The motor has made significant strides since its invention nearly two centuries ago, but Dionysios Aliprantis, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, thinks it can be even better yet.

Aliprantis is the principle investigator in the effort to create the technology that will allow engineers to redesign motors to increase efficiency. The project received a grant from the National Science Foundation that provides funds for five years of research, of which three years remain.

“We are talking about millions of devices,” Aliprantis said of the potential impact of his work. “Wherever there is a motor, our idea is applicable.”

Wind turbines, electric generators, car motors, steam turbines, nuclear power plants, aircraft and other industrial applications are just a few of the areas that could use this motor performance improvement technology. The project was started in 2009 and is the first of its kind at Iowa State. Prior to Aliprantis, there was no research program for motors and power electronics in the electrical and computer engineering department.

Yanni Li is a graduate assistant helping Aliprantis with his research. Li said that it will have a social impact in terms of environmental and economical benefits.

“If this technology is successfully created, I think it will lead to lighter-weight, more cost-effective generators and more efficient electric motors,” Li said. “My favorite part of working on this project is to try different shapes for stator tooth and rotor tooth and observe their effects on the overall torque production of the electric machine. And some of the shapes do improve the torque production compared to those commonly used in current machines.”

However, challenging the existing motor has not been without its problems. Since this concept is entirely new, there is not much information or research off of which to work. Working with complex equations and programming means that any problems takes a long time to figure out.

“The challenge is to have a good idea and a good intuition as to what to do next,” Aliprantis said. “And you know you have to be a bit lucky too.”

This new motors and power electronics program could be of use to the industry, and Aliprantis hopes that companies will become aware of the program and use it to solve problems and further technology.