Revving Up Success: Students in the Driver's Seat
When considering modes of transportation, everyone can relate to the daily commute. Many ponder: “How can I reach my destination most efficiently?” Today, this journey typically encompasses e-biking, driving, or taking some form of public transportation. Regardless of the mode chosen, they all share a common thread: a motor.
Back in 1748, Benjamin Franklin invented and built the first motor based on electric fields. Motor technology quickly transitioned to magnetic materials which have been the standard for more than a century. However, technological advancements and supply chain issues have opened up new opportunities for replacing these with better options. The need to avoid rare-earth materials has become especially prominent.
While the demand for electric motors surges, industry and government entities are looking for higher-efficiency, lighter, and lower cost motors.
That is where Draper comes in.
ESPRI motor
A few years ago, what started as an Internal Research and Development project (IRAD) has now turned into a student-run project with Draper advisor Jim Bickford, who is the leader of the Device and Engineering Physics group.
A team of five Draper interns—Karthik Shaji, Julie Katz, Nick Ghaffarian, Lucas Dahlke, and Michael D'Agati—are working together on what we call ESPRI.
Each member of the team is responsible for different aspects of ESPRI, including building the predictive models, designing the mechanical elements, creating the electronics, and integrating them all to create a functional motor.
Most motors have low voltage and high current, but ours is just the opposite. High voltage with low currents with thin conductors and minimal structure, which leads to higher efficiency, ultra-low weight, and better range extension for battery powered vehicles. And most importantly, expensive and heavy rare-earth magnets are not used.
The first prototype assembly recently took place. The student teams goal is to mature ESPRI so it could be used as a bike motor. The popularity of e-bikes has been on the rise in the past decade, making them the perfect use case for the student team.
The assembly was a great learning experience for the students, and we hope to utilize this motor in more applications for our DOD and commercial partners for their autonomous vehicles, cars, and more.