Application Study of Axial Gap Motor as a Possible Assistive Device for a Power-Assisting Type Attendant-Propelled Wheelchair

摘要

Population of the elderly who need long-term care has reached to 2 million in 1993 in Japan, which is expected to increase to 16 percent of all of the elderly in 2025. It is important for aged and disabled persons to keep their quality of life better, that is, going out and joining in social activities. Assistive technologies such as power-assisted wheelchair are helpful for reducing physical load of the attendant. Daido Steel developed a radial gap DC brushless motor with high torque by using radially-oriented ring magnet, NEOQUENC~2-DR. The motor showed low cogging-torque for an innovative electric-power assistive wheelchair to make the operation by the attendants smoother and friendly. This time, Daido has developed a prototype coreless and axial gap motor to achieve the non-cogging-torque and direct-drive. Typical specifications of the motor equipped with isotropic bonded magnet NEO QUENCH-F are 135 kgf-cm in rated torque and 120 rpm in non-load speed.