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Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288

International Conference on Industrial Engineering, ICIE 2016

Choice of the Traction Motor for the Electric Racing Car “Formula
Student”
D.S. Korobkov*, O.V. Ufimtseva
South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Avenue, Chelyabinsk, 454080, The Russian Federation

Abstract

The choice of an electric racing car traction motor is one the main tasks while designing the electric racing car because it is the
motor that specifies dynamic and high-speed characteristics. Besides, the electric drive must be within the regulations of the
competition. When comparing some electromechanical characteristics of electric motors used in the electric racing car, it is
necessary to prefer electric drives with more hardening characteristic, despite the fact that it will result in the increase of expenses
for copper as well as upgrade technical requirements for the choice of storage batteries, but the “hardening”| characteristic will
provide the model with the required dynamics. The most widely-spread motors with the “hardening” characteristic is a direct
current motor with a separate excitation. However, this motor has some disadvantages related to its specific structure. The
analysis of different versions of electric drives has shown the prospects of the use of synchronous motors on constant magnets.
© 2016
© 2016TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by by Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of ICIE 2016.
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of ICIE 2016
Keywords: Electric racing car; Formula student; Traction electric motor; Electric vehicles

1. Introduction

“Formula Student” is the international competition the purpose of which is to motivate students’ teams for
working out their own bolide to take part in the race [1]. The competitions are divided into following kinds of races:
Formula SAE (racing bolide with an internal-combustion engine); formula hybrid (hybrid power unit); formula
electric (racing bolide on electric traction).

* Corresponding author. . Tel.: +7-951-459-82-12

E-mail address: denkorobkov@yandex.ru

1877-7058 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of ICIE 2016
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.07.004
284 D.S. Korobkov and O.V. Ufimtseva / Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288

Formula Electric is a young and dynamically developing class of Formula Student competition directed to the
creation of ecologically safe cars. The great attention in this class is paid to control algorithms, to decrease the car
mass, to the electric transmission efficiency and to the problems of electrical active and passive safety [1].
On the designing electric racing car, it is important to keep the technical requirements according to the regulations
of SAE competitions. The main requirements to the electric part of the electric racing car are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Main requirements to the electric racing car according to of the regulations of Formula student competition.

“Formula Student” Max. admissible difference of potentials between any two points of the bolide Motor of traction drive
competition power system (Volt). (kWatt)

International 300 V
Brazil 300 V
Total peak power of 80 kW
Australia 600 V
motors
Italy 600 V
Germany 600 V

2. Propulsion calculation of electric racing car

In order to determine the electromechanical characteristics of the bolide motor, it is necessary to do its propulsion
calculation. According to the previous dynamic characteristics of the above electric racing car model based on the
A.Sh.Khusainov’s procedure for the car propulsion calculation [2], we can determine the electric drive
characteristics.
First it is necessary to determine the drive capacity according to the formula:

3
M a ˜ g ˜ f k ˜ Vmax  0,5 ˜ cx ˜ U air ˜ A ˜ Vmax
P (1)
Ktr ˜ K p

Ma 300 kg – mass of an equipped car;

ɦ
g 9,8 – acceleration of gravity;
ɫ2
fk  2

f0 ˜ 1  Af ˜Vmax – Coefficient of rolling resistance of a strained wheel on the unstrained surface [3, 4];
f0 0, 015 – for the smooth asphalt accordingly;
s2
Af 5,1 ˜104 – the coefficient of efficiency of speed on the force of rolling resistance [4].
m2
Vmax 150 km / h – previously specified maximum speed for the car;
cx 0,5 – car drag coefficient;
kg
U air 1, 202 – air density under normal conditions;
m3
A 1, 6m2 – car midlength section;
Ktr 0, 9 – the coefficient of efficiency of an electric vehicle transmission;
K p 0,95 – compensation coefficient of capacity, in this case it is an electric power operation factor
(coefficient) [5].
Substituting the known data in formula 1, we get the following power value of the electric motor:
 D.S. Korobkov and O.V. Ufimtseva / Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288 285

2
§ 150 · 150 150 3
300 ˜ 9,8 ˜ (0, 015 ˜ (1  5,1 ˜104 ˜ ¨ ¸ )˜  0,5 ˜ 0,5 ˜1, 202 ˜1, 6 ˜ ( )
P © 3, 6 ¹ 3, 6 3, 6
45 kW 
0,9 ˜ 0,95

Another important factor when choosing the electric racing car motor is its maximum torque, as the acceleration
time and dynamic characteristics of the bolide depend on it.
As a whole, the time of uniform motion of motor transport is not usually much. Even in a town/a city cars and
usual motor transport move uniformly only 15-25% of the total traveling time [6], this time is less on the race
circuits, and the electric racing car movement on the race circuit is characterized by its quick acceleration and
braking. So for a racing car it is very important such a factor as acceleration capability [6] that is characterized by
the time of acceleration to the preset speed.
To calculate the maximum torque for acceleration, we use the equation of force balance:

Ftr Froll  Fup  Fair  Fin (2)

Ktr ˜ M ˜ i 0 ˜ i1
where Ftr – is tractive force on the driving wheels, in the formula M is torque on the motor shaft
r
(Hm) (desired quantity), i0 and i1 – gear ratios of main gear and first gear;
Froll f k ˜ m ˜ g ˜ cosD – rolling friction force under cos D  1 ;
Fup m ˜ g ˜ sin D  Ȃ resistance force to climbing (in the above case it is equal to 0, because it is the movement
on the horizontal surface), under a=0;
2
Fair 0.5 ˜ cx ˜ U air ˜ A ˜ Vmax – force of air resistance;
Fin m ˜ a ˜ V r Ȃ resistance force to acceleration (force of inertia) under acceleration a and compensation factor of
rotating masses.
So, formula (2) looks like this:

Ktr ˜ M ˜ i 0 ˜ i1 2
f k ˜ m ˜ g ˜ cosD  m ˜ g ˜ sinD  0.5 ˜ cx ˜ U air ˜ A ˜ Vmax  m ˜ a ˜V r  ሺ3)
r

Based on formula (3), we get maximum torque for the electric motor:

2
( f k ˜ m ˜ g ˜ cosD  m ˜ g ˜ sinD  0.5 ˜ cx ˜ U air ˜ A ˜ Vmax  m ˜ a ˜V r ) ˜ r
M (4)
Ktr ˜ i0 ˜ i1

Since there is no transmission in the electric racing car as well as in most standard electric cars [7], in formula (4)
the gear ratio of main gear is equal to 1 and gear ratio is determined by selection from the electric motor
electromechanical characteristic. The value of the driving wheel radius is equal to r 0, 25m [1].
In order to calculate the motor speed on the shaft under max. speed, we use the following formula:

Vmax ˜ i1
Ȧ (5)
r

Changing gear ratio values of the reducer with the help of program MathCad, we get the values of desired
quantities of maximum torque and angular velocity on the motor shaft (Fig. 1).
286 D.S. Korobkov and O.V. Ufimtseva / Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288


Fig. 1. Propulsion calculation of electric motor in program MathCad.

3. Choice of the traction motor

The analysis of traction motors with capacity up to 80 kW often used in electric racing car has shown the
following results (Fig. 2). Emrax-207 electric motor of Enstroj Company has the most optimal characteristics.
Moreover, we have discussed the versions of the traction drive of electric racing car and hybrid bolides for the
teams including State Technical University—MADI team. For today this team has got two electric car with two
direct current motors Lemco [8].
Emrax-207 motor of Enstroj Company is a synchronous alternating current motor with constant magnets. It is
significant that the interest to such motors has been rising recently [9-13].

Fig. 2. Analysis of traction electric motor.

When comparing the data of Fig. 1 with the electromechanical characteristic of the chosen motor, we get the
optimal gear ratio of the reducer that provides the closest design values of maximum torque and rotational rate with
the real motor values We get the following dynamic characteristics of the electric racing car (Table 2).
 D.S. Korobkov and O.V. Ufimtseva / Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288 287

Fig. 3. Emrax-207 electromechanical characteristic.

Table 2. Results of the calculation of the electrobolide dynamic factors with the use of EMRAX-207 motor.
Preset characteristics of the electrobolide model

Mass of equipped car with a Bolide max. speed, km per Time of acceleration to 100
Wheel outer radius, mm
pilot,kg hour km per hour

300 125 250 6,2

Electric motor design parameters

Maximum motor torque,

Motor peak capacity, kW Rotor speed, rev. per minute Gear ratio
Nm

80 6000 140 4,5

4. Conclusions

Thus, the comparison of the electric racing car dynamic factors of Moscow Automobile and Road Construction
University team, where they use two commutator direct current motors, with the designed electric racing car with
one synchronous commutator less motor on constant magnets shows that the use of synchronous motors on constant
magnets as a traction motor is long-range development of electric racing car. In addition, the use of this type motors
reduces loss and overflow in the cells of storage batteries due to power high voltage. However, for more true
analysis of the use of the above electric motor in the racing car, it is necessary to do modeling in program Simulink
that will allow to reduce the error during natural tests.

References

[1] Formula SAE Rules, SAE International, 2016.

[2] A.Sh. Khusainov, Propulsion calculation of the car, UlSTU, Ulyanovsk, 2009.
[3] A.Sh. Khusainov, V.V. Selifaonov, Theory of car. Lectures, UlSTU, Ulyanovsk, 2008.
[4] Bosch, Automotive Handbook. 9th ed, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2014.
[5] V.I. Krupovich, Yu.G. Barybin, M.L. Samover, Reference book on designing of automatic electric drive and systems of industrial processing
control, Energoizdat, Moskow, 1982.
[6] V.P. Tarasik, Theory of car movement, BKhV-Peterburg, St. Petersburg, 2006.
[7] J. Larminie, J. Lowry, Electric vechicle technology explained: Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
[8] Information on http://www.popmech.ru/vehicles/14912-pervyy-rossiyskiy-elektrobolid/.
288 D.S. Korobkov and O.V. Ufimtseva / Procedia Engineering 150 (2016) 283 – 288

[9] D.S. Korobkov, An overview of the traction electric drive of electroblade, Science and education: tendencies and prospects. 1 (2015) 44௅47.
[10] I.A. Berbirenkov, V.V. Lokhnin, Traction motors on constant magnets in the electric car electric drive, Tomsk Polytechnic University News,
4 (2011) 5௅7.
[11] A.A. Astafiev, V.A. Nesterin, V.M. Nikitin, R.A. Romanov, Magnetoelectric ac electric motors in the electric drives of JSC ChEAZ,
Bulletin of the Chuvash University. 3 (2010) 187௅194.
[12] A.I. Baikov, M.V. Andryukhin, I.V. Bobylev, Mathematical simulation of electric drive based on synchronous motors with constant
magnets, Vestnik MGTU im. N.E. Baumana. 97 (2014) 33௅48.
[13] D.S. Korobkov, G.R. Khaziev, V.B. Priselkov, S.A. Malyugin, Packaging of propulsion electric drive for the electric racing car Formula
Student class Electric, The Russian agricultural sector. 74 (2015) 86௅89.
[14] Manual for EMRAX motors, 2nd ed., Enstroj, Radomlje, 2014.