An integrated brake disc and electric drive for vehicle propulsion : A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Sammanfattning: In this thesis, the feasibility to integrate an brake disc and electric machine is investigated. In wheel motors (IWMs) have several advantages, such as saving space in the vehicle, individual and direct control at the wheels and the absence of a mechanical transmission. However, today’s IWMs are heavy and, thus, negatively affect the driving performance of the vehicle due to the increase of the unsprung mass. By integrating an already existing part in the wheel, this increase of the unsprung mass can be minimized. The brake disc manages high temperatures, a significant wear in rough environ-ment, which puts high demands on the rotor. The second part of the machine, the stator, will be significantly affected by the high temperatures of the rotor. The temperatures of the stator are transferred by convection, conduction and radiation from the rotor or brake disc. Liquid cooling of the stator back is analyzed as a potential solution for handling the high temperatures. In order to analyze the feasibility of the concept, thermal, electric and mechanical modelling has been used. The evaluation whether it is possible or not to integrate the brake disc has been with regard to the results of weight, cost, thermal tolerance and electric performance.