Author: Thomas Schneider
Mahle has developed a new type of magnet-free electric motor that does not require rare earths. The externally excited synchronous machine is currently specified with a peak power of 140 kW.
Magnet-free electric motor from Mahle
Mahle
The central feature of the externally excited synchronous machine is the inductive and thus contactless power transmission via a rotating transformer, which allows the motor to operate wear-free and particularly efficiently at high speeds. According to Mahle, the efficiency in the most commonly used driving conditions is over 95 %. The new development is said to be easily scalable and can therefore be used from small to commercial vehicles.
"You can definitely call our magnet-free engine a breakthrough, because it combines several advantages at once that could not previously be brought together in a product of this type," says Dr. Martin Berger, Head of Mahle Group Research and Advance Engineering. "As a result, we offer our customers a product of the highest efficiency at comparatively low cost."
For more technical details on the electric motor, read the technical article Magnet-free HV Traction Drives with Contactless Power Transmission