High Efficiency, High Power

Density
Electric Motors
Mike Ricci
Vice President, Engineering
mricci@launchpnt.com

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Attributes of the LaunchPoint
motor:
A brushless permanent magnet motor/generator
Axial flux configuration (pancake shape)
Allows for smaller gaps, higher efficiency than a radial
configuration
Deflection from centrifugal forces and CTE mismatches are
parallel to gap
Uses two Halbach arrays
Halbach arrays concentrate magnetic field without using iron
Optimized pole count to maximize field in gap, typically ~90% of
Br
Highly efficient
Halbach arrays generate a field of >1 tesla in the gap
Litz wire results in very low copper eddy current losses
There is no iron: no hysteresis or iron eddy current losses
Lightweight
Carbon fiber can be used in place of iron for structure
The motor is magnet, copper, carbon fiber – each ideal for its
purpose
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Motor Components
Carbon
fiber
backing
plate
Impeller ring
pulls air over
winding for
cooling

Carbon
fiber
spokes
Three phase,
litz wire
winding

Halbach array

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Halbach arrays are a key
enabler
A Halbach array is an arrangement of magnets:

The field is
concentrated on
this side

The field is
cancelled on this
side

The dual Halbach array has a much stronger field for a given size and weight:

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 The best balance for your
applications…
There is a tradeoff
between:
Power efficiency
Efficiency
Lightweight
The LaunchPoint
design offers the best
power lightweight
performance:
For a given power and
efficiency requirement, it
will provide the lightest
he LaunchPoint motor
weight motor is powerful, efficient and lightweight
possible
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DARPA UAV Motor
Motor performance:
7 horsepower @ 8400 rpm
1.4 pounds
95% efficient at 7 hp, 8400 rpm
5 hp/lb
6” diameter
Developed under an SBIR
Phase I grant
Target application is an electric
powered, ducted fan UAV
This performance is unrivaled
No other motor has 5 hp/lb at
8400 rpm while maintaining 95%
efficiency

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Hardware validation of
models

Analytical model developed,

validated
Optimizes thermal, fluid dynamics,
electro-magnetic
Winding tooling has been
developed
Halbach array assembly tooling
developed
Thermal design has been tested
and validated
First motor has been completed
and is in testing
Initial preliminary results continue
to validate models

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The design can be scaled up
Carbon
A larger motor suitable for fiber
backing
the DARPA Transformer plate
Impeller ring
program: pulls air over
winding for
18” diameter cooling
15 kilograms Carbon
97% efficient at 150 hp, 3500 fiber
spokes
rpm
97% efficient at 100 hp, 2700
Three
rpm phase, litz
Capable of up to 5 hp/lb wire
winding

Halbach array

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 Motors can be stacked up
Stationary components: Rotating components:

his configuration, the stator is held from the outsid

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 DARPA Vulture program
Optimized for efficiency and
weight at very low shaft speeds

rora concept Lockheed Martin concept

Boeing concept

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Other well suited
applications
Electric aircraft propulsion:
Solar
Fuel cells
Battery
VTOL hybrid
Ducted fan UAVs

As a generator for:
Auxiliary, environmental
power
Solid state directed energy
Starter motor/alternator
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Call today to discuss your
application!

Mike Ricci
Vice President, Engineering
mricci@launchpnt.com
(805) 683-9659 x244

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