The following is a sample of projects E-Motors Consulting has been involved with in the last couple of years.
Motors: Can ferrite magnets be substituted for rare earth?
One of the biggest issues facing electric machine technology is the cost and availability of rare earth as a source material for magnets. Because the supply comes largely from a single country, some see a vulnerability in case of global disturbances. Are there alternatives, though? E-Motors, in partnership with Marquette University (Prof. EL-Refaie and Dr. Ma), recently investigated the issue. The conclusions, detailed in a paper published in the Transactions on Industry Applications (March/April 2020), indicate that there is a window of opportunity. The idea is to use mostly ferrite (by volume), assisted with some rare earth, such that in total the machine enjoys a strong magnetic field, but at a lower cost than with rare earth magnets only, at current prices at least. Read more…
Automotive systems:
- Evaluation of electrical drive systems for hybrid vehicle applications
- Design evaluation including sizing, optimization, efficiency maps, thermal limit, demagnetization studies (in particular, minimizing the heavy rare-earth content)
- Images below from use of MotorCAD from Motor Design Ltd.
Project management:
E-Motors provided project management for a start-up working on small hydro generation. There are many smaller and medium waterways with power generating potential, over 65 GW available in the US alone (see reports from ORNL and Colorado State University). The team, with partners E-Motors, Cadens, LLC and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), has identified additive manufacturing (3D printing) as a promising avenue for reducing cost. Experimental 3-D printed turbines were built and tested on a river dam in Sullivan, WI, with a small business grant from the US Dept. of Energy. E-Motors has also developed a rim generator concept specially devised for integration with the turbine runner and conveyance stack (see grant announcement from the US Department of Energy).
Aerospace:
Electric machine design for a pump application. E-Motors designed a small induction motor for aircraft water systems. The image shows a finite element analysis of that motor, using software Flux from Altair.
Actuators:
Fast electromagnetic actuation for DC circuit breakers. The emergence (or re-emergence) of DC for power distribution has made it necessary to develop quick-acting DC circuit breakers. A key enabler is a fast electromagnetic actuator. E-Motors, after initially working with North Carolina State University on the subject, has developed a novel theory for repulsion-type actuators with Eaton Corp. These actuators are capable of traveling at the targeted 1mm / 0.5 ms, See IEEE ECCE 2021 paper on the subject, as well as earlier (2016) IEEE IAS Transactions paper. The latter received an IAS Transactions Best Paper award, and 2017 paper).
Expert witness with court experience:
Dr. Lequesne’s expert witness experience includes:
- Assisted a British firm with an Opposition Division Hearing at the European Patent Office, late 2021/early 2022.
- Crandall Technologies LLC vs. Greatcall, Inc., infringement case, 2019.
- MPC Inc. vs. Standex Electronics Inc., warranty dispute, 2019-2020.
- Work for the defense on a patent infringement case brought against a number of car manufacturers and suppliers.
- AM General, LLC vs. UUSI: Prepared expert reports for inter partes reviews of 4 patents, all dealing with the control of diesel engine components (August 2016; deposed, June 2017).
- SD3, LLC vs. Lee (US PTO): Part of a team in a trial where a patent application rejection was being contested. The technology was about safety mechanisms for electrically-driven tools. Bruno was deposed in March and testified at trial in May 2016 at the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
