Late Award - Nanocomposite Coatings for Low-Cost Motor Windings in Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles, including hybrids in the nearer term, are the principal transportation technology by which the United States can become independent of foreign oil, can become energy independent overall, and can effect control over greenhouse emissions. For this to become reality, electric vehicle costs need to come down and performance needs to improve. For electric vehicle motors, the goals are to reduce manufacturing cost to $4.7/kW by 2020 while improving operating performance, including power density, peak power and operating efficiency. This SBIR Phase II project will build on the materials and process accomplishments of Phase I, to develop innovative magnet wire insulation for motor windings that results in increased power density and operating efficiency. This will be achieved by developing a wire insulation that has as much as 10 times higher thermal conductivity so that heat can be better dissipated, meaning that the motor will run cooler and therefore more efficiently. In doing so, all other mechanical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the insulation required by standards will be maintained. With better heat dissipation and efficiency owing to high thermal conductivity insulation, dedicated liquid cooling might be eliminated, contributing to smaller, lower-cost electric drives. The proposed advance in magnet wire insulation will result from the incorporation of high thermal conductivity inorganic particles into high performance polymers. The novel insulation is proposed to be applied by the conventional wire enameling method. Electrical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical property measurements according to NEMA standards for magnet wire will be made to insure that all requirements are met or exceeded. Commercial Applications and other Benefits: In terms of cars scheduled to enter the U.S. market, it appears that President Obamas goal of one million EVs by 2015 will be surpassed. And the Electric Vehicles Initiative forecasts 10 million by 2020. This will create a robust market for motors with the wire insulation being proposed here. In addition to application in EVs, wire insulation technology will also play a key role in larger electric motors that will be used in electric buses and land & amp; marine-based military vehicles. Beyond the traction motor applications mentioned, improved motor/generator systems will also be critical for other energy technologies such as wind turbines.