ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORT
POWERING SUSTAINABLE PERSONAL TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS
As our cities grow increasingly congested, the quest for
sustainable and convenient transport options becomes paramount. David Latimer, deputy chair of Magnomatics, investigates micromobility solutions and highlights the role innovative magnetically geared motors play in this ever-growing market
A
s the world looks to decarbonise, alternative mobility solutions are appearing. Not only
is there a mounting interest in flying cars – which was once the stuff of science fiction – but there has also been an explosion in the popularity of lightweight electric vehicles (LEVs) such as e-bicycles and e-scooters around the world. Over the past few years, electric two- and three-wheelers have exploded onto the scene in cities, with people increasingly choosing LEVs as a quick, convenient and affordable way to move around urban areas, as well as for their potential to
significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORT Road transportation is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in cities. In 2020, transport was responsible for 99 metric tons of the 406 metric tons, or 24%,
of CO2 emissions produced in the UK. LEVs have great potential to significantly reduce
CO2 emissions from the transport sector as their increased adoption means fewer vehicles that emit
smoke, carbon and other harmful gases. In fact, research by Fraunhofer shows that an e-scooter generates just 20% to 25% of the emissions of a private car, while a study by scooter operator TIER found that for journeys of a mile or less in London alone, e-scooters could reduce daily
car trips by over 1.2 million, reducing daily CO2 emissions by up to 233 tons – the equivalent of 240 return flights from London to New York.
Of course, LEVs not only reduce CO2 emissions because of their electric propulsion systems, but they also require less energy because they are smaller and lighter. This means that they can function with smaller batteries, and they
22 require fewer raw materials for production.
GEARED FOR MICROMOBILITY While micromobility as a concept has been around for ages in the form of conventional bicycles, the primary factor behind the current micromobility trend is electrification. Thanks to advances in technology, complete electric powertrains can be easily integrated into micromobility platforms. The question, however, is whether LEVs are efficient? For many e-bicycles and e-scooters, powertrains have already become commodities. In this instance the priority is cost, not efficiency.
However, low efficiency reduces payload and
range, which means more charging, which is the opposite of the objective of introducing LEVs in
the first place, namely lower energy use. Reliable motors, particularly magnetically geared
motors, are a key enabling technology for micromobility solutions to ensure efficiency. Magnomatics’ revolutionary magnetic gears have been implemented in a range of innovative industry solutions, including offshore wind, marine propulsion and light rail. Having achieved success at large scale the company has turned its attention to much smaller machines, including drives for personal
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2023
Magnomatics
www.magnomatics.com
“LEVs not only reduce CO2 emissions because of
their electric propulsion systems, but they also require less energy
because they are smaller and lighter. This means they can function with smaller batteries, and they require fewer raw materials for production”
www.essmag.co.uk
micromobility solutions. Its patented Pseudo Direct Drive (PDD) consists of a magnetic gear mounted inside a stator. The outer magnetics of the magnetic gear are attached to the inner bore of the stator, and copper windings in the stator are used to drive the inner rotor of the magnetic gear. This is a relatively high-speed electric motor
with a relatively low load, which results in low currents and hence, low temperatures. This in turn brings great efficiency, long life and prevents demagnetisation of the outer magnet array. The torque in the inner rotor is then geared up in the novel polepiece rotor, typically by between 5 and 10:1. The result is a very compact and highly efficient electric motor, which is perfect for LEVs. The benefits of innovative magnetically
geared motors, particularly for LEVs, are drastic reductions in motor size, no minimum cooling requirements, and reduced maintenance requirements. Ultimately, the lower mass and compactness of the PDD generator, when combined with partial load superior efficiency, low speed, high torque technology and improved reliability, makes it ideal for meeting the requirements of the broad range of new LEVs being developed.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT Technology is reshaping the way we move and as developments in the LEV space continue to evolve, the advantages offered by innovative magnetically geared motors will prove to be a key differentiator in ensuring efficient, reliable, and sustainable personal transport solutions.
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