Better, stronger magnets for electric vehicle motors

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory appear to have developed a permanent magnet alloy that meets car manufacturer high-temperature performance requirements.

Permanent-magnet electric motors need to run well at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius.

According to Ames lab senior metallurgist Iver Anderson however, most permanent-magnet materials lose approximately half their magnetic capacity around 100° C.

To counter that effect, Anderson and his colleagues designed an alloy that replaces pure neodymium with a mixed rare earth, which reduces the loss of magnetic properties as temperature rises. They then processed it into a fine powder for use in injection molding, which allows motors to be mass produced.

Today, most electric motor magnets are placed by hand.

A number of companies are at the forefront of developing electric motor technologies. Among them are UQM Technologies (see New powerful electric motor from UQM) and the lesser-known PML FlightLink (see PML FlightLink gets wheel).

Anderson said the research is fueled in part by the anticipated increase in consumer demand for "ultragreen" vehicles with electric drive motors such as fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The work is a step toward making electric drive motors more efficient and cost-effective.

"You can call this 'use-inspired' research, for sure," he said in a statement. "And there’s an urgent need for this in our society."

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