Robust Mini Motors Critical to eVTOLs Operation

Air Transportation Taken to New Heights with Miniature Motors

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…an eVTOL? Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles, propelled by electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) technologies, are transforming the way we perceive urban air travel. These vehicles demand high power-to-weight ratio systems for takeoff and maneuverability and must be robust enough to handle the rapid environmental changes and temperature fluctuations experienced during operation. Powerful, lightweight motion systems are critical components of eVTOLs, as they directly affect the vehicle's efficiency, payload capacity, range, and overall performance. Let’s explore the considerations and motor technology best suited for these applications below.

Miniature Motor Selection for Advanced Air Mobility Applications

Designing DC motors for eVTOLs requires addressing a combination of technical, safety, environmental, and regulatory challenges. Optimizing motor efficiency across a wide range of operating conditions is key, given the limited available battery capacity and its direct impact on maximum range and overall energy consumption. AAM vehicles are subjected to rapid changes in temperature and other environmental changes during operation, meaning that DC motors must be designed to ensure reliable operation, regardless of conditions. Low inertia designs are critical to enabling quick start and stop operations while ensuring low electromagnetic interference and compatibility. Power and torque density must also be prioritized to extend battery life.

Portescap has extensive experience in delivering both clean sheet designs and COTS-based designs to address the Space, Weight, and Power (SWaP) and DO-160G requirements of this industry.

Brushless DC Motors for eVTOL Vehicles

Brushless DC (BLDC) motors are well-suited for use in AAM applications due to their inherent power density and energy efficiency, and inherent capability to deliver high output torque with minimum cogging. BLDC motors can achieve precise speed and exact position control when used in conjunction with a hall sensor, encoder, resolver, or other feedback device. With BLDC motors, there is the option to choose between slotted and slotless designs. Slotted designs are well suited for robustness while slotless designs are ideal for weight savings and simplicity.

Portescap offers a wide range of product lines that meet the above guidelines, including Ultra EC brushless DC slotless motors, BLDC ECF slotted flat motors, high speed disc magnet motors, as well as a variety of gearheads for increased torque and encoders for precise feedback.

Conclusion

Portescap delivers motion solutions suited for commercial, business, and general aviation requirements and is a trusted partner to support the high volume/demand for eVTOL vehicles. Contact us here!