Optiphase Unveils Five-Phase Electric Drive System Designed to Reduce Vehicle Emissions

Fort Worth, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2022) - Texas-based electric motor and controller specialists, Optiphase Drive Systems, have launched their unique five-phase drive design. This new system, which is intended to replace traditional three-phase motor systems, is being launched as a means of streamlining the pathway towards decarbonization.

Three-phase electric motors are currently the most popular option for fuelling electric-powered vehicles. All of today's major electric vehicle (EV) motor types use a three-phase alternating current. The team behind Optiphase Drive Systems, though, is highlighting that these traditional systems have a number of drawbacks, and that their new five-phase model is aiming to overcome these.

Three-phase motor drives have been shown to have low reliability, especially for safety-critical applications, as well as more cost of manufacturing to resolve their cogging torque ripples. In addition to this, they require thicker cables and more expensive connectors on the AC side as they are carrying more current per phase.

Optiphase is announcing its patent-protected five-phase drive system as a more effective alternative to the three-phase model. The five-phase system unlocks a higher power density of 15%, while at the same time reducing the current required per switch by 40%. There is also a higher fault tolerance, due to the fact that there are more phases; if there are two phase-related faults, the motor continues with 50% of its maximum torque. By contrast, in three-phase systems, one fault would effectively stop the machine altogether.

Senior officials at Optiphase underline that, alongside the enhanced safety that this higher fault tolerance can provide for vehicles incorporating their five-phase systems, there is also a reduced cost. This is due to a 47% smaller DC link capacitor and a lower need for rare earth materials and less expensive silicon switches vs silicon carbide switches.

"We're hoping that the increased reliability and power density - along with the cost-effectiveness - of our Optiphase systems will help to accelerate the industry's progress towards global sustainability goals. For instance, where you might have previously needed three water pumps to help prevent flooding in a particular region, with our five-phase system you would only need two," underlines Daniel V. Vicario Jr., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Optiphase Drive Systems.

In releasing this new motor model, Optiphase is setting out to play its part in reducing the US' greenhouse gas emissions. The US is currently the biggest transportation polluter in the world, and Optiphase intends to utilize its technology to help decarbonize the sector.

Optiphase's five-phase system, which was designed by Siavash Sadeghi, has been integrated into its latest range of products. These include the Dobermann Drive System, which consists of the Dobermann Controller and Dobermann Motor, along with the more powerful Wolf Integrated Drive System. As part of the firm's announcement, it is underlined that the latter has been designed for heavy-duty purposes, such as marine, freight, industrial and aerospace-related transport. By contrast, the Dobermann system is best suited to passenger vehicles, trucks and buses.

MEDIA CONTACT
NAME: Peter Degraaf
EMAIL: pdegraaf@optiphasedrive.com

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