University Racing Eindhoven
AE Group developed the ultra-high performance URE / AE electric drive of 30 kW weighing only 3kg.
In order for the four wheel driven racing car of URE with torque vectoring to perform optimally, the electrical motors need to be extremely efficient while producing an ultimate specific power of 10 kW/kg and shaft torque to weight of 10 Nm/kg. This exceeds the power-to-weight ratio of an Formula 1 engine! To do so, AE Group and URE work very closely together to keep developing the motor and students make use of the facilities and expertise at AE in their Waalwijk facilities. Considering the URE velocity track layout and duty-cycle, this electric machine is hardly ever at steady-state as considered in regular electric motor design. With this respect, water cooled machines reach a steady-state within minutes, although that the acceleration race only lasts about 3 seconds. This is then similar to a KERS systems of Formula 1 or indeed any other racing application, e.g. FiaFormulaE, Indycar, LeMans, MotoGP, Superbike, which also will never reach a steady-state behavior. This poses a real challenge for any electrical machine designer, since not a single steady-state operating point can be considered, which, if satisfied, provides a means to further research the optimal design.
Working together with URE is important for AE Group. Not only because they are a very motivated partner, but teams like URE are our future! Working on the edge of innovation, and familiar with the latest technologies! By exchanging knowledge, we believe our combined strengths will lead to ever higher performances. AE has performed electrical drive R&D work for more than 80 years. We have created high-performance custom electric motor and power electronics for many different applications ranging from the depths of the ocean to the sky (e.g. helicopters, airplanes, drones, satellites). High performance is in the DNA of AE Group. Collaborating with universities and student teams like URE presents AE an opportunity to illustrate their capabilities, spread its brand name and reach engineers that together with AE Group want to make the impossible possible!
Interested to join these students and/or sponsor their journey? Please contact URE. In case you have a commercial question please contact info@ae-grp.nl.
