Team EV

=Project Goal=

The goal of this project is to design a LiPo-based battery system with regenerative capabilities for powering a formula electric vehicle. The system must balance power density with energy density: it must be able to output up to 85kW of energy to quickly accelerate the vehicle, but must also store enough energy to power the vehicle at moderate speeds for at least 30 minutes. The system will also interface with a prototype regenerator that will return kinetic energy reclaimed during braking to the batteries. All of these capabilities must be provided in as lightweight a package as possible so that the finished vehicle can maintain a high power-to-weight ratio. The proposed system will consist of 80-90 cells Lithium polymer batteries arranged in series and capable of providing up to 80kW of power to the onboard motors at 300V, while also accepting burst charging currents of up to 90A. The Lithium polymer cells selected for this project provide the necessary power discharge capabilities in a package that weighs less than 30 pounds. The cells boast a capacity rating of 6000mAh and will operate the vehicle at a moderate, constant velocity for up to an hour. A third-party battery monitoring system connected to the cells will monitor the cells during both charging and operation, ensuring that both the battery cells and the personnel operating the vehicle are protected at all times. Full electric and hybrid vehicles have gained significant popularity over the past several years, and battery systems have grown continually larger and more complex to meet a widening variety of needs. Improving the design and implementation of onboard battery systems will improve the responsiveness and operational range of electric vehicles by enabling the batteries to deliver greater amounts of energy in a more efficient manner, and by allowing the batteries to recover energy that would normally be lost as heat during braking.

Team Members

 * Teampics.jpg


 * Antonio Telleria
 * Blazen Ingram
 * Chihan Wang

=Background= For several years, the University of Idaho's Vandal Racing team has designed vehicles to compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula racing competition, a group of annual competitions designed to give students practical engineering experience by designing racecars. The growth of the consumer electric vehicle market over the past decade has prompted the SAE to expand the Formula racing competition to include electric vehicles (EV). The Vandal Racing team now wants to commence work on an EV with the intent of competing in the SAE Formula EV competition within two to three years. To this end, the racing team has approached the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to design the powertrain for the new vehicle.

Goals

 * Approximate the load the battery system will need to drive
 * Simulation
 * Flywheel test bed
 * Locate battery cells that meet the performance specifications
 * Test battery cells to verify performance
 * Design or acquire a battery management system
 * Develop an interface connecting the battery system and the regenerator

Deliverables

 * A completed design for the battery system and regenerator interface
 * The constructed battery system, if time permits

Specifications

 * 1200lb car with driver
 * Batteries should output at 240-300V

Constraints

 * Maximum energy draw cannot exceed 85kW
 * Minimize weight where possible

=Current System Model= =Spects=