Development of High-Performance Electric Motor for Motorsport - Formula 1 Application

This thesis aims to reach both targets on a motor design which can be able to power a high-performance car, for road application and in particular Formula 1 racing motorsport, making it suitable for the market requirements. The development started with a patented technology called Halbach solution, which is already present in the company HPE know-how and a combination of MATLAB and MOTORCAD simulations is used to develop the motor and optimise it up to the best trade-off possible. The simulations will show the performance, the operative zones and the limits of the motor developed. The analysis will be integrated with the material choice and the structural simulation, to complete the development of the motor and start the prototyping phase. Then the motor will be compared with the competitor and show the benefits of the developed technologies focusing on the implementation of this engine in Formula E and Le Mans racing cars while maintaining the same build size. As the thesis deals with motorsport, the two main electrical components are the MGU-K (Motor Generation Unit Kinetic) and the MGU-H (Motor Generation Unit Heat). The first, being connected to the drive shaft, recovers kinetic energy in braking by converting it and using it to recharge the batteries and returns it in acceleration. The latter, on the other hand, because of its connection to the turbocharger, uses heat from the exhaust gases and recovers thermal energy from the exhaust gases to generate electricity which can be used to recharge batteries or to provide additional power. Therefore, limits on the regulation have been developed to have equity between all teams.