The global site of the UK's leading magazine for automation, motion engineering and power transmission
28 March, 2024

LinkedIn
Twitter
Twitter link

Four 1MW motors will propel drag racer to 612km/h

16 April, 2020

An Australian company has developed a compact 1MW motor that, it claims, sets new benchmarks for efficiency and power-to-weight ratios. Perth-based HyperPower Technologies developed the 430mm-diameter, 180mm-long motor originally for use in an electrically-powered drag-racing car being developed by a sister company, Top EV Racing, but it believes that the machine could have applications in many other areas including mining, aerospace, light rail and Hyperloop transportation systems.

HyperPower describes its Quantum Force motor as “the world’s first extreme-duty performance e-machine”. It has been designed with reliability and field serviceability in mind. Several of the modular machines can share the same shaft to develop up to 10MW of power.

The company predicts that a 10m-long Top EV electric drag racer powered by four of the motors could reach a speed of 530km/h in 3.7 seconds over a distance of 300m. The motors with a combined output of 4MW could deliver 21kNm of torque and potentially power the racer to reach a top speed of 612km/h – half the speed of sound.

The motor is designed for ELV (extra-low voltage) operation and HyperPower is also co-developing a novel lithium-ion battery technology for use onboard the drag racer. The aim is to be able to charge the battery to 80% of its capacity within 90 seconds.

HyperPower Technologies' 1MW motor is 430mm in diameter and 180mm long

HyperPower’s founder and managing director, Michael Fragomeni, reports that he is in discussion with potential partners and customers around the world about adopting his company’s technologies. “We’re developing partnerships in the uptake of our ultra-high-power propulsion components into commercial integration, and continuing the expansion of our in-house production and intensive r&d programmes,” he reports.

Top EV Racing hopes that its electric drag racer will break several world records and hit a top speed of 612km/h



Magazine
  • To view a digital copy of the latest issue of Drives & Controls, click here.

    To visit the digital library of past issues, click here

    To subscribe to the magazine, click here

     

Poll

"Do you think that robots create or destroy jobs?"

Newsletter
Newsletter

Events

Most Read Articles