Abstract: An axial flux motor having reduced spatial harmonics including a rotor with a plurality of magnets. A rotor shaft is coupled to the rotor. A stator faces the rotor and an air gap defined between the rotor and the stator. The stator includes a plurality of electromagnetic components defining a plurality of magnetic poles. The electromagnetic components include a plurality of posts, a plurality of slots, and a plurality of distributed electrically conductive windings disposed in and spanning across nonadjacent slots of the plurality of slots. At least one electrically conductive winding has a winding pitch span of greater than or equal to about 3 to less than or equal to about 20. The axial flux motor may include two rotors and one stator or alternatively two stators and one rotor. Such axial flux motors have short pitch provide desirable reduced spatial harmonics to enhance motor performance.

Abstract: An axial flux electric motor for an automobile includes a stator assembly, and a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly including a plurality of lamination blocks arranged in an annular pattern, a plurality of conductive wedges, one conductive wedge being positioned between each adjacent pair of lamination blocks, the plurality of lamination blocks and the plurality of conductive wedges defining a rotor core disk having an inner diameter and outer diameter and opposing axial faces, and a plurality of permanent magnets attached to one of the opposing axial faces of the rotor core disk.

Abstract: A stator core assembly for an axial flux electric motor for an automobile includes a cylindrical outer case that defines a central axis, and a plurality of segmented core sections spaced circumferentially around the central axis within the outer case, each of the segmented core sections including a lamination stack and a sleeve, the lamination stack being positioned within the sleeve and the sleeve being formed from a soft magnetic composite material, the sleeve of each of the plurality of segmented core sections including a first axial end having a pole shoe formed thereon and a second axial end having a pole shoe formed thereon, the pole shoes formed on the first and second axial ends of the sleeve of each of the plurality of segmented core sections including a radially outward surface having an arcuate shape that corresponds to and contacts the radially inward surface of the outer case.

Abstract: A stator core assembly for an axial flux electric motor for an automobile includes a cylindrical outer case that defines a central axis, first and second disk shaped insulate frames axially spaced from one another and positioned within the outer case, each of the first and second insulate frames including a circular outer ring, a circular inner ring and a plurality of radial spokes extending between the outer ring and the inner ring and spaced circumferentially about the central axis, and a plurality of segmented core sections extending axially between the first and second insulate frames spaced circumferentially around and supported by the first and second insulate frames, wherein, a radial spoke is positioned between each adjacent pair of segmented core sections, and at least one radial spoke extends across each axial end of each one of the plurality of segmented core sections.

Abstract: An electric motor includes a housing, a shaft, a rotor, a stator, and at least one coolant supply channel. The shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing and has a longitudinal axis. The rotor is fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith. The stator is spaced apart from the rotor along the longitudinal axis of the shaft to yield at least one air gap between the stator and the rotor. The at least one coolant supply channel extends through at least one of the shaft and the stator and is configured to supply coolant flow to the at least one air gap.

Abstract: An axial flux motor is provided and includes a shaft, at least one rotor connected to the shaft, and a stator. The stator includes a stator core and an electrically conductive wire. The stator core is segmented and ring-shaped and includes a central opening through which the shaft extends to the at least one rotor. The stator core includes a hybrid segment. The hybrid segment includes soft magnetic composite material components and laminated layered blocks. The laminated layered blocks include two inclined laminated layered blocks, where a distance between the two inclined laminated layered blocks increases radially along a radially extending centerline of the hybrid segment. The electrically conductive wire wound on the hybrid segment.

Abstract: A speed reduction assembly for an electric vehicle includes an electric machine configured to operate as a motor and as a generator. The electric machine includes an output shaft that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis at an output speed. The assembly also includes an output member coupled to the output shaft and rotatable about the longitudinal axis at a reduced speed. In addition, the assembly includes a pericyclic apparatus coupled to the output shaft and the output member to reduce the output speed of the output shaft to the reduced speed of the output member. A vehicle may include the speed reduction assembly in certain configurations. The vehicle includes a battery module and the electric machine is in electrical communication with the battery module to recharge the battery module when the electric machine operates as the generator.

Abstract: An axial flux motor drive unit for an automobile includes a stator defining a core, an output defining an axis of rotation, a first rotor, a second rotor, and a thrust bearing. The first rotor is rotatable about the axis of rotation and is coupled to the output and disposed relative to the stator to create a first air gap. The second rotor is rotatable about the axis of rotation and is coupled to the output and is disposed relative to the stator to create a second air gap. The thrust bearing is coupled to the output and supports axial loads that are substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and the first rotor is still rotatable about the axis of rotation when the second rotor is inoperable, and the second rotor is still rotatable when the first rotor is inoperable.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides hybrid stator core components for an axial flux motor stator and methods for making the same. The hybrid stator core component includes a molded soft magnetic composite material and a laminated component. In one variation, a laminated insert comprising a plurality of insulated layers is non-releasably seated within a molded soft magnetic composite material. In another variation, a hybrid stator core component has a molded soft magnetic composite core and a laminated shell comprising a plurality of layers disposed around at least a portion of the molded soft magnetic composite core.

Abstract: A method to make a stator lamination of an axial flux motor for an automobile vehicle includes: constructing a stator having multiple stator stack members, including: providing a stator lamination with individual ones of the stator stack members; forming the stator lamination from a single lamination sheet of steel defining a sinuous-shaped assembly having multiple bends; compressing the stator lamination; and machining the stator lamination to create a first edge by removing a first portion of the multiple bends and to create a second edge opposite to the first edge by removing a second portion of the multiple bends.

Abstract: A bi-material permanent magnet for an electric machine includes a core including a first magnetic material and a shell portion located on the core and made of a second magnetic material. The first magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy less than 20 Mega Gauss Oersteds (MGOe). The second magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy greater than 30 MGOe.

Abstract: A stator assembly for an axial flux motor includes a heat exchanger jacket configured to circulate a heat transfer liquid. A stator also includes a plurality of stator cores each having a conductive winding, an electrically insulating material disposed over at least a portion of the conductive wire winding, and a molded soft magnetic composite (SMC) material. The heat exchanger jacket is disposed circumferentially around at least a portion of a perimeter of the stator. Each stator core defines a peripheral surface configured to contact the heat exchanger jacket and at least a portion of the peripheral surface is defined by the molded soft magnetic composite (SMC) material. Methods of making a molded soft magnetic composite (SMC) material stator core are also provided.

Abstract: A disturbance cancellation and generation seat system includes a seat mounted to a structure of a vehicle. The seat is accelerated due to a disturbance acceleration received in the structure and transferred to the seat. A seat control unit generates a force cancellation command signal. An actuation device is connected to the structure and is in communication with the seat control unit. The actuation device in response to receipt of the force cancellation command signal induces a cancellation acceleration motion into the seat which is equal but opposite to and therefore cancels an acceleration motion of the seat induced by the disturbance acceleration.

Abstract: An electric propulsion system includes a battery pack and a DC-DC converter. The converter has a bypass switch and semiconductor switches. A traction power inverter module (“TPIM”) rectifies a DC bus voltage on the voltage bus to produce an AC bus voltage. An electric machine is connected to the TPIM and energized via the AC bus voltage. A controller calculates required output power from the converter based on a requested operating mode, and speed and torque of the electric machine. When the output power exceeds a threshold, the bypass switch closes to bypass the converter. When the output power is less than the threshold, the controller uses a minimum loss voltage from a loss map as a target control voltage of the converter to optimize efficiency of the electric propulsion system.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to rotors for electric motor assemblies and methods of making the same, and more specifically, to variable thickness rotors for axial flux motors. More specifically, annular-shaped rotors having interiorly disposed magnets for axial flux motors are provided in certain aspects. The variable thickness rotors may each include an annular-shaped body having a first thickness at a first radial position and a second thickness at a second radial position. The first radial position may be spaced apart from the second radial position. The first thickness may be greater than or equal to about 200% of the second thickness.

Abstract: A torque transmission device (100) includes a variator of a continuously variable unit (CVU) (20) arranged in parallel with a layshaft gearset (30). The CVU (20) includes a first pulley (22) rotatably coupled to a second pulley (24), and the layshaft gearset (30) includes a first gear element (32) meshingly engaged with an intermediate gear element (34) meshingly engaged with a second gear element (36). A transmission input member (12) is rotatably coupled to the first pulley (22) of the CVU (20), and is selectively rotatably coupled to the first gear element (32) of the layshaft gearset (30) by activation of a first clutch (37). A transmission output member (14) is rotatably coupled to the second pulley (24) of the CVU (20) and rotatably coupled to the second gear element (36) of the layshaft gearset (30). The transmission is disposed to operate in a continuously variable mode when the first clutch (37) is disengaged, and to operate in a fixed gear mode when the first clutch (37) is engaged.

Abstract: An axial flux motor includes: a stator having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the stator including: N stator core components on the first side, where N is an integer greater than two; and pole shoes attached to radial sides of the N stator core components, N slot openings between adjacent ones of the pole shoes, where each of the N slot openings extends in at least one direction non-radially on the first side; and a rotor including a third side and M permanent magnets on the third side, where the first side is parallel to the third side, and where M is an integer greater than two.

Abstract: An electric motor includes a housing, a shaft, a rotor, a stator, and at least one coolant supply channel. The shaft is rotatably mounted within the housing and has a longitudinal axis. The rotor is fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith. The stator is spaced apart from the rotor along the longitudinal axis of the shaft to yield at least one air gap between the stator and the rotor. The at least one coolant supply channel extends through at least one of the shaft and the stator and is configured to supply coolant flow to the at least one air gap.

Abstract: A torque transmission device (100) includes a variator of a continuously variable unit (CVU) (20) arranged in parallel with a layshaft gearset (30). The CVU (20) includes a first pulley (22) rotatably coupled to a second pulley (24), and the layshaft gearset (30) includes a first gear element (32) meshingly engaged with an intermediate gear element (34) meshingly engaged with a second gear element (36). A transmission input member (12) is rotatably coupled to the first pulley (22) of the CVU (20), and is selectively rotatably coupled to the first gear element (32) of the layshaft gearset (30) by activation of a first clutch (37). A transmission output member (14) is rotatably coupled to the second pulley (24) of the CVU (20) and rotatably coupled to the second gear element (36) of the layshaft gearset (30). The transmission is disposed to operate in a continuously variable mode when the first clutch (37) is disengaged, and to operate in a fixed gear mode when the first clutch (37) is engaged.

Abstract: A speed reduction assembly for an electric vehicle includes an electric machine configured to operate as a motor and as a generator. The electric machine includes an output shaft that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis at an output speed. The assembly also includes an output member coupled to the output shaft and rotatable about the longitudinal axis at a reduced speed. In addition, the assembly includes a pericyclic apparatus coupled to the output shaft and the output member to reduce the output speed of the output shaft to the reduced speed of the output member. A vehicle may include the speed reduction assembly in certain configurations. The vehicle includes a battery module and the electric machine is in electrical communication with the battery module to recharge the battery module when the electric machine operates as the generator.