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UQM's Technology
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Our propulsion products include a number of proprietary technologies relating to brushless permanent magnet motors, generators and power electronic controllers, together with software code to intelligently manage the operation of our systems. This page provides a brief overview of this technology. Architecture The typical architecture of a UQM® motor consists of a stator winding employing a high pole count configuration, which allows for high copper utilization (minimizing energy loss and cost), and a hollow rotor upon which powerful rare earth permanent magnets are mounted on the outer circumference.  UQM’s stator winding with a high pole count, dense copper fill, and short end-turns minimizes space, but maximizes power and torque The stator is affixed to an aluminum housing, which contains mounting end bells and bearings. This allows the rotor to be suspended within the stator. Commutation of the machine is accomplished electronically by sensing the position of the rotor in relation to the stator, and intelligently pulsing electrical energy into the stator such that the electric field generated by the stator interacts with the magnetic field of the rotor producing rotational motion (“motor operation”). Conversely, the application of rotational motion to the rotor by an external force results in the generation of electrical power (“generator operation”). UQM® machines can be operated in either a forward or reverse direction of rotation and either in motor or generator mode and can dynamically change from one mode of operation to another in millisecond response time. The hollow design of the rotor permits the packaging of other components such as gears and electromechanical brakes in the interior of the machine. These design features contribute to lower usage of copper and iron and other materials generally (due to smaller package dimensions), reducing manufacturing cost over those for conventional machines of similar power. In addition, the utilization of neodymium-iron-boron (“NdFeB”) magnet material in a wide range of consumer devices, such as cell phones, disk drives and medical devices, has dramatically improved the availability, performance and price of this material, allowing us to price our advanced motors and controls competitively with lesser performing conventional motors which we believe will accelerate the rate of commercialization of our technology. The electronic controllers that drive UQM® machines consist of DC bus capacitance, a three-phase semiconductor bridge (six power switches), and a digital signal processor to control switch timing to optimize system performance. Controllers use off-the-shelf electronic components from reputable suppliers that have proven to offer superior performance through years of qualification testing. Packaging expertise at UQM® is employed to minimize the size and weight of the electronics box.  UQM’s hollow rotor features surface mounted high-power magnets Attributes Attributes of our permanent magnet motor technology include brushless electronic commutation; a relatively large air-gap dimension (useful for hybrid-electric applications that are integrated with an engine or transmission); the use of powerful rare earth NdFeB magnet material; good heat rejection; low iron and copper content; and low mechanical losses. As a result, UQM® motors have high operating efficiencies, high power density (high power output to weight ratio) and generally have smaller external dimensions and weight for a given power output, improving packaging. Attributes of our microprocessor-based digital power electronic controllers include high power operation (up to 500 amps at 400 volts), four-quadrant control (forward/reverse and motoring/generation), reduced switching losses, adaptive switch timing control and controller area network (“CAN”) capability. As a result, UQM® controllers have high operating efficiencies, high power density (high power output to weight ratio) and generally have smaller external dimensions and weight for a given power output, improving packaging. Software The UQM® embedded DSP software is the intelligence that coordinates the interaction between the machine and controller, as well as interfacing with the vehicle controller. Much of the Company’s intellectual property resides in these software control algorithms. One aspect of the software is a patented a method of control referred to as Phase Timing Advancement that enables UQM® motors to deliver both high output torque at low operating speeds and high power at increasing operating speeds. Conventional permanent magnet motor designs are limited to operating at either high torque at low speeds, sacrificing power at high speed, or vice versa. In most vehicle propulsion applications, high torque is required to launch the vehicle from a standing stop, transitioning to high power as the vehicle is accelerated to highway speeds. In conventional internal combustion engine powered vehicles, the transition from high torque to high power is accomplished through the multiple gear changes performed by a mechanical transmission. UQM® motors, incorporating phase advance technology, are suited as propulsion drives in electric, hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles due to the ability to power a vehicle from a standing stop to highway speeds without mechanical gear changes, thereby eliminating the size, weight, complexity and cost of mechanical transmissions.Recently Developed Technology We have extended the capability of Phase Advance Control through using Adaptive Control techniques in our latest product offerings from the HiTor system to the PowerPhaseä 150 system. These software algorithms alter the switching strategy as a function of DC voltage, operating speed and output power, optimizing system performance under these dynamic conditions. The result is maximized output and efficiency, leading to decreased fuel consumption in hybrid electric vehicles and increased range of battery electric vehicles. These algorithms also maximize the output per unit voltage and current, making the most of the onboard energy storage and other electrical devices. This is achieved by extracting power from the entire electrical cycle of the motor. These performance enhancements have increased peak and continuous power output by 50 percent and improved system efficiency at various operating points by 2 to 8 percent.In addition, our control enhancements now have user configurable functionality and increased data transmission speeds and response times, improving vehicle capability. Included in this functionality is the ability to switch between torque, speed, and voltage control on the fly, especially useful within parallel hybrid and generator application of our technology. For vehicle developers, our new Graphical User Interface provides the means to tailor any UQM® system to the desired driving experience.  One of many development activities, the INTETS system featured a fully integrated motor, controller, gearbox, and differential Summarized Technology Benefits · Small size and lightweight motors, generators, and controllers for ease of packaging and for offsetting the impact of heavy energy storage components · High efficiency for the best possible fuel economy and vehicle range (all published efficiency data reflects testing results and includes the machine and the controller) · Innovative software control methods for maximized output over the operating speed range and the ability to switch between torque, speed, and voltage control under any operating condition · Graphical User Interface with many user-configurable variables for the vehicle developer to create the perfect driving experience
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