AI's Latest Role: Thermometer

At least one startup is deploying artificial intelligence to monitor electric motor temperatures

Deep inside the electric motor, where it is too hot, too cramped, or simply impossible, German company ZF now has an idea for measuring temperature precisely, according to a July 2 press release. It says this type of data could allow significantly more power to be extracted from an electric motor, and it works entirely without additional hardware – only through AI.

With its AI-based TempAI solution, ZF is integrating a new method that takes temperature management in electric drives to a new level. By using a self-learning temperature model, TempAI thinks it may have improved forecast accuracy by over 15 percent, enabling significantly more precise thermal utilization of the electric machine.

TempAI is based on a platform that automatically generates physically based models from measurement data and makes them operational in a "very short time," the company says. Existing control units are sufficient, as the AI models used require low computing resources. This belies cost-efficient implementation in series production. “This technology enables us to further increase the efficiency and reliability of our drives. At the same time, TempAI demonstrates how data-driven development can be not only faster, but also more sustainable and more powerful,” said Dr. Stefan Sicklinger, Head of AI, Digital Engineering, and Validation in R&D, ZF.

“We are proud to bring this innovation into series production and thus making a significant contribution to more efficient e-mobility,” said Dr. Otmar Scharrer, Head of Development for Electrified Powertrain Technology. ”TempAI is a real technological breakthrough for the temperature management of electric drives.”