| Project Detail |
Harnessing the power of axial flux synchronous machines to drive electric vehicles
The future of the automotive industry is electric. The development of low-cost, highly compact and low environmental impact electrical machines (EM) is vital to the industry’s successful transition to electric vehicles. With this in mind, the EU-funded MAXIMA project will develop and validate a complete methodology to design an EM as well as the associated production system. Specifically, it will focus on a dedicated topology, axial flux synchronous machine (AFSM). While AFSM only covers a niche market due to high manufacturing costs, it provides strong unexplored options. MAXIMAs objective is to enhance the performance and cost of ASFM by optimising the design and manufacturing/recycling processes while minimising the environmental impact.
The massive electrification of automotive vehicles will necessarily involve the development of low cost, highly compact and low environmental impact electrical machines (EM). The objective of the MAXIMA project is to develop and validate a complete methodology to design an EM as well as the associated production system for the automotive core market. This methodology will have to deal with often incompatible constraints such as efficiency, costs reduction, high performances in terms of power/torque density, and high recyclability, especially for critical raw materials. To achieve this objective, MAXIMA will focus on a dedicated topology: Axial Flux Synchronous Machine (AFSM). ASFM currently on the market are very efficient but cover only a niche market due to their high manufacturing costs. They also offer strong exploited or unexplored options, in terms of topologies and materials. Unlike radial flux EMs, the margin for improvements of AFSM is really significant by acting on both EM design and manufacturing process flow, thus allowing higher performances and lower cost while keeping a low environmental impact. The consortium brings together research teams and companies from the entire value chain, from raw material suppliers to car manufacturers along with a recycling company. Together they can face the main technological and scientific challenges in the electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal fields, reaching a solution close to market. At the end, beside high TRL5 prototypes, the project will provide a validated methodology to accelerate the design, thereby reducing the time to market, and new technologies, such as EM digital twins, to operate EMs to their full potential. |
