- Horse Powertrain’s new range-extending electric vehicle generator combines methanol-burning engines and axial-flux motors.
- The powertrain can produce up to 141 horsepower.
- Horse’s axial-flux motors are 46 percent smaller than comparable radial-flux motors, while producing 63 percent more power.
The horsepower powertrain features a new engine that, believe it or not, runs on methanol. It is part of a new hybrid package designed as a generator for a battery-electric vehicle, consisting of compact axial-flux motors.
The company, a joint venture between Renault Group and Geely, claims its motors are 46 smaller than comparable radial-flux motors, while producing 63 percent more power. The D20 Methane Range Extender powertrain, which weighs 375 pounds, can produce up to 141 horsepower.
The powertrain has a 47 percent fuel-to-energy conversion ratio, meaning only 5.2 gallons of gas are required to recharge the 40 kilowatt-hour battery. The powertrain also features a high-energy ignition system that enables the engine to achieve ultra-lean methanol combustion.
The engine meets both European and Chinese emission regulations.
horse axial-flux motors
The D20 Methane features a new generator architecture that mounts axial-flux motors directly on the engine’s crankshaft. Axial motors layer the rotor and stator as discs on top of each other, creating a compact pancake design.
Traditional radial-flux motors are large due to their cylindrical shape, with the rotor located inside the stator. The D20 has a yokeless design that allows the Horse to operate two rotors around a single stator.
According to the company, the electrical efficiency of the motor is 96.4 percent. Producing 1 kilowatt-hour of electrical energy requires burning about 2.1 kilowatt-hours of methanol. Fortune Zhao, CTO of Horse Powertrain, said:
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Source: Horse Powertrain
‘The Horse D20 Methane is a platform for a range of cutting-edge technologies to deliver a powertrain of unparalleled compactness and efficiency. This can be seen in our use of an axial flux motor to achieve the required width and volumetric power density for the unit, one of the first uses of the technology in a mass-market automotive powertrain.’
Motor1’s Opinion: Horse powertrains continue to innovate the combustion engine with a focus on reducing emissions. The company has produced a variety of powertrains that have improved the efficiency of combustion engines, and while we won’t be seeing Horse D20 methanol in the US anytime soon, other technologies from the company may end up here one day.
Source:
horse powertrain
