SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposed SBIR Phase I effort is to design, analyze, and demonstrate a high performance 3kW alternator that has no rare earth content and simultaneously is smaller, lighter, quieter and more efficient than alternators based on induction machines currently in the Army’s inventory. QM Power’s Parallel Path Magnetic Technology (PPMT™) is a breakthrough magnetic circuit design that can be applied to a wide variety of electromechanical devices, including alternators. Compared to conventional alternators, PPMT™ alternators have higher power density, can operate at higher ambient temperatures without active cooling, operate at high speeds, are highly reliable, can be motored, can be rapidly switched off, and operate more efficiently over a wider power range. Moreover, PPMT™ requires less magnetic material than conventional permanent magnet designs and can achieve higher performance with a wide range of magnetic materials including those with no rare earth content.

Keywords:
High Power Density, Generator, Alternator, Portable Power

QM Power will design, build and test a high performance 3kW alternator using Parallel Path Magnetic Technology (PPMT) with no at risk rare earth magnet materials that is smaller, lighter and more efficient than the existing alternator that uses rare earth magnets. The Parallel Path Magnetic Technology combines magnets in parallel to drive high flux densities allowing high power density and high efficiency generators to be designed without rare earth magnets. QM Power will develop the high performance alternator and perform initial comprehensive testing with the application experience and guidance of DRS Fermont who designed and manufactures the existing high performance 3kW Tactical Quiet Generator unit. DRS Fermont will then perform the testing necessary to ensure the alternator is a high performance, robust replacement for the existing rare earth alternator. The program will build upon the phase I effort where QM Power designed a drop in replacement alternator without rare earth magnets and determined through analysis that the design can meet or exceed the targeted performance in a smaller and lighter package than the existing rare earth alternator.

Keywords:
Rare Earth Magnets, Alternator, Generator, High Efficiency, Lightweight