Driver Interface & Solar Array (Mechanical-Strategy Sync Up 2022-03-21)

Owned by Aidan Lehal
Last updated: Mar 24, 2022
2 min read

Mechanical Requirements

Smallest monitor we can get for cheap (low power), minimal text display, raspberry pi/arduino LCD

Must Haves:

  • Rear/Side “mirror” View Cam

  • Speedometer km/h + mph

  • Drive Mode (Parked, Reverse, Drive)

  • Turn Indicators

  • Lights (DRLs on, fog, high beam)

Should Haves:

  • Battery Life/Power consumption/Vehicle Range

  • Charging (via sun, is the array working)

  • Whatever indicator that relays to telemetry that the mechanical side is connected

Nice to Haves:

  • Cruise Control (is this more battery intensive or more useful for conserving power)

  • Clock/time (could be solved by driver wearing a watch)

  • Error Lights? - Battery temp, solar array temp (“if too hot, abandon ship”)

    • Should have telltale ques long before a virtual signal is relayed

  • Any metrics you can get (to improve performance) - would need to see the sensor power requirements first

Strategy will support in design and code of the interface.

Solar Array

There exists a need to determine if 4m^2 of the Maxeon Gen 3 Solar Cells provide sufficient energy to power all of MSXV’s functions.

Power Intake from Cells (over a XXhour span) - Power Output (to drive max distance) = Net Power

  • If Net Power > 0, Cells are sufficient

  • If Net Power <=0, Cells are insufficient and replacement is required

This study is a necessity because the challenger vehicle is not permitted to contain a secondary charging method, and therefore we are limited to the power generated entirely by our solar array.

Do you have a script?

  • What does it look like?

    • Takes in the day information and outputs power

    • Angles of the sun at a given time, weather mode (cloud cover)

      • Highly variable (expected power-per cell, non optimal day will change results)

      • Strategy can provide: Typical day assumptions

  • What changes can we make?

How much power can we draw while moving? While stationary (optimal angles)?

Battery Pack Capacity:

  • How long will it last?

  • How much power does into pack?

  • Can we finish a race with Net Power <=0?

 

Does Strategy have a hardware budget yet?

 

What Strategy needs from Mech:

  • Array angles/positions/layout

  • Array test this summer

  • Power draw of motors (Mitsuba, 1 vs 2)

 

Solar Array from MSXII failed (need to test ours before racing):

  • Enclosure

  • MMPT