Crimson Racing Wiki

High Voltage Battery

Subteam: EV Power SystemsSubsystem: Energy StorageAssembly: High Voltage BatteryCars: CR26E

Purpose

Store the energy for the endurance event.

Function

105 series by 6 parallel Sony VTC5A 18650 cells in ENEPAQ 1s6p prepackaged submodules. 446 V maximum, 270 A maximum, 15.6 Ah, 6.96 kWh total, roughly 5.64 kWh assumed usable.

Design Process

Pack parameters came from the OptimumLap simulation run to convergence on mass: run at a given final drive, record energy spent per lap, feed the new battery mass back in, repeat until mass asymptotes. Initial targets were 420 V nominal, 130 A nominal, 210 A peak for 120 s, 6.552 kWh preferred capacity, and a hard 80 kW power cap from rule EV.4.1.1.

Design Constraints

EV.8.4.1 requires cell voltage measurement of every cell. EV.6.2.3 requires nonflammable insulation between segments. EV.7.6.1 requires overcurrent protection on all electrical systems. EV.8.5.3 to 8.5.7 govern where temperature is measured, how many cells are monitored and how the sensors are isolated. EV.4.1.1 caps power at 80 kW.

Full Material List

Sony VTC5A 18650 LiNiMnCoO2 cells: 15.6 Ah, 4.2 V maximum, 3.6 V nominal, 2.5 V minimum, 36 A maximum charging current, 60 C maximum discharge temperature, 45 C maximum charging temperature. ENEPAQ submodules add two fuses per parallel group, built-in temperature sensors, UL94-V0 fire-retardant plastic, copper terminals and copper busbars with M5 bolts.

Reoccuring issues

The original layout was extremely difficult to package in the car. Internal resistance of the pack has not been measured and there is no thermal model of the batteries under load yet.

Properties

CR25 one-pager costing: Sony VTC5A 1s6p modules at $85.03 per module, $11,768 for 120 modules, plus maintenance plugs at about $460. No manufacturing needed as the modules arrive assembled; manufacturing is required only for the accumulator structure and the high voltage connections, busbars and maintenance plugs. Quantity per car, as costed: 1

Still to document

Nothing in CrimsonStorage covers these yet.