Brief History
Induction motors were invented by Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferraris in the 1880s. Today it is one of the most commonly used motors today. In fact it is responsible for over half of the worlds electricity usage. Induction motors are used in fans, conveyor belts, elevators, air conditioning, water pumps and etc to name a few.
Our Motor
The Induction motor still to this day is the work horse in the industry due to its reliability and ease of operation. Unlike other AC(Alternating Current) motors such as permanent magnet alternating current motors or reluctance motors, the induction motor does not require highly sophisticated control systems to make them function. In addition no permanent magnets are also present as permanent magnets in motors will not add value to the motor in the aviation industry as permanent magnets motors greatest value is in its high starting torque. Due to the reliability and performance of induction motors innovation in these motors are not needed as they already meet criteria’s for most industrial applications. But for the aviation industry we need more. That is due to size and weight of electric motors in general. Open Inductions have managed to make a twist in the design of induction motors and redesigned it to the point where not only is it lighter but also more compact and has better performance then conventional motors.
When compared to regular induction motors of the same power and voltage rating we have managed to make the motor a third of the weight, with the possibility of further weight reductions that are only possible with our design. We have also made the motor more compact as our motor is a little less then half of conventional motors while still having similar diameters. But more importantly our motors have managed to out perform conventional motors in terms of its power factor and efficiency as we are able to draw more power with lower amperage. Lastly, we have also managed to incorporate the use of polymer and composite materials in our motor design.
