MAXIMA

Modular AXIal flux Motor for Automotive

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No GA 101096097.

MAXIMA aims to create a low-cost modular permanent magnet axial flux electrical machine with improved performance, and with a low environmental impact that caters specifically to the needs of the automotive market. To achieve this, MAXIMA will develop an advanced Multiphysics design procedure that includes new thermal management concepts. A digital twin will also be built to develop an optimal control strategy to operate the electrical machine up to the limit.

The end-of-life of the electrical machine will also be considered, with a focus on recycling the permanent magnet made from critical raw materials. MAXIMA will conduct a life cycle assessment for every solution, analysing its impact throughout the lifecycle, with the goal of minimizing the environmental impact.

At the end of the project, prototypes will be manufactured for testing, assessment, and validation of the new concepts addressed in MAXIMA related to the modular design of the electrical machine, the optimal control based on the digital twin and the manufacturing/recycling process flow.
Project roadmap:

Main objectives

Design, develop and validate an axial flux electrical machine for automotive application:
– Continuous power densities >23kW/litre and >7 kW/kg or continuous torque densities > 50Nm/litre and >20Nm/kg, for the complete motor including its cooling.
– A 20% reduction in losses during typical vehicle operation.
– A reduction in the use of rare resources by 60%.

Develop a digital twin of an electrical machine for optimal control.

Optimize magnetic materials and the manufacturing process flow of an axial flux electrical machine for mass production and limit the critical raw materials use by recycling the permanent magnet.

Development of an ex-ante and prospective life cycle assessment of an electrical machine.

Development of prototypes to validate the concept through representative automotive duty cycle.

The MAXIMA consortium comprises 11 partners hailing from 6 European Union Member States. The consortium unites research teams and companies from every stage of the value chain – spanning from raw material suppliers to car manufacturers, as well as a recycling company – in order to tackle the principal technological and scientific obstacles in the fields of electromagnetics, mechanics, and thermodynamics.

4MULTIPHYSICS is involved in multiple work packages and tasks:

The component level Multiphysics design, analysis, and optimization of the proposed motor concepts, as task leaders

In the power electronics & drive integration and thermal management as a task partner supporting for the thermal integration with the motor

In the development of some parts of the Digital Twin

Interested to find out more?

Access the project website