In-wheel motors offer a promising solution for novel drivetrain architectures of future electric vehicles that could penetrate into the automotive industry by transferring the drive directly inside the wheels. The available literature mainly deals with the optimization of electromagnetically active parts; however, the mechanical design of electromagnetically passive parts that indirectly influence motor performance also require detailed analysis and extensive validation. To meet the optimal performance of an in-wheel motor, the mechanical design requires optimization of housing elements, thermal management, mechanical tolerancing and hub bearing selection. All of the mentioned factors have an indirect influence on the electromagnetic performance of the IWM and sustainability; therefore, the following paper identifies the hub bearing as a critical component for the in-wheel motor application. Acting loads are reviewed and their effect on component deformation is studied via analytically and numerically determined stiffness as well as later validated by measurements on the component and assembly level to ensure deformation envelope and functionality within a wide range of operations.
In-wheel motors offer a promising solution for novel drivetrain architectures that could penetrate into the automotive industry by locating the drive where it is required, directly inside the wheels. As obtainable literature mainly deals with optimization of electromagnetic active parts, the mechanical design of electromagnetically passive parts that indirectly influence motor performance should also be reviewed and characterized for its effect on performance. The following study uniquely evaluates the impact of mechanical design and its dimensional variations to air-gap consistency between on rotor glued magnets and on stator fitted winding, for the most commonly used layout of an in-wheel motor. To meet the optimal performance of an in-wheel motor, the mechanical design requires optimization of housing elements, thermal management, geometrical and a dimensional tolerance check, and proper hub bearing selection to assure consistent electromagnetic properties. This article covers the correlation between desired electromagnetic parameters and required geometrical limitations for ensuring functionality and high performance operation. Major mechanical contributors have been analyzed with analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and verified with different sets of measurements. The relative change of motor physical air-gap size, between the stator and rotor was correlated with electromagnetic flux density.
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