This year, our electrical team focused on the areas that gave us the biggest challenges last year. In order to optimize the car, we tackled the battery pack, reliability and of course, adapted the systems to be compatible with the autonomous system. In the battery pack, we were able to reduce the number of battery cells by 50% while not compromising on the performance. Peak performance is up by more than 40% while the voltage and capacity remain the same compared to Artemis. By joining forces with the composites team, carbon fiber internal walls were manufactured for the Accumulator Container to save weight. Combined with high-strength steel on the outer walls of the container, we could also minimize the volume of our TSAC. In contrast to last year where aluminium was used, switching to steel allowed for easier welding, ensuring that the welds would not break under the strong forces they must withstand.
The wiring in the car received a large overhaul. By standardizing connectors on the PCBs and in the car, we were able to better train our team members on making the cable assemblies. By routing the cables in the CAD-model of the car each cable had a predetermined place in the car. By considering EMI during this planning phase in combination with additional shielding of the wires, it was possible to minimize the probability of interference during driving.
The past semester we worked with some students from UGent to further develop our custom measurement system to measure different types of analog sensors and transmit that data digitally to our central computer. By having their help, the team could focus on the core tasks while research and development was done by students. This gives us an opportunity to invite new talent to our team while promoting UGent Racing within the university.
To make the autonomous driving possible, certain systems such as the shutdown circuit, were adapted to allow for safe driving in autonomous mode, and in manual mode. An Autonomous system sensor indicator (ASSI) was developed for safety around the vehicle during autonomous missions.
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