L. N. Grau1,2*, S. Kobe3, C. Burkhardt1

1 Pforzheim University

2 Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

3 Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

*laura.grau@hs-pforzheim.de

The requirements towards an electric machine are manifold. This translates into many variations of design features – methods to produce an electric steel sheet stack, methods to fixate stacks and shaft or magnet coating and fixation. This variability is especially challenging at the end of life of permanent magnet synchronous motors. The necessity to recycle 25% of NdFeB by 2030 was set by the critical raw materials act [1] as an answer to the severe criticality of the light- and heavy rare earths. Manufacturers are required to incorporate circularity considerations and recyclability into their motor design process while still fulfilling performance and price points. This challenge is further aggravated as the required collection, dismantling and recycling schemes are yet to be widely commercialized.

In this lecture, the design features used to achieve certain performance characteristics in permanent magnet synchronous motors, for example managing torque ripple are set into perspective by how they affect recyclability. Examples for improving the recyclability of model designs as well as the viability of an “ideal” design are given, setting design for recycling into a perspective within the motor design process.

References

[1] EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), 2023