Recyclable Electrical Machine Designs with 3D Flux and Non-Traditional Materials (DEMETER)

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (PMSMs) have been successfully applied in both Hybrid and Full Electric Vehicles (H)EVs. However, in recent years, the production of PMSMs has been facing challenges given the increase in the price of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on the international market. This is to some extent due to the low availability of the REEs used for manufacturing permanent magnets (e.g., Dysprosium) as a consequence of the control imposed through export quotas by the countries mining these materials.

Recycling emerges as a valuable option in order to counteract the scarcity of REEs. Nevertheless, the current methods applied for recycling REEs have a large environmental impact. Consequently, it is also required to consider the recycling process and the reusability of the magnets at early stages of the machine design. This project will focus on designs of electrical machines allowing the recycling and reuse of magnets and using non-traditional materials such as amorphous steel and soft magnetic composites in machines with 3D flux (e.g. axial flux machines and transverse flux machines). The main objectives are: 1) Studying the advantages of using non-traditional materials in conjunction with the reusability of the magnets, 2) Evaluating the possibility of using both amorphous steel and soft magnetic composites in the same machine, 3) Designing electrical machines for (H)EVs, focusing on the reuse and including amorphous steel and soft magnetic composites and 4) Manufacturing and testing of a machine prototype meeting requirements for modern and future (H)EVs and reusability of the magnets.

This project is a part of Work Package 3 (WP3): “Design for Reuse of SmCo and NdFeB Magnet Motors in (H)EVs”, part of the European Training Network for the Design and Recycling of Rare-Earth Permanent Magnet Motors and Generators in Hybrid and Full Electric Vehicles (DEMETER).