Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Electrical Engineering
Date
6-2014
Primary Advisor
Art MacCarley
Abstract/Summary
The Rapid Battery Exchange system (RBX) swaps batteries in an electric van, allowing almost continuous operation of the vehicle. The RBX system is designed and built by The Cal Poly Electric Vehicle Engineering Club (EVEC). The system includes the exchange ramp, two battery packs, and the electric “G-Van.” While the vehicle drives using one of the battery packs, the other pack charges in the exchange ramp. When the van’s battery depletes, it drives onto the ramp and swaps the dead battery for the charged one, and the process repeats.
The RBX battery pack safety and sensing project divides into two main parts – voltage isolation and voltage sensing. Voltage isolation disconnects the battery pack voltage (216 VDC) from the outside of the pack when the pack is not charging or powering the van. This ensures operator, technician, and rider safety. The project also senses and records battery voltages over time, allowing technicians and engineers to find dead batteries in the pack and monitor the pack performance over time.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/239
Included in
Electrical and Electronics Commons, Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing Commons, Systems and Communications Commons