Design and Analysis of a Compact In-Wheel Motor with New Disc Brake System for Retrofit Hybrid Electric Vehicle Application

This is a design and development project of an In-Wheel Motor (IWM) with a new disc brake system design. The motor is envisioned to be a part of a retrofit hybrid system, which can be installed on a non-hybrid vehicle to convert it into a hybrid vehicle. In addition, the same design can also be used for other vehicle platforms such as electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. The scope of work for this project only covers the mechanical design and analysis of the in-wheel motor components while the electrical and electromagnetic works are performed by another group of researchers. During the first phase of the project, several types of design concepts were evaluated and the most promising concept was selected for further development. Components sizing were determined using analytical stress calculations and the actual design will be optimized using finite element analysis method. In addition, the brake system calculations were also performed to determine the size of the new brake components. Based on the analyses the selected concept for the in-wheel motor seems to be able to address most of the technical challenges and limitations. The final results of optimized design indicate that the motor components can withstand the expected types of loadings likely encountered during operation of the vehicle. Based on the literature studies, research resources and completed overall engineering analyses, the objectives of the project are successfully achieved within a period of two semesters.