Know-how in demand

Thanks to Linzers: e-motors are ready for take-off

The Linz Center of Mechatronics developed systems for and with Pankl Turbosystems that guarantee the optimum air supply for the fuel cell at any altitude.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com; LCM/Wakolbinger)

Science becomes reality - that is the promise of the Linz Center of Mechatronics, which is located on the grounds of the Johannes Kepler University. As a research and development partner, the Upper Austrians made a name for themselves in a supernatural project. They optimized high-speed electric motors that are to be used 18 kilometers above the earth.

An environmentally friendly fuel cell drive for an unmanned flying object that is equipped with lightweight and powerful transmission units and can establish an uninterrupted LTE/4G/5G data connection with a smartphone at an altitude of 18 kilometers - this is the project in which Pankl Turbosystems also relied on the expertise of the Linz Center of Mechatronics.

The Linz Center of Mechatronics, headed by Johann Hoffelner, worked on electrically powered high-speed motors for the company from Mannheim/Germany. The electric motors will in turn drive the compressor wheels in air supply systems for fuel cells.

Johann Hoffelner is Managing Director of the Linz Center of Mechatronics.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Werner Harrer)

With the help of the Upper Austrian company's software platform, all parts were optimally coordinated and after just nine months, the Linz Center of Mechatronics team delivered the first functional prototypes. "We needed to achieve the highest possible speed for the compressor wheels," explains Josef Passenbrunner, who heads the Motor Technology team. With a length of around nine centimetres and a diameter of around ten centimetres, the new motor can now achieve up to 140,000 revolutions per minute. 

"Long-term development cooperation"
More is to come from the Linz-Mannheim connection. "Our development cooperation is long-term because we are constantly receiving new inquiries with new tasks," says Pankl Managing Director Gerhard Krachler. Incidentally, Pankl Turbosystems is part of Pankl Racing Systems AG, which in turn belongs to Pankl AG. 80 percent of Pankl is currently owned by Pierer Industrie AG, which is currently undergoing a European restructuring process.

Focus on the best solution
As a pure development company, the Linz Center of Mechatronics can operate at high speed, says Managing Director Johann Hoffelner: "We are not bound to any suppliers and do not have to focus our developments on specific production processes. This allows us to concentrate fully on the best technical and economic solution for our customers."