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Indirect cooling concept: The challenge was to design and optimize a novel indirect cooling strategy based on a cold plate for the rotor of the yokeless axial in-wheel motor.

This paper presents a new gate-driving profile to mitigate the switching issues caused by high-speed operation of GaN transistors in on-off transitions. The concept consists of modifying the primary PWM signal applied to the GaN transistors to an appropriate voltage profile, which changes the gate-source voltage behaviour in the critical stage of the GaN transitions. The gate-driving concept is evaluated on LTspice, and the results show the reduction of ringing and overshoots when applying the proposal while maintaining tolerable power losses.

In this document it details the work carried out in the HEFT project with regards to the objective of improving SiC-based drive control to reduce powertrain losses and improve EV range. The following issues will be covered:
1. Online variable switching frequency control strategy to optimize drive operation and reduce inverter and motor losses.
2. Optimal flux operation point to increase motor efficiency.
3. Improved powertrain thermal management strategy.
 

All these control aspects will be used in both A+B segment motor and C+D+E segment motor, as control strategy is the same for both motors that will be designed in HEFT project (only some parameters’ tunning need to be modified). Therefore, as use case, A+B segment motor has been selected, because this motor has already been designed. However, some preliminary results regarding C+D+E segment motor are also shown in this deliverable (this motor is still under development) to show that the proposed control strategy is valid for any IPMSM.

The European automotive industry has long been a global leader, contributing €1 trillion to GDP and employing 13 million people, but it now faces a rapid transformation driven by the shift to clean mobility, digitalisation, and automation. With one in five cars sold globally in 2024 being electric, the sector must adapt to new technologies like AI, software, and connectivity while addressing challenges such as supply chain dependencies, talent shortages, and intense global competition. To secure its competitiveness and maintain a strong production base, the EU has launched an Action Plan, building on extensive industry consultations. This plan outlines concrete measures across five key areas: innovation and digitalisation, clean mobility, supply chain resilience, skills development, and a fair business environment, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of the automotive industry’s future.

A comparison between different slot/pole combinations of axial flux electric machines is presented in this poster. The main objective is to classify these structures according to torque density and electromagnetic performance, based on the specifications of a medium-sized electric car. The study is carried out using 3D-FEA calculations.

This paper derives and discusses the superiority of a simple dc-link capacitor voltage control configuration for multilevel neutral-point-clamped converters with any number of levels. The control involves n − 2 control loops regulating the difference between the voltage of neighbor capacitors. These control loops are inherently decoupled, i.e., they are independent and the control action of one loop does not affect the others. This method is proven to be equivalent to previously published approaches, with the added advantages of increased simplicity and scalability to a higher number of levels, all while imposing a lower computational burden. The good performance of such control is confirmed through simulations and experiments.

This paper outlines the main innovations of the EM-TECH and HighScape projects, targeting a wide range of vehicle applications, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Specifically, EM-TECH deals with: i) modular designs of on-board axial flux machines (AFMs) for reducing the implementation costs of scalable centralised powertrains for electric axle (e-Axle) solutions; ii) in-wheel motors (IWMs) integrated with electric gearing, for expanding the high efficiency region of electric corner (e-Corner) powertrains; and iii) the use of permanent magnets deriving from recycling processes to improve sustainability. In parallel, HighScape targets the physical and functional integration of the PE of WBG based traction inverters, onboard chargers, DC/DC converters, and electric drives for auxiliaries and actuators.

This poster describes an approach for a new end-of-life scenario for in-wheel motors at the Eco-Mobility 2024 Conference organized by A3PS.

The Horizon Europe projects EM-TECH and HighScape propose innovative solutions for electric traction machines and their WBG-based drives and components, to achieve higher energy efficiency, reduced volume and mass, as well as reduced cost. This paper outlines the main innovations of EM-TECH and HighScape, targeting a wide range of vehicle applications, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Specifically, EM-TECH deals with: i) modular designs of on-board axial flux machines (AFMs) for reducing the implementation costs of scalable centralised powertrains for electric axle (e-Axle) solutions; ii) in-wheel motors (IWMs) integrated with electric gearing, for expanding the high efficiency region of electric corner (e-Corner) powertrains; and iii) the use of permanent magnets deriving from recycling processes to improve sustainability. In parallel, HighScape targets the physical and functional integration of the power electronics of WBG-based traction inverters, onboard chargers, DC/DC converters, and electric drives for auxiliaries and actuators.

Description of the innovative in-wheel motor design with integrated direct cooling and mechanical e-gear developed in the EU-funded project EM-TECH.