What does the motor look like inside?

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foolios

Well-known member
Joined
May 1, 2014
Messages
95
Anyone got a picture of what's inside the motor? I was showing the car to someone and they asked me what's actually in there. I can't imagine what it's like without oil, pistons, etc. How does it work?
image.jpg
 
There are lots of excellent photos on these two discussions:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?style=3&f=4&t=10934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bob
 
Anyone know what's different about Tesla's motor, which apparently has no rare Earth metals? Is it not a permanent magnet motor?
 
It is an induction motor. Slightly lower efficiency but higher performance.

pkulak said:
Anyone know what's different about Tesla's motor, which apparently has no rare Earth metals? Is it not a permanent magnet motor?
 
Bob said:
There are lots of excellent photos on these two discussions:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?style=3&f=4&t=10934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bob
That's neat. Thanks for sharing.
 
http://www.appliancedesign.com/articles/91215-motors-drive-decisions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://chargedevs.com/features/a-closer-look-at-regenerative-braking/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
AC induction motor (ACIM) for Tesla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_induction_motor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PMSM for Nissan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushless_electric_motor" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
TomT said:
It is an induction motor. Slightly lower efficiency but higher performance.

pkulak said:
Anyone know what's different about Tesla's motor, which apparently has no rare Earth metals? Is it not a permanent magnet motor?

The induction motor produces more torque (performance) but requires more complex electronics,
i.e. current is "induced" into the rotor from the stator. The Leaf's motor is a brushless D.C. motor
similar to what's used in a computer hard drive. The induction motor RPM output can be greater
than the permanent magnet motor used in the Leaf. The Volt and the Tesla both use an induction motor.
 
ElectricEddy said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GG3QRPGlPc Hope this helps.
Woah. Didn't know about this until DaveInOlyWa posted it elsewhere.

That guy also has 2 other interesting looking videos at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyHSj0bDTe-4kFIhLolhFcQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
 
The guy seemed pretty complacent in the pegboard video although I have to give him some credit for wearing runners. I think if it was me I might consider safety glasses and rubber gloves, also maybe a brace for the motor/inverter assembly.
 
Induction motors are brilliant. I read a book from the 1910s about how they work and how to maintain them, once. No permanent magnets required. Magnets are voodoo, anyway.

a01e45674cd2eb040681a35e04e7695f3cf144f70a1766740cf87489288e156a.jpg
 
lorenfb said:
TomT said:
It is an induction motor. Slightly lower efficiency but higher performance.

pkulak said:
Anyone know what's different about Tesla's motor, which apparently has no rare Earth metals? Is it not a permanent magnet motor?

The induction motor produces more torque (performance) but requires more complex electronics,
i.e. current is "induced" into the rotor from the stator. The Leaf's motor is a brushless D.C. motor
similar to what's used in a computer hard drive. The induction motor RPM output can be greater
than the permanent magnet motor used in the Leaf. The Volt and the Tesla both use an induction motor.

The Leaf's powertrain is not a brushless DC motor. It's a permanent magnet synchronous motor. It has magnets but requires a AC inverter to drive it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_motor#Permanent_magnet_motors" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Wufnu said:
Induction motors are brilliant. I read a book from the 1910s about how they work and how to maintain them, once.

Couldn't agree more, it boggles my mind that Tesla was able to visualize the idea in the 1880s. I often tell people that the induction motor should be the dictionary definition of "elegant"... simple, reliable, efficient, no exotic materials or mechanisms, just pure Maxwell's Equations at work.
 
bluedream42 said:
The Leaf's powertrain is not a brushless DC motor. It's a permanent magnet synchronous motor. It has magnets but requires a AC inverter to drive it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_motor#Permanent_magnet_motors" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's NOT true AC but a pulsed DC developed by the motor controller that's used in the Leaf.
As a result the Leaf's motor controller is less complex than the Tesla's induction motor
which requires a sine wave developed signal by its motor controller to drive the AC
(induction) motor. In the Leaf's motor, it's the rotor with its magnets that rotates similar
to a brushless DC motor and where the stator is pulsed based on the angular location of the
rotor as it rotates.
 
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