HVWW? Magnet wire with KetaSpire? PEEK Improves 800V eMotor thermal conductivity (2X), PDIV (1500-2500) & Sustainability (20%)

HVWW? Magnet wire with KetaSpire? PEEK Improves 800V eMotor thermal conductivity (2X), PDIV (1500-2500), & Sustainability (20%)

By DeeDee Smith, Luigi Marino, Victoria Lee, Jason Rich, Brian Baleno—Solvay Materials; Masakazu Mesaki—Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire

Essex Furukawa commercialized High Voltage Winding Wire (HVWW?) magnet wire with KetaSpire? PEEK producing the first extruded PEEK magnet wires for use in automotive eMotors (traction motors). Ever since then there has been significant market interest in PEEK for both magnet wire and slot liners. Multiple global automotive OEMs have been using KetaSpire? PEEK magnet wire in their eMotors for over seven years. Next generation eMotor engineers are designing systems that operate in excess of 800 volts. Designers are working to balance the tradeoff between KetaSpire? PEEK and polyimide enameled magnet wire.

Both KetaSpire? PEEK and polyimide provide thermal endurance at 240oC. There are several advantages of using PEEK versus polyimide, including both performance and sustainability. PEEK provides engineers with the option of optimizing the insulation thickness. As shown in Figure 1 below, KetaSpire? PEEK can be extruded in thicknesses ranging from 100 to 300 micron, while polyimide and ICN-polyamide imide are limited to 125 microns. The key difference is that extrusion allows for better dimensional control with a single layer, whereas in the enamel process the thickness of the insulation is built via a large number of layers. The greater the number of layers, the more difficult it becomes to control dimensions and solvent removal.

Magnet wire that is extrusion coated with KetaSpire? PEEK opens the design envelope for optimizing the copper slot fill and partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV). This is particularly the case when KetaSpire? PEEK magnet wire can be coupled with Ajedium? PEEK slot liners. Here a balance can be achieved between the thickness of the KetaSpire? PEEK magnet wire and the thickness of the Ajedium? PEEK slot liners. One option is to select the optimal PEEK magnet wire thickness to achieve a desired PDIV, and to then minimize the thickness of the PEEK slot liner.

Moreover, KetaSpire? PEEK allows for improved electrical insulation where weak points typically occur. An example is the end-winding bent portion of the coils made of rectangular bars. Here, the mechanically stressed insulation needs to be strong enough to separate conductors belonging to different phases that are placed close to each other. Membrane phase separators are typically not suitable for hair-pin windings, hence all the insulation functionality is demanded by the wire coating. This design aspect is especially relevant for 800 volt applications, where traditional solutions typically show insufficient properties.

Many 800 Volt eMotor designers are considering either Ajedium? PEEK slot liners or laminates such as (NKN). Figure 2 highlights some of the advantages of PEEK versus NKN, such as better thermal performance, superior thermal conductivity at the same thickness, and much higher breakdown voltage at the same thickness. The combination of these (thermal class, thermal conductivity, and breakdown voltage) allows for the use of a thinner slot liner when PEEK is selected.

Figure 1: Partial Discharge Inception Voltage. HVWW? is a magnet wire from Essex Furukawa coated with KetaSpire? PEEK (graph courtesy of Essex Furukawa)

Figure 2: Comparison of Ajedium? PEEK slot liners to NKN

In both Ajedium? PEEK slot liners and coated magnet wire, KetaSpire? PEEK provides the advantage of superior thermal conductivity. Figure 3 compares the thermal conductivity of magnet wire coated with KetaSpire? PEEK versus that of wire enameled with polyimide.

Figure 3: Magnet Wire Thermal Conductivity (Courtesy of Essex Furukawa)

There is also a significant difference in sustainability when comparing enameled polyimide magnet wire with extruded KetaSpire? PEEK magnet wire. Solvay is committed to creating more sustainable products and has taken significant steps towards sustainable manufacturing for KetaSpire? PEEK. KetaSpire? PEEK resins made in the Augusta, Georgia (US Plant) are produced using 100% renewable electricity, which is a key step in reducing the carbon footprint of the product. Aside from using 100% renewable electricity, the manufacturing plant has also worked to improve the use of water, reducing consumption by 20% while also reducing non-sustainable waste by 25%. Details are shown in Figures 4 and 5 below.

Figure 4 & 5:?Sustainability Improvements at the KetaSpire? PEEK US and India Manufacturing Plant

In summary, KetaSpire? PEEK is proving to be a sustainable material solution that is enabling the future of E-Mobility in components such as magnet wire insulation. By combining KetaSpire? PEEK magnet wire with Ajedium? PEEK slot liners, engineers can optimize the copper slot fill and partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) improving their eMotor performance and efficiency. Employing manufacturing technologies like extrusion instead of enameling provides a pathway to cleaner manufacturing processes which ultimately translate into lower CO2 emissions.

Disclaimer: LCA information is provided in good faith and is believed accurate as of the date of this document. According to ISO 14040-44 standards, the use of LCA results to support comparative assertions intended to be disclosed raises special concerns and requires specific critical review. No critical review of these data was performed.

About Solvay Materials

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 21,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €10.1 billion in 2021. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at?www.solvay.com.

About Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire

Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire LLC is the leading, global provider of magnet wire that is used by most major OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and industry leaders in the automotive, energy, industrial, and commercial & residential sectors. The Atlanta-based company is a global joint venture formed in 2020 between Essex Magnet Wire and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., both leaders in magnet wire product development, and custom solutions. The combined entity, relying on the strengths of both Essex Magnet Wire and Furukawa Electric, draws on more than two centuries of combined experience and knowledge to push forward innovation while also remaining focused on delivering manufacturing excellence and outstanding customer service. essexfurukawa.com

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