Bloomberg reports that Toyota’s engineers have reached an “advanced stage” of research on a new “induction”-type electric motor which holds the promise of freeing the Japanese automaker from dependence on so-called rare-earth materials. These elements, including neodymium and dysprosium, are used to strengthen the magnets used in traditional electric motors and generators, and are crucial to the production of everything from electric and hybrid cars to wind turbines and guided missiles. China currently controls over 90 percent of the world’s supply of rare-earth materials, and has recently cut exports quotas, raising tensions between China and Japan.
Modern hybrids use “fixed-magnet”-type (or “synchronous”) electrical motors as they are more compact and, according to Eric Rasak of the Argonne National Lab, offer superior “torque density” across a number of driving conditions. The trade-off is that they use fixed magnets in the rotor and, because they are subjected to high stress as both motors and generators, must be strengthened using rare earth compounds. Pure EVs, which lack the added bulk of an internal combustion engine, often use induction engines. Toyota’s breakthrough in induction motor research, according to the company, could create motors that are both more efficient and more compact than the current fixed-magnet motors. But, as with all technological breakthroughs, costs could be higher. Never a company to take too much risk, Toyota is keeping its fixed-magnet motor options open by exploring rare-earth exploitation in India. Just in case.
I’m definitely rooting for Toyota on this one.
First, this technology could give high efficiency motors for all kinds of things, for less money and with less resources.
Second the Chinese are breaking trade rules by favoring domestic companies with lower prices.
I hope Nipponese (or other technology) can work with supply and demand and Chinese market-rigging to greatly reduce demand.
No worse than the chicken tax or any of the other protectionist things that other countries do.
Quite frankly, after the last go around, nobody in Asia wants a strong Japan, so if China wants to squeeze Japan, nobody is going to complain. Sure, to the West, it’s all “poor Japan”, but when they talk amongst themselves, it’s “payback’s a bitch”.
It is like having a law on the books that state that oil coming from federal land can only be used in land. Thankfully a country like America would never do that.
Nothing like monopoly pricing power to spur the development of an alternative! I have read that GE is working to reduce their need for rare earths in their wind turbines by 80%. Soon China will have a monopoly on an un needed commodity.
(sarcasm) But why doesn’t Toyota use their R&D money for E85 flex fuel engines like certain other automakers??? (/sarcasm)
But seriously, I hope it works out for them.
A few years ago I seem to remember Honda winding their hybrid motors with square (instead of round) electric wire. The idea was they pack the wires closer together and fit more windings in the same space. This would make the motor more powerful without making it bigger. I thought that was pretty clever of them.
JBL was making loudspeaker voice coils with flat wire in the 70’s, Morel used hexagonal wire in the 80’s to same effect which is it increase the density and performance of the coil given the same size. Round is easy to make but not efficient when wound. The radical shape of the wire also modifies the magnetic field created allowing previously unavailable designs.
The patents are most likely expired on these innovations allowing Honda to create their “breakthrough”.
The Chinese do need to be rebuffed and taught that such monopolistic maneuvers spur development to eliminate the dependency.
Well, ya learn something new every day. I’m not surprised that Honda didn’t come up with that idea, although I’d never given it much thought if they did or not.
Some good ideas are new ideas but lots of them turn out to be old ideas. I had a college prof who was pretty smart on automotive engineering theory, dynamics, vibrations, and a few other high-brow and arcane topics. I remember asking him when Mitsubishi’s patent on engine balance shafts expired. He looked at me like I had a third eye… smart man (the world needs academics), but I don’t think my question had ever crossed his mind. (And Mitsu didn’t come up with that idea themselves from scratch either…)
A number of Australian companies have advanced their projects to mining with signings with Japanese, Korean and Germany companies.
Thank you China, for the reminder that we need to develop more sources of these materials.
If we had more guts we’d price the raw materials we send over to the middle kingdom a lot higher but alas no we don’t.
Because the Chinese can’t buy from Europe or within Asia?
Raw materials are just as much commodities as the PCs and consumer whatnots they make with them.
I would really like to know how this works.
If many electric motors are of the induction type I don’t see why they used the permanent magnet route.
I remember books explaining how the shape of the wire influences the features of the motor, torque curves mostly, so Honda’s “breakthrough” is hardly that, based on the few information given here, that PR is no different from Ahmadinejad or Chavez PR.
Synchro motors are MUCH smaller and lighter per the same power, they are self correcting for power factor (Trust me, you really don’t want me to explain that), more efficient, and have fewer parts.
You would need an absolutely massive squirrel cage motor to get the same power the fairly small synchros are making in these cars. A Baldor 60HP squirrel cage weighs a whopping 870 pounds, and a 100hp weighs 1179, and they’re both damn near the size of the car itself.
One issue with the RE “scarcity”. It isn’t. And China doesn’t have a monopoly, just the best cost commercial operations. If the price rises too much it becomes economically viable to develop other — and yes, more local — operations. It’s similar to the Canadian oil sands project.
American mining companies got significant tax breaks for selling their rare earth mining rights to the Chinese.
Our Government, under the Cheney/Bush Administration, gave the Chinese this monopoly on a silver platter.
@ forraymond
Really? Americans are so…….well, dumb.
Toyota (and others) should invest in Australia. Lynas, Alkane Resources, and others are reliable producers of rare earth metals.
The problem I see happening in a few years time however is the price of these metals collapsing, as everyone’s getting on the bandwagon now. So many new mines opening today means a glut tomorrow.