Halbach Array Brushless Motor
OSE Brushless Motor
Summary
Due to advances in 3D printing technology, it is now possible to design and print motors. This opens up a new realm of possibility with respect to desktop manufacturing. Open Source Ecology is planning to create a monetary prize for the best 3D printed cordless drill design.
There are, of course, some limitations to 3D-printed artifacts - the plastic may melt or break, does not make an ideal core for a motor and is not easy to mass-manufacture as with traditional factories. Even so, in collaborating around the world, students, teachers, hobbyists and other interested groups may generate an ecology of design and innovation such that over time, these problems are solved. 3D printers may eventually adopt liquid resin printing more widely, print with more robust and/or composite materials and manufacturing techniques may improve such that a quality desktop-manufactured drill becomes a reality.
As a first step in this process, a brushless motor project was taken on by a number of students at London International Academy. The following CAD files and photos demonstrate that secondary school students are indeed capable of sophisticated design and manufacturing:
CAD Files
Photos
photos of the OSE Brushless Motor
Future Work
Based on the result of this project, several avenues of continued development may be taken:
- Explore the advantages and disadvantages of radial and axial designs
- Couple the motor with a gearbox to increase available torque
- Print a second version of the motor with proto-pasta to compare performance
- Design and build an ESC based on the VESC.
- Produce the OSE motor for physics classes - our physics teachers are eager to use the motor in lessons.