Rinehart Motion Systems is sharply focused on providing propulsion inverters and ancillary power electronics assemblies for new and emerging applications of electric (EV) and hybrid electric (HEV) ground vehicles. Our business is divided between professional motorsports (we have provided KERS hybrid hardware to the Formula One grid since the 2009 race season, presently servicing 3 teams and in six cars every race); standard products (our PM family of 50kW – 250kW motor controls designed to ISO16750 commercial vehicle standards); and custom products (primarily military ground vehicle propulsion components, OEM automotive power electronics and propulsion hardware, and product development in vehicle controls and energy management).
Founded in 2002, the company has developed a unique packaging approach (with 6 issued Patents to date) and has established a TS16949-compliant new product realization process and manufacturing relationships with TS-certified automotive production facilities in the US, Asia and Europe. RMS drives are typically half the size and weight, are more rugged, and are generally easier to use than competitive products. The company also provides unique customization services – offering new software features, communications protocols, custom housings and specialized functionality for different applications.
State-of-the-Art Engineering Tools • SolidWorks 3D Solid Modeling • SolidWorks FLOW Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation • SolidWorks Finite Element Analysis (thermal, mechanical FEA) simulation • PSIM Power Electronics and Controls simulation (Motor Control, Thermal, and advanced modules) • MATLAB / Simulink, Real-Time Embedded Coder, Real-Time Workshop, SimDriveline • SPICE electronic circuit simulation (PSPICE and other SPICE variants for power) • Infolytica MagNet 3-D Field Solver (electromagnetic FEA) • Mentor Graphics Schematic Capture and PCB layout software • Mitchell Software WinGeo suspension geometry and kinematics design tools and simulation • Document Control, Revision Control, and ECO Process software over VPN • LabView automated test system software development environment •Power Semiconductor dynamic characterization (Eon, Eoff, Err...) test station • 1x Espec Fast Thermal Cycling chamber and Hot/Cold Operation test chambers •1x Burn-In / Durability Test Station • Motor/Generator Dynamometer test stand - 120kW 500Nm/8,500RPM •0-800V adjustable DC power source 40kW •480VAC <=> 200-800VDC 120kW Bidirectional Battery Emulator / Power Supply •Thermal Test Bench to measure thermal impedance of high power IGBTs, FETs and Diodes •24V / 400A and 10V / 1,500A power supplies for thermal cycling of power transistors •MYDAX chiller -35 .. +105oC coolant with up to 10kW continuous heat sourcing or sinking •2 oil coolant test systems for oil-cooled motors and geartrain testing •2 water coolant test systems for drives, DUT motor and inverter, and bench cooling • 2-post vehicle lift for in-house EV construction and hybrid conversion •Mule test vehicle(s) for road and track propulsion systems •Partnerships with ISO/IEC 17025 accredited test labs for additional validation testing
Core Team
Larry Rinehart Founder and President Larry has 40+ years experience in power electronics and has served as VP Engineering and CTO for several hi-tech startups in industrial electronics, motor drives, and automotive electronics
Chris Brune VP Engineering Chris has 25 years design and design management experience in power electronics and specifically in high volume automotive electronics systems and components, primarily in the trucking and off-road equipment markets
Todd Rydman Director of Operations Todd has over 25 years of experience in technical management of product development groups for truck, bus and off-highway vehicle OEM's. His core experience has been in the development of electronic power and controls products