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Replace the inrush current limiting (ICL) circuit

• Less power. Current circuit wastes power to keep the NTCs hot.

• If the main pack is disconnected from DC-DC, the HV caps will discharge, but the NTCs will still be hot for a while. When the main pack is reconnected, the ICL will not work because it’s already hot.

• The NTCs probably won’t share the load evenly, which risks damaging them.

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Switch to a 24V low voltage system?

• I think a lot of the 12 V components we use (relays, etc) usually have 24 V variants that draw less current. This would reduce the losses from parasitic resistance.

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In the Spring 2019 term, Taiping requested Vicor's new DCM 15V 240W Isolated DC-DC converters with the associated mounting hardware. Vicor supplied the team with the following: 

DCM Datasheet

DCM Design Guide

• Replace the large capacitors with capacitor multipliers?

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wopmEyZKnYo

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Since the input is at high voltage, a capacitor discharge circuit is required to make the board safer to handle after power is disconnected. When power is disconnected, M3 stops pulling the gate to M2 low, allowing current to flow through R3 and bringing the voltage of the caps down from 154V to 60V in about 2 seconds.