can significantly reduce an EV's required amount of
expensive battery capacity.
It's a rapidly expanding market, seemingly with
plenty of room for myriad new players and fresh ideas.
Vitesco Technologies, the powertrain supplier spun
from Continental in 2019, has committed to electrification
in all future development. As a result, it generated
$888 million in revenue in 2021. Thomas Stierle, head
of the the company's Electrification Solutions division,
said it expects revenue to increase to $10 billion to $12
billion by 2030.
The Schaeffler Group's North American executives
said at a corporate technology showcase in fall 2022
that although the company intends to divide its nearterm
investments at a roughly 50/50 ratio between internal-combustion
and electrification development,
Schaeffler acknowledges the future is electric and is
driving hard on designs to squeeze more efficiency from
traction motors and their associated systems. " Electricity
is the right choice, " said Patrick Lindemann, president,
e-mobility and chassis systems. " There is no doubt. "
16 March 2023
Getting there means companies are stretching current technology
and introducing new motor and power-electronics designs. Drive motors
and electronics already are efficient, but there's massive investment
underway for innovations to get even more from the limited
onboard power EVs can carry. A selection of recent developments:
Infinitum drives for smaller, lighter motors
Infinitum Electric claims it has engineered a 50% smaller and lighter
axial-flux motor by pulling all the iron out of the core and the copper
windings from the stator, replacing it all with a printed circuit board
(PCB) stator with etched copper conductors.
Ben Schuler, founder and CEO of the seven-year-old Austin,
Texas-based company, said the motor design eliminates all the core
losses - such as from torque ripple, cogging, stator hysteresis and
eddy current - from the stator, resulting in " drastically higher efficiency. "
It's also smaller and quieter, with higher efficiency over
the full operatng curve, Schuler explained. He added that in a traditional
motor, that core loss always is there and it gets worse at
higher RPMs.
Infinitum, which initially sought to tackle inefficient HVAC motors,
is concentrating on industrial markets, which Schuler says can help
the company grow because of the relatively quick development cycles
(compared to automotive's typical years- or decades-long cycles)
that lead to immediate revenue. He also said it's a big opportunity
to help save energy, as 50% of the world's power goes to driving
electric motors.
The company produced 5,000 motors in 2022 and is projected to
deliver 50,000 this year and 150,000 in 2023. Those are for industrial
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
INFINITUM
Automotive Engineering - March 2023

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