$8m project aims to boost drive power densities

Motor drive power densities could be boosted by 50% by a $8m collaborative project recently launched in the US. The two-year effort also aims to halve the size and weight of power conversion systems and develop tiny DC-DC converters that are 90% efficient.

Most of the funding will come from Rockwell which will be collaborating with representatives from Boeing, the US Navy and the US Department of Energy. The drives part of the project will involve developing a cell-based method for designing and manufacturing drives optimised for particular applications. As well as achieving higher power densities, the developers hope to reduce drives costs.