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This page will cover some of the basic information for the battery enclosure.

From ASC 2024 Regulations (https://www.americansolarchallenge.org/ASC/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ASC2024-Regs-EXTERNAL-RELEASE-A.pdf):

  • All registered and sealed battery modules, supplemental batteries, battery protection circuitry, and main fuses must be fully contained in enclosures that are electrically isolated from the solar car

  • The enclosures must be constructed from non-conductive, electrolyte-resistant material

  • No more than two separate such enclosures may be used for the main energy storage

  • Enclosures must be designed such that they can be removed from the vehicle and placed in impound per Regs. 12.18 and 14.12

  • The resistance measured between the battery terminals and any portion of the solar car chassis shall be greater than 1 MΩ for applied potentials up to 500 V

  • The battery enclosures must be secured to the solar car chassis so as to prevent them or the modules within from coming loose in the event of an accident or rollover

  • Battery enclosures may be equipped with a forced ventilation system. Such ventilation systems must pull exhaust to the exterior of the solar car and must be directly connected to the exterior of the vehicle away from any airstream that may reach the driver.

  • External supplementary cooling of the battery pack is not permitted beyond the ventilation requirements listed in Reg. 8.4.D unless the external cooling is powered by the main battery pack and is physically contained and secured to the solar car, or in an emergency situations

Safety considerations:

  • Prevent initial thermal runaway explosions from reaching driver

    • Must have enough warning time to stop the car and the allow the driver to exit

  • Allow for installation of temperature monitoring at various locations within the enclosure

Other constraint/criteria considerations:

...

Allows for mounting of modules, other hardware within the enclosure

...

Allows for easy mounting/detaching & easily accessible for maintenance

...

The battery box enclosure refers to one (or two) box(es) that contain all battery modules and battery related hardware.

In general, these enclosures need to be both chemically and electrically insulating, and have the ability to be “impounded” where access to the enclosure’s external connectors are sealed every night of the race. The enclosure itself is sealed prior to the start of the race to prevent modification of anything within the enclosure during the race (without penalization).

Timelining

[WIP] - To organize high level overview of enclosure related projects.

To include:

  • Cooling system optimization

  • Enclosure design

  • Enclosure fabrication, layup (with Aerobody), and assembly

  • Chassis mounting system

  • Enclosure layout (modules, BMS, fans, etc.)

  • Battery Protection Tech Report (Date TBD so far)