With the growing urgency for sustainable energy, pioneers are innovating new ways to harness the power of ocean waves.  Southern California based Ocean Motion Technologies is one of those pioneers. The company is developing a zero-emission energy solution using ThinGap’s motor technology in its generator mode.

Ocean Motion’s R&D is focused on sustainable, scalable, and more efficient marine hydrokinetic energy by focusing on small-scale applications like scientific & maritime buoys and moorings, offshore aquaculture, and coastal security and defense. Up until now, oceanic buoys have been powered by solar panels, which have a high cost of maintenance. Ocean wave energy is a natural choice for these use cases, but most wave energy devices are not designed for small-scale applications, as they can only function within a narrow range of sea states.

Leveraging SBIR Grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, Ocean Motion Tech has designed a wave generating prototype leveraging ThinGap’s TGD-108 (image). Originally designed and optimized for an aerospace application, the TGD-108 is available as a framed assembly with 1.4 kW of continuous power output while weighing only 670 grams or just less than 1.5 lbs.

With the adage that good motors make good generators, ThinGap’s technology is a logical choice for renewable energy applications that require overall system efficiencies. ThinGap’s unique scalable motor architecture and design offer efficiency up to 95%, and largely eliminates internal magnetic losses. The low impedance stator typical in ThinGap designs provides a stable, pure 3-phase sinusoidal, low-droop, with less than 1% harmonic distortion voltage output of clean, conditioned power.

Ocean Motion’s solution for powering data buoys is an adaptive wave energy device, with the ability to scale the technology up, and networking them together for oceanographic monitoring. The primary reason for pursuing marine power generation is due to the inherent energy density of ocean waves, which concentrates solar and wind energy and thus offering far greater energy potential in comparison.

With more than two decades of experience in the design and production of slotless motor kits, ThinGap salutes the novel efforts of customers like Ocean Motion Tech.  Ongoing and future projects designed to combine proven technology in an applied fashion are at the heart of innovative solutions like the ones being actively demonstrated in the Pacific Ocean.

Designed with airborne gimbals in mind, this new variant builds on the LS Series’ flight heritage

The 85mm OD fills the gap between the LSI 75 and LSI 105 standard models

ThinGap continues the expansion of its LS Series of slotless motor kits with the latest release, the LSI 85-13. The new LSI 85-13 motor kit has an outer diameter (OD) of 85 mm, and an axial height of just 13 mm, making it a little wider than 3 inches and roughly half an inch tall. With a total mass of 232 grams, it offers a continuous torque output of 0.324 N-m and a peak as high as 3.88 N-m.

The LSI 85-13 can operate at speeds of 0-1,760 RPM. Unique to the cogless nature of ThinGap’s slotless architecture, all of its motor kits can effectively operate across its entire range of speeds. Effective low speed is due to not needing to overcome the detent torque typical in a slotted or stepper motors.

Designed from the ground up for use in a gimbal system, the LSI 85-13 joins other ThinGap motors that have found homes in airborne applications. Multi-axial gimbal systems leverage the benefits of high performance cogless Ring Motors to directly drive movement and maintain position, while offering Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) savings, which are all highly desirable traits. ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits is an industry leader for gimbal applications.

Using its proprietary, thin wire-wrapped stators, and optimized permanent-magnet rotors, ThinGap provides motors with specifications that can match the torque output of slotted motors, while avoiding the cogging that plagues them. ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits range in size from 25 to 267 mm diameter and torque from 0.1 to 12 N-m continuous, voltages from 24-400 volts, and current from 1 to 100 amps.

With the fast and aggressive build out of LEO constellations orbiting Earth, comes the pervasive need for free-space Optical Communications Terminals (OCT) that allow space-to-space, space-to-air, and space-to-ground connections. Point-to-point use of highly collimated light is critical to the utility of mesh networks connecting each spacecraft with each other and the ultimate users on the ground.

Satellites use gimbal mechanisms for the pointing and positioning portion of the Optical Communications Terminal (OCT), commonly referred to as the Coarse Pointing Assembly. Within the Coarse Pointing Assembly is a device called a fast-steering mirror that acts as the Fine Pointing Assembly that ensures a reliable optical connection.

Multi-axial gimbals, like those used in Coarse and Fine Pointing Assembly systems can leverage the benefits of high performance cogless Ring Motors to directly drive movement and maintain position. Frameless motor kits offer the further ability to integrate the actuation function as part of optimized systems, offering Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) savings, which are highly desirable in spacecraft applications.

ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits is an industry leader for gimbal applications requiring high performance and efficiency, decisive move-and-hold positioning, and smooth motion for long-range target lock. LS motors have been widely used in OCT systems and even NASA’s PACE Mission’s optical scanner payload.

Using its proprietary design, thin wire-wrapped stators, and optimized permanent-magnet rotors, ThinGap provides motors with specifications that can match the torque output of slotted motors while avoiding the cogging that plagues them. ThinGap’s LS line of slotless motor kits range in size from 25 to 267 mm diameter and torque from 0.1 to 12 N-m continuous. With standard and modified configurations, the product line will cover voltages from 24-400 volts and current from 1 to 100 amps.

To learn more about the LS Series, click here.

With a focus on providing engineered solutions for a variety of high performance applications, ThinGap regularly provides modified versions of its off-the-shelf motor kits to meet customer specifications. Many of these changes include switching a motor’s winding configuration, space rating, high-temperature capability, or custom mounting configurations to create a modified-off-the-shelf product. In some cases, customers request an increase in axial height of an existing motor to improve the torque output of the motor kit without increasing the width.

Important to note that with ThinGap’s proprietary slotless motor architecture, torque increases exponentially with the outer diameter, but only proportionally with axial height. So while a larger outer diameter motor is always the better choice, customers often have mechanical constraints that limit their ability to accept a wider motor, making a taller product the next best solution.

ThinGap’s tooling is vertically modular, making it simpler and less expensive to change the axial height of a kit to improve torque output. Tall variants share much of the same material components with their smaller cousins, and can in many case be built in parallel. Many of ThinGap’s tall motor variants began as modified-custom solutions, such as the LSI 39-39, LSI 75-30, LSI 130-40, LSI 152-55, and LSI 267-58. By way of example, several motors sizes offer three different axial highest, such as the LSI 25 that is available in axial heights of 10, 16 and 25mm.

With two decades of experience in the design and production of slotless motor kits, ThinGap leverages its proven designs and analytical modeling that results in highly accurate transitions from predicted performance to real world operation. Furthermore, the process steps needed to produce motors of all sizes are highly scalable and ThinGap has standard products as small as 25mm, up to 393mm in outer diameter.

For a complete listing of our standard products, including our tall variants, please click here.

ThinGap’s space related business has been as strong as ever, and its no wonder why.  According to market researcher McKinsey & Company, the space market was $447 billion in 2022, and their estimates put it at more than doubling to $1 trillion by 2030. The growth of the space market, previously the sole domain of wealthy nations, has been attributed in large part to the rapidly decreasing cost and frequency of vehicle launches coupled with the rising demand for intelligence, consumer internet, scientific observations, and high speed communications.

The single largest driver in the explosion of the space market can be attributed to the emergence of NewSpace, which summarily describes all private spaceflight efforts from corporate entities. NewSpace ventures include space tourism, provided by vehicles such as Blue Origin’s New Shepherd, and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip Two, as well as private launch vehicles such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Starship and RocketLab’s Electron rockets. With the expansion of space flight and the related demand for applications tied to orbiting the Earth has come a significant increase in the need for systems, the largest being Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Satellite constellations, much like their celestial counterparts, refer to a group of networked satellites working together for a common application, such as defense or telecommunications. The first constellation to be launched was the United States’ Global Positioning System, starting in 1978, which while initially used by the military, later became available for civilian use. Since then, many more satellite constellations have been launched, with a variety of applications such as communications, environmental monitoring, defense, and more recently internet constellations.

The ability to bring broadband connectivity to any point on Earth has been the mission of several internet constellations including SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and Airbus’s OneWeb programs. While most of these satellite constellations aren’t intended for end consumer use, Starlink is unique in that it’s possible to directly buy a receiver from SpaceX for personal use.

While all these constellations have varying missions and designs, there are common needs between the satellites that comprise them. Applications such as Attitude Control systems require high performance motors, with characteristics such as smooth motion, a lack of cogging, highly linear output, and a wide range of speeds, in addition to being lightweight, efficient, and reliable. ThinGap’s TGR Series is the industry’s first motor line designed from the ground-up for Reaction Wheel Assemblies (RWA), along with other ThinGap TG Series motor kits having spaceflight heritage.

Other critical space systems, such as Optical Communications Terminals, use highly collimated light generated by lasers to transmit data at high rates of speed over long distances through free space between satellite-to-satellite, satellite-to-aircraft, and satellite-to-ground. ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits is an industry leader for these gimbal applications requiring high performance and efficiency, decisive move-and-hold positioning, and smooth motion for long-range target lock.

Since 2015, ThinGap has supplied thousands of motors for space applications, including a major commercial internet constellation, as well as NASA.  The company’s TG Series and LS Series both have significant space heritage and are ideally suited for a number of applications, mostly in satellites.

ThinGap’s permanent magnet motors are widely used in airborne and space platforms, but there are more applications that benefit from their zero-cogging technology. With the insatiable demand for high tech devices, comes an equally high demand for precision equipment used to make integrated circuits. Today’s semiconductor equipment and test platforms need high degrees of force density, and decisive move-and-hold steps. Robust, yet compact semiconductor equipment enable inline process functions, yield enhancements, and higher levels of throughput.

Motors and actuators used in wafer processing and test require the benefits of cogless, absolute precision. Low profile motors are ideal because of the large internal aperture so that optics, cabling, or prisms can be routed through the center, yet be compact, enabling deep system integration. Additionally, precision brushless motors are used extensively in optical systems for applications such as beam steering, delivering micron-level resolution.

The ongoing transition to direct-drive solutions enables system-level advancements needed by today’s semiconductor industry. Frameless, slotless motor kits with high torque are in many cases the ideal solution for semiconductor equipment with low profile, high torque coreless motors being the right fit for metrology and optical-based systems.

Beyond zero cogging, ThinGap’s air core motor kits have near zero Eddy-current, and a harmonic distortion of less than 1%, so torque output is directly proportional to current. The resulting smooth motion, linear output makes them perfect for use in precision industrial applications.

ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits are an industry leader for semiconductor applications. Standard kits range in size from 25-267 mm outer diameter, and a continuous torque output from 0.1- 24.4 N-m. Always cogless, always low profile and with high power density and with standard and modified configurations, the LS Series is ideal for semiconductor applications.

Renewal for three more years underlines ThinGap’s commitment to stringent customer quality requirements and the widely recognized ISO Standards

ThinGap’s ISO 9001:2015 certification has been renewed for another three years, and will remain in effect until March 2026. An audit and renewal of ThinGap’s certificate was completed by American Global Standards, LLC of Montecito, CA as the basis for the Certification renewal.

Based on ISO 9001:2015, ThinGap’s Quality Management System (QMS) serves as the baseline for delivering high quality products to many customers with program-specific QC requirements for a wide variety of industries. ThinGap has a track record of supporting the exacting requirements for its base of Fortune 500 companies, Government customers, including NASA, and regulatory specifications across multiple sectors, be it space, medical, defense or airborne.

With more than two decades of experience in the design and production of slotless motor kits, ThinGap can leverage proven designs and analytical modeling that results in highly accurate transitions from predicted performance to real world operation. Furthermore, the process steps needed to produce motors of all sizes is highly scalable; ThinGap has shipped motors from 19 mm up to 600 mm in size.

Unmanned aerial systems of all sizes and shapes have varying requirements in terms of payloads and flight ranges. From Group 1 to 5 UASes, there is a need for electric motors offering high power, efficiency, and light weight for all forms of onboard actuation.

Multiaxial gimbals require high performance motors to directly drive their movements and hold position. In airborne systems, high performance is defined by Size, Weight, and Power (“SWaP”), as well as smooth motion. Gimbal makers have an inherent need for a high amount of torque, in some cases to move large payloads quickly and precisely and stabilize the housing against forces caused by aerodynamic drag. ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits is an industry leader for gimbal applications requiring high performance and efficiency, as well as decisive positioning and smooth motion. Their ring architecture allows for optimized optical designs, by allowing critical parts of the system, such as lenses or cabling, to be integrated through the large through hole in the center of the motor.

Another airborne application where ThinGap’s motor technology provides a competitive edge is as a starter-generator. There is a long-standing truism that good motors make good generators, and for starter-generator applications, ThinGap’s TG Series is the industry leader. This is enabled by the light wave-wound composite stator, and weight-optimized rotor with large clear internal aperture, which can be integrated into both piston and turbine engines. The TG Series offers high efficiency, high peak torque, low harmonic distortion, and weight optimization which are all desired traits. In the case of UAS applications, ThinGap motors can start the Internal Combustion Engine with its high peak torque, then switch to act as a generator to supply valuable conditioned power to onboard systems.

With more than two decades supporting airborne applications, ThinGap can produce motor kits to fit all size and power requirements. To learn more about ThinGap’s motors for airborne applications, click here.

Showcasing ThinGap’s highly scalable slotless motor technology, the TGO 385 was designed with renewable energy in mind, but many potential applications exist.

ThinGap has completed its latest large-size motor prototype, the TGO 385 for a commercial customer. The TGO 385 motor kit has an outer diameter (OD) of 385 mm (15 in.), and an axial height of 223 mm (9 in.), making it about the same volume as a 5-gallon bucket.  The power output capability of the TGO 385 is estimated to be 100 kW or more depending on the application.

Showcasing the highly scalable nature of ThinGap’s motor architecture, the TGO 385 is the newest variant of the TG Series of slotless motor kits. The company’s TG motors are unique in having a stator architecture with an ironless coil. Due to the absence of slots or “teeth”, ThinGap’s stators do not saturate during operation, allowing the motor kit to produce more torque as current is applied, without the falloff seen in traditional iron core motors. Combined with a mechanical design that promotes convective cooling during operation means that the TG Series has unrivaled power density.

The TG Series has been successfully used in a wide variety of generator, propulsion, and flywheel applications, ranging from gyro-stabilization in boats and satellites to airborne starter-generators. To learn more the highly efficient, zero-cogging TG Series of slotless motor kits, click here.

The TGO 385 demonstrates ThinGap’s ability to deliver tailor-made high-power solutions.  With more than two decades of experience in the design and production of slotless motor kits, ThinGap leverages its proven designs and analytical modeling that results in highly accurate transitions from predicted performance to real world operation. Furthermore, the process steps needed to produce motors of all sizes is highly scalable, and ThinGap has shipped large class motors of up to 600 mm OD, ranging from 10-400 kW of output power.

January 2023 marked the quiet end of NASA’s ERBS (Earth Radiation Budget Satellite). Launched in late 1984 from Space Shuttle Challenger during mission STS-41-G, ERBS was launched to study how the Sun’s energy was absorbed and reflected by the Earth, as well as carrying other payloads designed for atmospheric study.

Originally designed for just a two year operational lifespan, ERBS far outlived this by 19 years until it was retired in 2005. What made ERBS one of NASA’s most important satellites was the SAGE II instrument, that was critical in observations confirming the depletion of the Ozone layer due to CFC usage, ultimately resulting in their ban. After exhausting its onboard propellant and energy stores, NASA decommissioned the satellite in 2005, and through the end of 2022 it orbited the Earth before burning up during atmospheric re-entry near the Alaska.

Though ERBS’s story may have ended, it helped reinforce the importance of using satellites for atmospheric observations and experimentation. ThinGap is a proud supplier to NASA’s upcoming PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission, set to launch from Cape Canaveral in early 2024 aboard a SpaceX rocket. ThinGap’s LS Series of slotless motor kits are part of the OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) advanced spectrometer designed to measure the color of the ocean in wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared frequencies.