Design of High Efficiency Wheel Motor


Artimech designed the front wheel motor for the latest Aurora Solar Car Challenge. The design specifications demanded the highest energy efficiency while maintaining sufficient robustness to withstand the dynamic loads. This required careful design of the suspension characteristics and the motor structure to ensure the minimal clearances required for high efficiency could be used. Magnesium alloy was used to keep the unsprung weight to a minimum. Artimech's experience with formula 1 racing, advanced materials and stress analysis were essential to producing this design.
Aurora Solar Car press release 19/1/02 “… the 13,054 km journey has been completed to the precise schedule planned from the departure date on 27 December 2001. This has been achieved because of the remarkable reliability of the technology embodied in the solar car …For example, the heart of the drive system - the wheel motor - has now covered 17,000 km without maintenance. Artimech, a Melbourne engineering group, designed the mechanical layout of the high efficiency front wheel motor as well as the front suspension.”