Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic
They don't seem to intend to bring the whole design to market, just some of the parts, such as a bearing they designed for it. I guess they realized--maybe from the beginning--the limitations you both are pointing out.
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From what I read, the bearing design is quite important.
Other hub motors that I have read about ... the motors wear out and fail (quite spectacularly) before the first set of tires is worn down.
There is not much clearance between the rotor and stator on a modern electric motor of any type - induction, PM, BDC. There is a lot of load on the bearings - since that is what is holding the car off the ground ... and taking the bumps since the motor is unsprung ... no suspension to smooth things out. Only one bearing on one side gives the hub motor a couple of additional challenges. After a few thousandths of an inch of wear on certain parts of the bearing ... some part of the stator meets some part of the rotor and *BAD* things happen.
From my limited understanding, the bicycle hub motors benefit from having support on both sides like a traditional motor. Both ends are connected to the bicycle frame. And bearing wear is not nearly such a big deal.