When I first began using social media I was excited at the potential ability in the future to look back over my life. In reality I have almost completely abandoned social media and I am very happy with the Google photos remember this day feature which for me goes back at least 15 years. The only worry is how long Google maintain Photos
A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
201–210 of 296 posts
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#202This is inspiring, and let's look at why so many of us have the impulse to figure out what the flaw or missing part of the story is. For me, it's because I hadn't done something so cool at 17. That makes me think, huh, I wonder if I'm not a "natural born engineer". I start going through my life story so far and beating myself up for playing too many video games, or not going deep enough on my interests. Then I start…
> Next I start to resent how society scores us on things that can contribute to the economy
Lol
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#203So, how is it in terms of efficiency? The article mentions that it's 31% more efficient than existing reluctance motors, but doesn't give a comparison to the traditional electric motors.
That's a very good question. I have an EV motor control and calibration background so lots to say here. First off, peak efficiency tends to occur at mid to high speed and mid to high torque, in other words high power. Most EVs spend very little time operating anywhere near their peak power. It may take as little as 4kW to drive down the highway at constant speed, but a motor may be capable of 100kW or much more. Effi…
> Efficiency at 500 to 1000 RPM is important
Why is this? Thinking out loud: can't you gear your motor so that it's most efficient at cruising speed for the vehicle? But the problem is that the car still needs to be able to accelerate from zero and some gearings will make that impossible, so having an efficient band at 500—1000 RPM gives you the best chance of being able to accelerate from 0–500 RPM?
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#204When I first began using social media I was excited at the potential ability in the future to look back over my life. In reality I have almost completely abandoned social media and I am very happy with the Google photos remember this day feature which for me goes back at least 15 years. The only worry is how long Google maintain Photos
What? Wrong post, maybe?
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#205Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most 17 years old don't have access to 3d printers. Equipment is a big factor in making something tangible.
Are you sure about that? I don't know when you're allowed to leave school in the US, but they're pretty popular in schools - relatively cheap tools & a lot safer than others. They didn't exist (in the mainstream at least) when I was at school, but we had laser cutter/engravers for example. I know which I'd pick if I were in control of the budget (and had to choose one).
Whether you're able to use the equipment for tasks outside of the specific class (even if it's school related like a science fair project) is another issue. I've seen different schools in the same district do things differently - one for instance allowed students to say use the media lab to record a drama production and had a maker club where students could use the machine shop for personal projects. Others very strictly restricted the use of school equipment for the specific class in question (e.g. only shop class students can use the machine tools and only for projects related to that class). It really depends on the instructor and the school administration.
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#206This is inspiring, and let's look at why so many of us have the impulse to figure out what the flaw or missing part of the story is. For me, it's because I hadn't done something so cool at 17. That makes me think, huh, I wonder if I'm not a "natural born engineer". I start going through my life story so far and beating myself up for playing too many video games, or not going deep enough on my interests. Then I start…
> why so many of us have the impulse to figure out what the flaw or missing part of the story is
Because media LOVES to say "12 year old creates revolutionary invention!" especially for energy related things and especially for inventions that aren't revolutionary. Here's a classic example:
https://www.wired.com/2011/08/boy-genius-13-year-olds-solar-...
> 13-year-old Aiden Dwyer has managed to do something that grown-up scientists haven't. He has wrung up to 50% extra electricity from regular solar cells. How? Brains, trees, and a dash of math geekery.
(It's 100% nonsense.)
That said it doesn't exactly look like the case here but it's the obvious null hypothesis.
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#207Tesla’s electric motor evolution is an interesting journey that has taken them at this point to the permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor (PMSRM). Their history is very interesting. The early Model S was RWD using an induction motor. The AWD Model S then got a smaller induction motor on the front, keeping the larger sibling in the rear. They then ditched the larger rear motor and just used the same smaller motors front and rear. All the while they were also evolving the software to optimize for torque split, acceleration, and range. They released a feature that they called torque sleep in which the rear motor would pulse off leaving just the front motor driving the car during low torque conditions. The AWD was effectively FWD during these moments, squeezing additional range.
When the Model 3 was released, it had a completely new motor, the permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor. Various names and acronyms called it PMSRM, IPM-SynRM, PMa-SynRM, but the main difference was that now Tesla was moving away from the asynchronous induction motor (and no permanent magnet), to the PMSRM. Having permanent magnets now allowed it to have true “one-pedal” driving, where the car can bring itself to a complete stop without using the physical brakes. With the magnetless induction motors, the driver has to induce a brake hold during a stop, then release, which was still better than keeping the foot on the brake, but one-pedal driving was the luxury feature to have if just for the lazy look-ma-no-pedals stop.
Wait there’s more.
Tesla in its genius still had inventories of the induction motor, so at first they created an AWD configuration that had the extra-large watermelon-sized induction motor in the rear and cantaloupe-sized PMSRM on front. Software was used to optimize for power or range. Stomp on the power pedal and electricity went to the induction motor. Cruise for range and this load was tasked to the PMSRM. There was enough combined torque and power to go around that Tesla could make these modulations hundreds of times a second.
They also sold these combinations as the Performance or Plus version. There was also the LR for Long Range, the LR Plus, the Standard Range, Standard Range Plus). You can guess as to which combination of AWD, RWD, induction, or induction + PMSRM each car model had based on the badging. They did this for a few quarters then went all in on purely PMSRM front and rear. Some Tesla old-school purists still scour the used car listings to find the pure induction models.
If you haven’t experienced it you have to try how smooth the Tesla motors are when it comes to one-pedal driving. It’s really good compared to other makers. One-pedal driving isn’t unique to Tesla but there’s something different in their recipe. It’s available in the latest Model S, 3, X, Y with PMSRM. Tesla engineers are a brilliant lot and maybe Robert Sansone can join them and continue the arc of motor evolution and who knows maybe go back to motors without a permanent magnet someday.
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#208Inspiring story all round but this paragraph stood out for me: “I didn't have a mentor to help me, really, so each time a motor failed, I had to do tons of research and try and troubleshoot what went wrong,” he says. “But eventually on the 15th motor, I was able to get a working prototype.” I imagine most 17 year old would not have kept going 15+ times until they arrived at something which worked.
Really? In my observations only 17 year olds have the time and patience to do crap like this.
You can both be right!
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#209Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just look at the photos. Only a fairly wealthy family could afford to buy him those instruments, and of course, the raw materials for the motors. Even his clothing suggests that there is no lack of money.
For what it's worth, that is cheap no-name Chinese test equipment he's using. Probably a $300-400 setup, which is not nothing, but well within reach of most families.
Or mowing a few lawns. I pay the teen who mows my small front and back yards $40. It's not a big deal. He's done in 30-40 minutes and moves to the neightbors down the street. This is just a couple weekends of side hustle.
Re: A 17-year-old designed a novel synchronous reluctance motor
#210This is great, I'm happy for him! But I miss the creative aspect in myself. I used to be so creative like him, with so many half-finished inventions scattered around the house. Today there's nothing. I finally managed to carve out a day or two per week away from my job to work on personal projects after many years of failed attempts to get away at great personal expense. But the last 3 days that I went to work on som…
Try going internet free for two weeks?