TO DATE, most of the research on electricvehicles has concentrated on developingsuper-efficient batteries in an attempt tomaximise their range and power-to-weight ratio. However, until now, eventhe most advanced vehicles haverequired a mini battalion of such batteries to achieve a modest performance.The new scooter developed by SciexCorporation of Japan runs on just four12-volt car batteries.
The scooter's inventor, YasunoriTakahashi's breakthrough in electromagnetic technology came a few yearsago while he was experimenting withnew magnetic alloys. One of his laboratory staff misread his instructions andadded the wrong element to the mix."We Japanese often confuse the Romanletters b and d," says Takahashi. "Mytechnician added neodymium (Nd)instead of niobium (Nb). The result wasextraordinary because I suddenly foundmyself in the presence of the most powerful magnetic material I had ever seen."
Takahashi subsequently developed a manufacturing system to produce amagnetic powder that could be formedinto anything from ultra-thin coatingsto large permanent magnets. He nowclaims to have produced a magnet withthe world's highest Megagauss Oerstedrating - or MgOe (the unit measuringmagnetism) - of 120 MgOe. Thissuper-magnetic force is the secretbehind the new Sciex scooter's performance.
Takahashi has redesigned a conventional electric motor fitted with hissuper-powerful magnets, thereby producing a highly efficient engine that willproduce 15 horse power from just a fewamperes of electricity. In fact, his motoris so efficient that when the scooter isthrottled back and free-wheeling, theengine becomes a generator and partlyrecharges the batteries while on themove, giving the scooter an enormous range.
"The magnet can serve various purposes replacing the conventional ones inapplications like producing credit cardsand loudspeakers. It can bring abouthuge increases in information - storagecapacity and quality," says Takahashi.One of the many novel uses for the magnet foreseen by Takahashi is extendingthe life of rechargeable batteries. This'battery doubler' is already on the market in Japan. Takahashi now has biggerplans for commercial exploitation of hisnew magnetic discovery.