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High Efficiency, Low Cost AC Motors
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Motor technology has been around for 100 plus years and seems to be frozen in time! So now is the time to bring about some new technologies. AC Motors use to be built utilizing copper bars and steel laminations in their rotors. This was very labor intensive, so the industry went to cast aluminum rotors to reduce the cost.
The copper rotors were more efficient, but couldnt be cast into the steel laminations. The steel laminations were used to reduce the eddy current losses…….So my idea is to replace the steel laminations with a special blend of powder metal pieces in both the stator and the rotor. Powdered metal is about 1/4 the cost of laminations and can be cast with copper. It also is better at reducing eddy current losses. The result would be higher efficient/lower cost AC motors. I have used powder metal piecs with sucess in DC Motors, ref: US patent #7,700,722
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On October 25th, 2010 at 8:26 pm Dale Bowen Said:
The patent number is incorrect it should be 7,100,722
On October 26th, 2010 at 12:48 pm David Raish Said:
Dale,
This is an interesting idea. I’d like to learn more about it. Do you have any examples of this method being successfully implemented in AC Motors? If not, do you have some more specifics on your proposed idea?
On October 26th, 2010 at 2:05 pm Dale Bowen Said:
We use to build AC Hermetic Pump Motors at my former Employer..These are AC Motors sealed in stainless steel cans. the liquid that these motors pump circulates thru the motor to keep it cool. Enclosing the motor rotor and stator creates a large air gap in the flux path.
A large air gap decreases the efficiency of the motor. To increase the efficiency we use to build the motors the old way with steel laminations and copper bars resulting in higher cost. This is the only way to get the efficiency back for this application. To answer you question, YES we did pay for tooling and built a couple of different size prototypes! They worked fine and were a little more efficient than the old style.
As most new technology goes, the Custoner was afraid to try it in fear that some problem may develop down the road when lots of units are out in the field….As far as the DC motors make with the powdered metal parts, we have build thousands for years without any problems…
On October 28th, 2010 at 1:37 am MPGomatic Said:
Dale – Have you pitched the idea to any of the domestic motor manufacturers? Perhaps UQM or Remy?
On October 28th, 2010 at 1:11 pm Dale Bowen Said:
I’m retired now, so its up to my former Employer.
On February 1st, 2011 at 5:36 pm Ira Sorkin Said:
PBS: Maybe get with Dale’s former employer. The publicity may give them a push and attract the attention of interested partners and
customers. Also bring in companies dealing in AC and DC motors
in a panel discussion format. This kind of innovation will affect
innumerable large and small products we use every day.
On February 4th, 2011 at 11:52 pm Gordon Hoffman Said:
Lots of Americans should be taught how to build electric motors. Motors can be built right into wheels, like on my bicycle. Maybe young people could build competitive electric vehicles like some do in Electathon Amerca.org
On December 6th, 2011 at 9:22 pm Alan Smith Said:
Ref: motor/wheels and wheel/motors 2011/02/04
Motors built into wheels have been done long ago – and by a brilliant and famous inventor: U. S. Pat. No. 754,802.
The problem with that is it violates a fundamental modern automobile design mantra: Minimize Un-sprung Weight.