Levonto is bringing force-capable electric motors to market to reduce the climate impact of turbomachinery systems. The unique approach enables motors to act as their own bearing, leading to significant system improvements and adopting oil-free bearing technology. At scale, Levonto enables annual CO2 reduction equal to the emissions of 170 million cars.
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Nathan Peterson
Nathan Petersen is co-founder of Levonto Technologies, an electric motor company that enables cost-effective, oil-free machinery solutions for a sustainable future. Petersen earned a B.S. in computer science and M.S./Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focused on unlocking motors' hidden capabilities to produce electromagnetic forces via advanced methods. Petersen aims to scale force-capable motors into next-generation industrial machinery to save energy and reduce oil reliance.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
In the United States, commercial and industrial electric motors consume 1,080 terawatt hours of electricity each year, or 30 percent of the electric grid load. This number is ever-increasing with recent trends in electrification and decarbonization. Over 65 percent of applications involve bulk fluid movement, and existing bearing solutions are proving inadequate. Next-generation turbomachinery designs are moving to hermetic solutions, exposing the motor and its bearings to process fluids. A cost-effective solution is needed to accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient machinery without sacrificing system reliability due to bearing failures.
Technology Vision
Levonto’s innovative force-capable electric motors provide a system-level solution for next-generation turbomachinery. At its core, Levonto technology enables motors to act as part of the bearing system, which supports rotating the machinery elements. The unique approach allows users to keep using standard commercial motor drives and does not require sacrificing motor efficiency or power density. The result is a cost-effective method to use state-of-the-art oil-free bearing solutions compatible with application process requirements. Examples of applications include water chillers and heat pumps for heating and air conditioning, wastewater aeration, e-turbochargers for engines, and petrochemical processing plants.
Potential for Impact
Levonto’s next-generation motor and bearing technology will lead the way in the historic energy transition sweeping human society. It is well-known that mass adoption of variable speed drives can cause the next big change in climate impact reduction for electric motor systems. However, due to bearing challenges, adoption has plateaued. Oil-free bearing technology is key to improving system reliability and pushing adoption forward. Levonto’s innovation enables tomorrow’s sustainable rotating machines to be smaller, lighter, more efficient, and more reliable. Levonto will enable 780 million metric tons of CO2 reduction at scale for a greener tomorrow.
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