A magnetic glassfibre material is being developed at the UK's University of Bristol to reduce the weight of electric motors that could operate as actuators in fly-by-wire control systems.
While the motor's stator and rotor remain magnetic metal, the weight saving is achieved by replacing the housing with the new glassfibre material. However, as composites can interfere with the magnetic properties of the motor, researchers want to give the fibre magnetic properties.
"We are inserting soft iron magnetic filaments into hollow glass fibres to make them magnetic," says project leader Dr Ian Bond, a lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol. "We hope eventually to produce a simple motor to demonstrate its capabilities," he adds.
The partially composite electrical motors could replace hydraulic actuators in fly-by-wire control systems and in future could be powered by electricity from hydrogen fuel cells.
As an alternative, woven carbonfibre composite structures with inserted magnetic metal particles were considered. However, the particles were found to disrupt the structure and characteristics of the laminated fibres.
Source: Flight International