McHenry's group and collaborators are some of the few demonstrating the use of MANCs in motors. The structural difference is at the atomic level: when the material is melted, then rapidly cooled, the atoms don't have time to find positions in a crystalline lattice. But with MANCs, the losses associated with switching of the magnetization are greatly reduced because they are a glassy metal rather than a crystalline metal. Through various partnerships with partner research institutions and industry, they can take these MANCs and scale up the fabrication process for use in real-world applications.ĭuring the power transformation process in a conventional motor, the magnetization of the motor materials switches, often resulting in power loss. Since they work at the lab scale, they look at 10 gram samples and screen them for their magnetic properties. To synthesize MANC materials, McHenry and his team rapidly solidify liquid metals at about a million degrees per second. In aggregate, motors represent a huge use of electrical power, so they are one area where efficiencies can make a big difference." Motors have aerospace, vehicle, and even vacuum cleaner applications - motors are important in any number of applications. "Right now we're benchmarking a smaller motor, and then we'll try and build bigger ones. "Eventually we can go to higher speeds and higher powers with these designs," McHenry said. The design, which is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advance Manufacturing Office, combines permanent magnets with the MANCs. Most recently, they've benchmarked it at 6,000 rotations per minute and are looking to build bigger ones that will spin even faster. McHenry's group, in collaboration with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), NASA Glenn Research Center and North Carolina State University, are designing a 2.5-kilowatt motor that weighs less than 2.5 kilograms. The gray portion represents where MANCs are used, and the blue represents the permanent magnets. "As a result, you can either shrink the size of the motor at a given power density or make a higher power motor at the same size," McHenry said.ĭrawing of the rotor and stator in a motor. MANCs provide an alternative to silicon steels and, because of their high resistivity (how strongly they oppose an electrical current), they don't heat up as much and can therefore spin at much higher speeds. Most magnetic steels, which is what most motors are made of, lose power at higher frequencies because they heat up."Ĭurrent motors are typically made from silicon steels. "When you rotate a motor at high speeds, the magnetic material switches at a higher frequency. "The power of a motor depends on its speed," MSE Professor Michael McHenry said. Through synthesizing metal amorphous nanocomposite materials (MANCs), their goal is to make smaller motors that deliver comparable power. He is formally trained as a political economist and computational social scientist and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, & Law and a degree in Chinese language studies from the University of Arizona Honors College.Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering are studying soft magnetic materials to make hard changes to motors. He previously served as lecturer and Princeton-in-Asia Fellow at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. Prior to joining the World Economic Forum, Andrew completed his graduate work at the University of Oxford where his researched focused on online social networks. Previously at the Forum, Andrew held the position of data science lead on the Strategic Intelligence team where he focused on “connecting the dots” between citizens, policymakers, business leaders, social influencers, emerging technologies, and global challenges. He also serves as collaborator for Carnegie Mellon University CREATE Lab’s EarthTime project which allows people to examine major environmental, social, and political phenomenon across time, across space, and between each other through the power of visual storytelling. Andrew Berkley is a technologist and data scientist at the World Economic Forum where he leads the Forum's work leveraging data and new technologies for positive social good.
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