ALCHEMI: ALuminium Composites for High Efficiency Motor Innovation

TISICS has unique high performance metal matrix composite technology to combine its in-house UK silicon carbide fibre reinforcement in light weight titanium and aluminium composites. These technologies deliver 30% to 70% weight reductions in high value components for space, aerospace, transport and energy sectors. Weight reduction in these sectors leads to direct reductions in CO2 emissions delivering into global Net Zero targets.

Electric drivetrains are a major route to removing fossil fuel combustion propulsion and associated emissions. But as motors are developed for increased range efficiency and payload they have to cope with higher power, loads and temperatures which compromise performance. Over-wrapping conventional motor materials with high strength and stiffness sleeves significantly enhances performance and reliability. Conventional over-wrap material technologies are a compromise between strength, mass, wall thickness and thermal efficiency.

TISICS high performance fibre reinforced aluminium composite combines the best attributes fo light weight, high thermal conductivity aluminium with the exceptional strength, stiffness and electrical properties of ceramic fibre to provide lighter, thermally efficient motor sleeves and a positive contribution to uptake of motor drives and hence emission reduction.

Project ALCHEMI will develop and demonstrate a viable process route and early performance data in a short 9 month programme to ensure that this technology can be integrated into current motor development programmes and enable rapid deployment.

This project builds on significant prior work on the materials in other high-performance applications and early commercialisation through motor sleeves will accelerate use of metal composites in critical technologies where emissions abatement is limited by conventional material performance.