drivEcomp II – Advanced Composite Solutions

The turnaround in energy policy requires an increase in the energy efficiency of drive systems in all areas of mobility. In the project drivEcomp II, electrical drives for rail and bus applications are therefore to be designed to be lighter, more powerful and less noisy by using fiber composite technology. As part of this project, housing components of a traction motor, which are usually made of metallic materials, are implemented as a Sheet Molding Compound (SMC). SMC is a widely used material that consists of a thermoset matrix system, reinforcing fibers and application-specific additives and enables the large-scale production of fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRPC) components in a compression molding process. Using SMC opens up new possibilities in the load path-appropriate and function-integrative design of the housing components. Compared to metallic materials, SMC components provide vibration-damping properties that can reduce noise emissions. By using carbon instead of glass as reinforcement fibers, the rigidity increases and the weight is also reduced. The work at the IVW concentrates on material and process development. An SMC formulation is being developed, that meets the defined requirements for mechanical properties even at high operating temperatures. Furthermore, the process technology for the production of semi-finished SMC and the pressing process will be adapted to the newly developed formulation in order to enable efficient component production.

The aim of the drivEcomp II project is to increase the power density of electrical drive systems for rail and road applications by using fiber composite technology. The focus here is on material and process development in order to meet all requirements with regard to structural, thermal and electrical component integrity in a cost-efficient manner.