Frequently asked questions
Motor technology
Ben Schuler, Infinitum’s CEO & Founder, is the original inventor of this technology.
Ben’s previous company was focused on capturing waste energy from HVAC systems. While working to reduce the size and cost of the generator in that system, Ben invented the PCB stator technology at the heart of Infinitum’s innovation.
Ben’s previous company was focused on capturing waste energy from HVAC systems. While working to reduce the size and cost of the generator in that system, Ben invented the PCB stator technology at the heart of Infinitum’s innovation.
A PCB (printed circuit board) stator is a unique technology that allows the copper winding core of the motor to be integrated into a thin, disc-shaped PCB. The PCB stator greatly reduces the size and weight of the motor. This PCB stator uses two thirds less copper compared to a conventional iron-core stator. This is the primary differentiator of our technology vs. a conventional electric motor. This PCB stator can be manufactured worldwide in any printed circuit board design/manufacturing facility.
A traditional motor features a laminated steel core with copper windings, and up to a third of the motor losses are caused by eddy currents in that steel core. When the core and copper windings are replaced by copper traces etched into the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) stator of Infinitum motors, the core losses are eliminated, which provides a higher efficiency motor.
Infinitum’s motors have a geometry commonly referred to as “pancake” or “disc” motors. Infinitum’s motors are less than half the volume and weight of conventional AC induction motors and approximately 30% smaller than electrically commutated (EC) motors. With these size and weight advantages, Infinitum motors achieve higher efficiency and boast a broader, flatter efficiency curve while being scalable to higher HP.
Another advantage of the Infinitum motor is the superior serviceability of components, including bearings and VFD modules. The control options of the Infinitum motor are similar to conventional motors; unlike traditional motors, Infinitum motors can capture and transmit rich monitoring data through enhanced communication options including Modbus TCP, RS485 e.g. Modbus RTU, with additional options are in development.
Another advantage of the Infinitum motor is the superior serviceability of components, including bearings and VFD modules. The control options of the Infinitum motor are similar to conventional motors; unlike traditional motors, Infinitum motors can capture and transmit rich monitoring data through enhanced communication options including Modbus TCP, RS485 e.g. Modbus RTU, with additional options are in development.
In an axial flux motor, the magnetic flux travels parallel to the motor shaft, in the axial direction. Traditional AC induction motors are radial flux machines, where the flux travels perpendicular to the motor shaft in the radial direction.
The Infinitum motor is arranged so that the stator and rotor discs are all parallel to each other, and the stator is sandwiched between the rotor discs. As current passes through the coils on the stator PCB, they generate an electromagnetic field which interacts with the magnetic fields from the rotor magnets to generate torque and rotation.
Third-party reliability tests have shown that the PCB stator is up to 9x more reliable than a conventional copper wire wound stator. Three common failure points in conventional motors are the copper wire windings, insulation between the copper wire and laminated core, and the bearings. In conventional motors, as the stator heats up and cools down, the copper wire windings rub against each other resulting in insulation failure. Additionally, the windings experience increased stress at the end turns which leads to eventual failure.
In contrast, our PCB stator is produced on fully automated equipment without any of the inconsistencies seen on traditional motor windings. The coefficient of thermal expansion of our PCB substrate and the copper is very similar resulting in almost perfect heat dissipation across the entire stator. Thus our design eliminates both the end-turn and insulation failure modes.
Our technology can be tailored to the application. Our motors with integrated VFDs exceed AMCA 207 efficiencies. Want to learn more about how we’ve drastically improved motor efficiency with our Aircore EC motor?
Absolutely! Not only can it replace your current margarita blender motor, but it can make margaritas better, faster and quieter while using less energy.
