The National Research Council (NRC) has identified the need for motors and actuators that can operate in extreme temperature environments as a technical gap to exploring deeper into our solar systems. Bear Technologies has been exploring motor design for more than 5 years. A number of designs are blended to create the basis of the proposed innovation. The research focuses on a fundamentally different motor design that explores the use of flexures to amplify the forces created by the electro-magnets. In this way, the design can be much simplified, eliminates wear, free play and the need for lubricants. Bear will focus on investigating low stress flexure designs and relatively high force electro-magnetic drives that can produce the forces needed for a high torque motor. If proven this flexure component will be an enabling technology for the extreme environment high torque motor.
