by Jim Greig, Global Sales and Marketing Manager Electronic Materials, LORD Corporation
Jim Greig
LORD Corporation’s Thermoset SC-320 Thermally Conductive Potting Material was recently cited as a solution for improving electric motor performance in a third-party study.
The research, conducted by Shafigh Nategh while a graduate student at KTH in Stockholm, Sweden, dealt with thermal management aspects of electric machinery used in high-performance applications with particular focus put on electric motors designed for hybrid electric vehicle applications. The research can be viewed here: “Thermal Analysis and Management of High-Performance Electrical Machines.”
LORD Thermoset SC-320- a relatively soft, high-thermal conductivity material (3.2 W/m-K) with sufficiently low viscosity to be used in vacuum potting – was evaluated in Nategh’s research. Nategh’s research notes that hot spot temperatures can be reduced by 35-50 percent using this material as compared to an un-potted motor, compared to improvements of only 20-30 percent using typical epoxy potting materials. According to Dan Barber, Ph.D., a staff scientist in LORD Corporation’s Open Technology Innovation group, this material may provide significant improvements in power density of electric motors.
Barber noted the decrease in hot-spot temperature, depending on current, may provide: 1). Increase in achievable power/ torque for a given motor size, 2). Decrease in motor size for a required power/ torque, and 3). Longer operation of motor before reaching temperature limit.
Want to learn more? Read the full article here in the October 2013 Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo newsletter.
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