Description: The purpose of the proposal is to apply multifunctional carbon electromagnetic materials, including carbon nanotube electrical thread (replaces copper wire) and carbon nanosphere chain magnetic material (replaces iron cores), to build lightweight, high-performance carbon electric motors and actuators for aircraft and spacecraft. Incorporating these nanomaterials will replace heavy and bulky motors that are constrained by high mass and inertia, and limited rotor speed and acceleration. The technical objective is to achieve 50-70% weight reduction, super-inductance, extremely high magnetic fields, and potentially operate at high speed driven by AC signals in the tens of KHz frequency range. Additionally, large size pancake carbon motors could produce extreme torques and withstand the inertia forces of a large diameter rotor. Some of the trade-offs of the carbon motor may be lower efficiency, higher temperature operation or need for additional cooling, and higher initial cost. We will investigate these factors in Phase I. General Nano (GN) is one of two companies in the United State capable of manufacturing the nanomaterials required to pursue the carbon electric motors and actuators. GN will partner with Parker Hannifin to integrate the nanomaterials into commercial application.

Benefits: Nearly all of GN's near-term CNT application projects (1-3 yrs), including EMI shielding, coaxial cable, super-long CNTs for thermal transfer and reinforcement, and replacing copper for power distribution in aircraft, have potential commercial use at NASA. Short-term non-NASA commercial applications include specialty cables for down-hole drilling, antennas incorporated into body armor, and ultra-high strength CNT braided materials. Mid-term applications (3-6 yrs) include structural health monitoring, structural composites, high-temperature electronics packaging, and downhole power and sensors. Long-term applications include wearable electronics, biomedical devices, and energy storage.

While the proposed project focuses on building lightweight, high-performance carbon electric motors and actuators from Carbon Nanotube (CNT) threads and nanosphere chain materials that have the potential to achieve 50-70% weight reduction, super-inductance, extremely high magnetic fields, and potential to operate at high speed driven by AC signals in the tens of KHz frequency range, GN is also uniquely capable of manufacturing four multifunctional nanomaterials that have the potential to solve technical problems faced by NASA and other DoD agencies: (1) super-long CNT arrays (22mm) for reinforcing materials (such as Aerogels), (2) patterned CNT arrays for thermal management and electronic devices, (3) CNT threads, yarns and ribbons for motors, actuators, cables, antennas, etc., and (4) hybrid materials such as CNTs thread blended with other fibers. Current DoD application projects that underway include the Air Force (using CNT threads for power distribution), and the Navy (using CNT threads for Coaxial Cable and EMI Shielding). These projects are unrelated to the proposed CNT threads for motors and actuators.