On the occasion of the 30-month anniversary of the European MAXIMA project, its coordinator, Stéphane Clénet, presents its objectives and the progress made.
MAXIMA (Modular AXIal flux Motor for Automotive) is a four-year green mobility project aimed at developing a high-performance synchronous axial flux motor by removing the technical and financial barriers to its production.
The aim is to comply with European regulations, which have set 2035 as the deadline for ending the production of combustion engines in new cars. Solutions are being proposed to limit the use of rare earths and analyze the environmental impact using life cycle analysis methods.
This project is part of the Horizon Europe program and brings together a consortium of six European countries, including research teams and companies from the industrial sector: Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, and Romania.
The laboratories involved on the Arts et Métiers side Arts et Métiers
- L2EP: Electrical Engineering and Digital Twins
- MSMP: manufacturing, processes
- I2M: life cycle analysis
What are the latest advances made by MAXIMA?
We manufacture electric motor prototypes to validate the concepts developed as part of the project. This work focuses on both the motor structure and its control system, which is optimized using a digital twin, as well as manufacturing methods designed to reduce costs. Reducing environmental impact was a key criterion in the choice of technological solutions.
What influence does life cycle analysis have on machine design?
There is the manufacturing phase, the operational phase, and the end-of-life phase of the engine, which is related to its recycling.
The engine life cycle analysis carried out as part of the project shows that the impact of the engine life cycle phase depends greatly on the nature of the sources of electricity generation. For example, in the case of carbon-free electricity generation, the impact of the engine life cycle phase is similar to that of the manufacturing phase. It is therefore important to take action on manufacturing processes.
What methods do you use?
As part of the project, we are developing a digital twin of the electric motor. This will enable the integration of virtual sensors capable of estimating certain variables, such as temperature, which cannot be measured directly. The motor's performance will be optimized in terms of energy efficiency and service life by better controlling the temperature in order to slow down the aging of materials.
Does the project also have an educational aspect?
A card game has been developed as part of the project to raise public awareness of the environmental impact of a product based on its manufacture and use, using the electric motor for automotive traction as an example. It will soon be available on the MAXIMA website.
