Innovation for electromobility receives 2018 VERBUND-E-Novation Award
Electrical steel strip packets by voestalpine AG increase the efficiency of electromotors and make them “purr” even more quietly.
The 2018 VERBUND-E-Novation Award – VERENA for short – this year goes to voestalpine AG and Johannes Kepler University of Linz for the project "Compacore - highly efficient bonded electrical steel strip packets". The newly developed electrical steel strip packets have a positive effect on the range, the engine acoustics, the energy efficiency and therefore also on CO2 reduction. Since 2012, the VERENA Award is given yearly by VERBUND, Austria’s leading electricity company, within the framework of the National Award for Innovation.
"Electromobility is the key to a sustainable reduction in energy usage and CO2 emissions in private transport. The electrical steel strip packets developed by voestalpine AG represent a milestone for noise- and exhaust-free mobility. Austria has the best prerequisites for electromobility, because already today the electricity is being generated mainly from renewable sources. With electricity generation almost 100% from renewable energy sources, VERBUND has been focusing on this topic for years already. With each individual project we come closer to our goal of a smarter electricity future for Austria and Europe. Our activities focusing on decarbonisation of the energy system strengthen Austria as a business location," emphasises VERBUND CEO Wolfgang Anzengruber.
voestalpine is one of the leading producers, and the largest provider in the EU, of electrical steel strips for electromobility, with a third of its capacity going to the auto industry. It has developed a method by which laminations of electrical steel can be die-cut, bonded and gauged in a single process. In cooperation with Johannes Kepler University of Linz, as part of a dissertation, even the in-line gauging of the electrical steel strip packets’ magnetic properties was able to be realised. The pre-coated electrical steel product is interlocked by voestalpine’s own processing technology, making it particularly efficient. With full-surface bonding, the steel lamination packet becomes compacter and more customisable, the engine quieter and the hysteresis losses lower. Thanks to the higher effectiveness, less energy is consumed, thereby saving CO2.
Two other companies were nominated for the 2018 VERENA Award:
eologix sensor technology gmbh, Graz, Styria, in cooperation with Alpen Adria University of Klagenfurt and FH Joanneum, developed the project "Intelligent Sensors for Intelligent Surfaces".
Heliotherm Wärmepumpentechnik Ges.m.b.H., Langkampfen, Tyrol, and the AIT-Austrian Institute of Technology were nominated for the project "Natural Technology".
The VERBUND-E-Novation Award (VERENA) was awarded this year already for the 16th time by VERBUND, Austria’s leading electricity company, for innovative projects on the topics of energy efficiency, energy management and smart grids, electromobility, and electricity from renewable energy sources. VERENA motivates business and research to cooperate in implementing future-oriented measures. Since 2012, VERENA has been awarded as a special prize within the framework of the National Award for Innovation.