We built a prototype motor with NANOMET stator cores. NANOMET is one of the several nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloys [1]. The motor iron loss and other characteristics of NANOMET were compared with 35A360, which is one of the widely used conventional electromagnetic steel sheets, and the effectiveness of the new material is shown. This paper describes the methods to build NANOMET stator cores, and presents the evaluation results of the prototype motor.
K E Y W O R D Shigh flux density, high torque, IPM motor, low iron loss, nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloy, NANOMET
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVELow iron loss materials are desired as means for improving the efficiency of EV motors, industrial motors, robot motors, and the like. In 2010, NEC Tokin (not Tokin) released a nanocrystal soft magnetic material called NANOMET (previously known as "SENNTIX III"). This material has iron loss equivalent to that of iron-based amorphous alloy (hereinafter referred to as "amorphous"), 1,2 and is characterized as having higher saturation magnetic flux density than "amorphous". Moreover, it is thought that low iron loss and high torque density will be achievable in a well-balanced manner by using the NANOMET in motors.Reference (3) is a study in which NANOMET was actually used in a motor. In this prior study, an un-heat-treated quenched ribbon of NANOMET was processed and, thereafter, heat treated. In this study, we conceived of a novel approach in which we attempted to fabricate a prototype of a stator core using heat-treated NANOMET ribbon, which is difficult to handle.As such, in this paper, we will first discuss the machining and fabrication methods of the stator core. Then, we will confirm the iron loss characteristics of the prototype motor that comprises the core, and demonstrate that NANOMET is useful for reducing the iron loss in motors.Electr Eng Jpn. 2020;211:55-62.