QM Power and the SPARK Lab at University of Kentucky shared the combined results of a large-scale, multi-objective design optimization study, and lab testing of a prototype motor designed to meet the ambitious 2025 power density goals set by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The research demonstrated the high torque and speed capability of QM Power’s innovative permanent magnet motor technology. This, combined with advanced manufacturing and cooling technologies, achieved a record-high 50kW/liter volumetric power density for traction applications such as electric vehicles (EV).
The computational study was conducted at the SPARK Lab and an open frame lab prototype was designed and manufactured by QM Power. Tests and extensive simulations were conducted at University of North Carolina, Charlotte and at University of Kentucky to reveal the best outcome given trade-offs among efficiency, power density and power factor while achieving the DOE 2025 target. In 2019 the US DOE established the 2025 goal as part of an ongoing effort to reduce dependency on resources such as fossil fuels and rare earth magnets. It represents an ambitious 89% reduction in motor volume compared to 2020 targets. This project is among the programs which the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office deems to “have the potential to support radical new vehicle architectures by dramatic volume/space reductions and increased durability and reliability.”