The company claims to have developed an easier way to design externally excited machines through targeted design changes
A leading global supplier of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, Vitesco Technologies recently unveiled one of its innovations for sustainable and efficient electric driving at the 44th Vienna Motor Symposium. The company stated that as a result of Life Cycle Engineering, the fourth generation of its fully integrated electric axle drive platform (EMR4, Electronics Motor Reducer) is being broadened by a new option to enable an even better life cycle assessment. Its platform development now entails a new rotor without permanent magnets. Interestingly, this rotor forms the core of an externally excited synchronous machine (EESM), which works without rare earth materials. While decreasing the carbon footprint, it also diminishes the rotor costs, noted the press release.
It is well-known that most electrified cars today have synchronous machines with permanent magnets in the rotor (so-called PSMs, permanent magnet synchronous motors). These machines are considered both efficient and easier to manufacture than externally excited machines. Interestingly, the company noted that through targeted design changes, it has developed an even easier way to design externally excited machines. With continued research, it became possible to achieve the same performance class with both technologies (PSM and EESM) – and to use the existing space in the platform design for both options. Notably, the company used a sophisticated winding principle to economize the innovative EESM rotor option within the most recent drive platform.
“Top results in the sustainability and efficiency of electric cars will be achieved, if the vehicle drive is optimally adjusted to the specific scenario. The externally excited rotor without permanent magnets is a particularly sustainable option for our customers. The higher the performance requirements to the drive, the more economically attractive EESM technology becomes,” commented Thomas Stierle, division head of Vitesco Technologies’ Electrification Solutions.
Head of innovation in the Electrification Solutions division of Vitesco Technologies, Dr Gerd Rösel remarked, “In addition to saving the cost for permanent magnets and the improved sustainability, this type of machine offers further advantages like when the vehicle is sailing efficiently, the externally excited machine saves a watt-hour of electricity per kilometre because there is no drag from a permanent magnet field in the rotor. This lowers the power requirement of the drive by up to five per cent without the need for a mechanic decoupling device.”
Based in Regensburg, Germany, with about 38,000 employees at around 50 locations worldwide, Vitesco Technologies pursue the objective of playing a leading role in the electrification of vehicles.
