Tesla files patent for new type of stator

[TruckElectric]

Tesla files patent for new type of stator
Posted July 16, 2020 by Charles Morris & filed under Newswire, The Tech.

The diversity of electric motors used in today’s EVs is quite striking. Motor-makers have a huge range of choices, from materials to rotor and stator designs, and they’ve explored many different possibilities. In April, teardown specialist Sandy Munro analyzed 10 leading EV motors and developed a comprehensive side-by-side comparison report.

Designing a motor involves trade-offs among size, efficiency, and power. Munro praised the motors found in Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y for achieving a good balance among these three parameters. Some were shocked when Tesla switched from using an induction motor (a design originally invented by the company’s namesake, Nikola Tesla) in Models S and X to using a permanent magnet motor in Models 3 and Y, but the choice seems to have been the right one.

The innovative automaker’s quest to improve its products is ongoing, and it recently published a patent for a new type of stator.

Tesla’s patent application, Stator for an Electric Motor, reads, in part:

An example stator includes a stator core having teeth that are radially arranged about a common central axis of the stator and located in a spaced apart manner from one another. Each tooth has an inward portion and an outward portion. The example stator further includes an electrically transmissive coil of wire that is wound contiguously upon the inward portions of at least a subset of teeth from the plurality of teeth. The stator also includes wedge members that are radially arranged about the common central axis and located intermittently with the plurality of teeth such that each wedge member abuts with the outward portions of adjacently located teeth.

Fascinating reading for electrical engineers. For the benefit of those with more moderate technical skills, the patent application teased out the benefits Tesla hopes to realize from the new design:

Typical electric motors have stator cores that are formed from metal laminates stacked one above another. An inner periphery of these stator cores typically define slots (or teeth) on which multiple coils of wire are wound. Each coil of wire may be wound over all or a subset of the slots. As the slots are defined only along the inner periphery of the stator core, such winding of the coil of wires over the subset of slots in the stator core may be challenging, laborious and hence, time consuming. Moreover, such winding may incur additional expense in terms of tooling requirements that are required to perform the winding of coils in the slots of the stator core.

Presumably, Tesla’s new stator design mitigates these issues, making the motor easier to assemble, and hence, cheaper.

For some more edifying details about stators and rotors, see Jeffrey Jenkins’s article, Specialized motor materials and constructions, part one and part two, which appeared in the March/April and May/June issues of Charged.


Source: CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE

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[TruckElectric]

I have to wonder If Tesla has been and will use this new stator in the Cybertruck!

 

[VI Tesla]

Again, Tesla not sitting on it's hands. Love it!

 

[TeslaHugger]

Again, Tesla not sitting on it's hands. Love it!

Exactly, I love seeing the amount of R&D going into EVs.

 

[Revoltlution]

We need Sandy Munro to chime in!

 

[Newton]

is this a coiless motor?

 

[TruckElectric]

is this a coiless motor?

"Presumably, Tesla’s new stator design mitigates these issues, making the motor easier to assemble, and hence, cheaper."


Tesla keeps chipping away at cost making EV's cheaper to build.

Elon has stated that is one of his goals is to make EV's more affordable.

 

[Newton]

I see, it looks like a continous wound wire, rather than the typical coil banks. this will GREATLY reduce time and im sure cost.

 

[TruckElectric]

 

[ajdelange]

I find patent disclosures very hard to read and that is, of course, by design. But what I think I may be seeing is a design in which the winding can be done from outside which would make it much easier to wind than the current scheme in which the coils have to be wound separately and then installed on the inside of the stator by hammering into the slots. The back iron prevents winding from outside. Here, if I am interpreting this at all correctly, the winding is done from outside and then the back iron is installed in the form of the wedges.

Clearly there can't be a single coil. It's a 3 phase motor.

 

[Newton]

I didn't see the actual patent paper. I'll go read it. I enjoy reading (parts at least) of patents. But yea that would make alot of sense @AJ

edit.... I Read the patent, its pretty cool. basically they designed it with end caps and wedges so they can create the coils, insert than close. it noted that the wedges can be of different material, to change flux properties. essentially making it 3 to 5 steps rather than 10

rather then of a solid piece that needs a custom machine to wind the wire coils around it. or a custom machine to thread the coils through it

 

[Irish Jim]

is this a coiless motor?

Perhaps this pony is just simply 're-coiless", meaning it doesn't buck or spooke.

 

[TyPope]

Not to be the grammar police but I've seen this a lot lately:

"Then" is time related as in "I will go to the store and then the gas station"
"Than" is comparative as in "I would rather drive a Cybertruck than a Dodge."

Don't be offended if you already know this or if you are in the "I don't care how I come across to others" camp. Learn something or don't.

And this concludes the grammar minute of the day.

 

[Newton]

Not to be the grammar police but I've seen this a lot lately:

"Then" is time related as in "I will go to the store and then the gas station"
"Than" is comparative as in "I would rather drive a Cybertruck than a Dodge."

Don't be offended if you already know this or if you are in the "I don't care how I come across to others" camp. Learn something or don't.

And this concludes the grammar minute of the day.

I always get confused about these things. But also if the point gets across, why even have 2 words?

 

[ajdelange]

Well suppose you wanted to test drive a Cybertruck and a Dodge but preferred to test drive the Cybertruck first.