Project Grant 2538100

Federal Grant Award Summary

Motibera, Inc. received a $305,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) under CFDA 47.084, effective July 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The award funds research and development of a twin bearingless motor with integrated thrust and radial suspension capabilities. The core deliverable is the design, modeling, and experimental validation of an electric motor system that generates independently controllable torque, radial forces, tilting forces, and axial force through unified electromagnetic structures, thereby eliminating the need for separate mechanical bearings and thrust components.

The innovation addresses a critical reliability gap in industrial motors used in compressors, pumps, and energy-intensive equipment, where mechanical bearing failures represent a leading cause of system downtime and maintenance costs. By enabling complete magnetic support of rotating shafts without physical contact, the motor design is expected to reduce energy consumption, lower operational costs, and improve infrastructure reliability. The project will advance novel magnetic field configurations and control strategies that intentionally create controllable axial force—a capability historically unavailable in conventional bearingless motors—while maintaining performance in torque generation and radial force stability.