Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AM2SoftMag (Additive Manufacturing of Amorphous Metals for Soft Magnetics)
Período documentado: 2023-03-01 hasta 2024-08-31
Over 20% of the final energy consumption in Europe is in the form of electricity. From its generation to its consumption, this electricity undergoes multiple stages of conversion and transformation, all of which involve soft-magnetic materials (SMM) in the form of generator and transformer cores, magnetic cores of inductors as well as the stator and rotor cores in electric motors.
In this framework, AM2SoftMag aims to develop the next generation of SMM for more efficient and cleaner devices by applying additive manufacturing (AM) for the production of amorphous metallic components, like the one shown in Fig. 1. In this project, new alloy compositions are developed ad hoc for the AM technology in order to achieve 100% amorphicity of the SMM components. Owing to their amorphous structure, amorphous alloys are considered as the perfect match for AM because of the absence of solidification shrinkage that minimizes cracking during the AM production and because they exhibit superior soft-magnetic properties in combination with extraordinary mechanical hardness and strength and high electrical resistivity. They can operate with extremely low electrical power losses because of their near zero coercivity value combined with a high magnetic permeability. Based on this, amorphous SMMs have great potential to decrease magnetic power losses in electric power conversion applications by an unprecedented value that is as high as 80%. The focus of AM2SoftMag is to develop new and affordable production processes for amorphous SMM with an eye to upscaling processes in transitional activities to follow.
The AM amorphous SMM components will be built into operable electromagnetic machines including an electric motor, resulting in a laboratory setting validation of the technological readiness (TRL4) for the entire process beginning with alloy development (Objective 1), through AM processing (Objective 2) and into device application (Objective 3). The project addresses its challenges at all four levels of length scale, whereby the first two levels involve solid-state physics and chemistry and the latter two levels are application design oriented. The realisation of these objectives will represent the first comprehensive proof of concept of this envisioned technology that aims to reduce static energy losses in electromagnetic systems by at least 50%.
In this framework, AM2SoftMag aims to develop the next generation of SMM for more efficient and cleaner devices by applying additive manufacturing (AM) for the production of amorphous metallic components, like the one shown in Fig. 1. In this project, new alloy compositions are developed ad hoc for the AM technology in order to achieve 100% amorphicity of the SMM components. Owing to their amorphous structure, amorphous alloys are considered as the perfect match for AM because of the absence of solidification shrinkage that minimizes cracking during the AM production and because they exhibit superior soft-magnetic properties in combination with extraordinary mechanical hardness and strength and high electrical resistivity. They can operate with extremely low electrical power losses because of their near zero coercivity value combined with a high magnetic permeability. Based on this, amorphous SMMs have great potential to decrease magnetic power losses in electric power conversion applications by an unprecedented value that is as high as 80%. The focus of AM2SoftMag is to develop new and affordable production processes for amorphous SMM with an eye to upscaling processes in transitional activities to follow.
The AM amorphous SMM components will be built into operable electromagnetic machines including an electric motor, resulting in a laboratory setting validation of the technological readiness (TRL4) for the entire process beginning with alloy development (Objective 1), through AM processing (Objective 2) and into device application (Objective 3). The project addresses its challenges at all four levels of length scale, whereby the first two levels involve solid-state physics and chemistry and the latter two levels are application design oriented. The realisation of these objectives will represent the first comprehensive proof of concept of this envisioned technology that aims to reduce static energy losses in electromagnetic systems by at least 50%.
The consortium worked in the first project periods closely and effectively. Many interactions between the technical working packages (WP) took place at several levels, as described below.
WP3: Extensive alloy design was performed. The maxima in glass properties of more than 140 compositions were investigated. Stepwise processes for the master alloy production were developed or optimized, such as pre-alloying, melt-spinning, suction casting and extensive characterization of the alloy properties. Related submitted deliverables are D3.1 - D3.6
WP4: Basic studies of selective laser melting (SLM) were performed using two different compositions. The powders were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, apparent and tapped density, flowability, particle morphology, and the phase distribution. Systematic AM parameter optimisation (laser power, hatch distance, scan rate) was performed by means of a design of experiments (DoE). Testing cubes were built, characterized and sent to WP6 for magnetic studies. Related submitted deliverables are D4.1 - D4.6
WP5: First rotors and stators were built using an industrial AM machine, based on the design of WP7, as deliverable D7.3 describes. This required the identification of relevant and viable applications for amorphous SMM and a study of achievable geometries and properties. The process development work resulted in defined sets of AM parameters (laser power, hatch distance, scan rate, etc.) that can be used to build samples of repeatable quality of the particular alloy powder that was used. The work started later than planned after an internal process transfer from one partner to another, which lead to an Amendement of the DoA. Related submitted deliverables are D5.1- D5.7
WP6: Extensive magnetic properties investigations were performed. To gain a complete magnetic characterization, mass density and electrical resistivity had to be measured for each composition. Continuous and extensive DC magnetic properties characterization was performed up to magnetic saturation. The samples included 60 different compositions produced in WP3 and sets of AM-built cubes produced via SLM in WP4. AC characterisation on several melt-spun ribbons from WP3 (length of circa 20 mm) were performed by a calibrated digitalized wattmeter hysteresis graph set-up, from quasi-static conditions up to 10 kHz, at 0.5 T. These measurements allowed the evaluation of power losses in ribbons. Related submitted deliverables are D6.1 - D6.5.
WP7: A design of electrical machines was performed. Several space-filling curve models of different order were implemented in finite element simulations resulting in frequency-dependent calculations of eddy-current based power losses. Additional simulations investigated the effect of the variation of electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability of the SMM on the resulting eddy current losses. An existing PMSM machine design was modified and will serve as a reference motor based on FeSi laminate cores and for initial experiments involving the new components. The modified PMSM design was constructed and built up. Prototypical rotors and stators were received from WP5 and were observed by means of a coordinate measuring machine and digital microscopy. Related submitted deliverables are D7.1 - D7.8.
WP8: Activities related to the powder production via ultrasonic melting has started in month 10, as part of a later funded Hop-on project, which led to a second amendment to the DoA. The work started with the development of a stepwise processing technique for the pre-alloying and master alloying via arc-melting in collaboration with WP3. Ultrasonic powder atomization based on plasma-melting of the master alloys was performed to produce powders for the activities of WP4. Their characterization is described in the deliverable D4.1. Additionally, efforts have focused on the selection of sonotrode plates to withstand longer processing time under extreme conditions (gigafatigue cycle, high temperature, contact with molten metal). Different coating systems are under testing to ensure higher wettability of the surface during the process. Related submitted deliverables are D8.1 - D8.4.
WP3: Extensive alloy design was performed. The maxima in glass properties of more than 140 compositions were investigated. Stepwise processes for the master alloy production were developed or optimized, such as pre-alloying, melt-spinning, suction casting and extensive characterization of the alloy properties. Related submitted deliverables are D3.1 - D3.6
WP4: Basic studies of selective laser melting (SLM) were performed using two different compositions. The powders were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, apparent and tapped density, flowability, particle morphology, and the phase distribution. Systematic AM parameter optimisation (laser power, hatch distance, scan rate) was performed by means of a design of experiments (DoE). Testing cubes were built, characterized and sent to WP6 for magnetic studies. Related submitted deliverables are D4.1 - D4.6
WP5: First rotors and stators were built using an industrial AM machine, based on the design of WP7, as deliverable D7.3 describes. This required the identification of relevant and viable applications for amorphous SMM and a study of achievable geometries and properties. The process development work resulted in defined sets of AM parameters (laser power, hatch distance, scan rate, etc.) that can be used to build samples of repeatable quality of the particular alloy powder that was used. The work started later than planned after an internal process transfer from one partner to another, which lead to an Amendement of the DoA. Related submitted deliverables are D5.1- D5.7
WP6: Extensive magnetic properties investigations were performed. To gain a complete magnetic characterization, mass density and electrical resistivity had to be measured for each composition. Continuous and extensive DC magnetic properties characterization was performed up to magnetic saturation. The samples included 60 different compositions produced in WP3 and sets of AM-built cubes produced via SLM in WP4. AC characterisation on several melt-spun ribbons from WP3 (length of circa 20 mm) were performed by a calibrated digitalized wattmeter hysteresis graph set-up, from quasi-static conditions up to 10 kHz, at 0.5 T. These measurements allowed the evaluation of power losses in ribbons. Related submitted deliverables are D6.1 - D6.5.
WP7: A design of electrical machines was performed. Several space-filling curve models of different order were implemented in finite element simulations resulting in frequency-dependent calculations of eddy-current based power losses. Additional simulations investigated the effect of the variation of electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability of the SMM on the resulting eddy current losses. An existing PMSM machine design was modified and will serve as a reference motor based on FeSi laminate cores and for initial experiments involving the new components. The modified PMSM design was constructed and built up. Prototypical rotors and stators were received from WP5 and were observed by means of a coordinate measuring machine and digital microscopy. Related submitted deliverables are D7.1 - D7.8.
WP8: Activities related to the powder production via ultrasonic melting has started in month 10, as part of a later funded Hop-on project, which led to a second amendment to the DoA. The work started with the development of a stepwise processing technique for the pre-alloying and master alloying via arc-melting in collaboration with WP3. Ultrasonic powder atomization based on plasma-melting of the master alloys was performed to produce powders for the activities of WP4. Their characterization is described in the deliverable D4.1. Additionally, efforts have focused on the selection of sonotrode plates to withstand longer processing time under extreme conditions (gigafatigue cycle, high temperature, contact with molten metal). Different coating systems are under testing to ensure higher wettability of the surface during the process. Related submitted deliverables are D8.1 - D8.4.
The AM2SoftMag technology is expected to substantially impact the technological breakthrough of all-electric vehicles, which rely solely on highly efficient electric motors for propulsion. This can be readily extended to build the next generation of all-electric trains, buses, trucks as well as aircraft, thus allowing a radical reduction in global fuel consumption and of noise and pollution in metropoles over the next 10 to 15 years. It may also have a tremendously positive effect on the design of small electric motors for the quickly growing market of electrically motorized consumer goods, allowing for higher efficiency and silent operation with market entry shortly after project completion.
For further uptake and success, further research, demonstration, access to markets, commercialisation, IPR support and supportive standardisation procedures are needed.
For further uptake and success, further research, demonstration, access to markets, commercialisation, IPR support and supportive standardisation procedures are needed.