Project
HI-WI - Materials and drives for High & Wide efficiency electric powertrains
Funding origin:
European
STRIA Roadmaps:
Vehicle design and manufacturing (VDM)
Transport mode:
Road
Transport sectors:
Passenger transport
Project website:
CORDIS link:
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/266084
Duration:
Start date: 01/12/2010,
End date: 01/05/2014
Status: Finished
Funding details:
Total cost:
€3 560 887
EU Contribution:
€2 408 673
Overview
Background & policy context:
Presently, drives for Fully Electric Vehicles ("FEV") and Hybrid Electric Vehicles ("HEV") develop their highest efficiency of around 93~95% within a speed range of usually 1/4 to 1/3 of the maximum, and at an ideal torque, whereas in real-life driving cycles the motor operates at a wider range of speeds and at partial load, resulting in much lower efficiency.
Objectives:
The HI-WI project objectives were to deliver:
- Innovative approaches to the holistic design and modelling of rotating magnetic machines tailored specifically to the in-use conditions of FEV and HEV drive cycles;
- Breakthrough materials and manufacturing advances based upon a fusion of nano-scale science and high-technology high-speed production techniques;
- The prototyping and demonstration of innovative drive topologies showing high efficiencies over the wide torque/speed range demanded by real-use driving cycles;
- Guidelines and IPR to support a world-leading EU position in the economic mass manufacture of motors to exploit the global uptake of FEV and HEV mobility.
Methodology:
The HI-WI project addressed this mismatch by advancing the design and manufacture of drive trains through:
- Holistic design across magnetic, thermal, mechanical and control electronics/algorithms in line with real-life use rather than a single-point 'rating';
- The use of variable flux approaches in which the flux of the motor can be adjusted in real-time according to the load condition to maximise efficiency.
In addition to the above efficiency gains, HI-WI coupled its novel design approach to breakthroughs in materials and manufacturing, winning size, weight, logistical and cost savings through:
- Adopting nano-scale materials advances to create superior field strengths with reduced reliance upon rare earths and their economically-vulnerable strategic supply chains;
- Adopting nano-scale manufacturing advances to create permanent magnets having ideal geometries, reduced size and weight, and improved mechanical and thermal behaviour.
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