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Stanford Solar Team - Information Learning

Stanford Solar Team - Information Learning

Owned by Aden Chu
Last updated: Mar 02, 2025
2 min read

Me and @Forest Zhou went to Stanford Solar car team and talked to them about their car/doing some information sharing in general.

Operations:

  • Stanford is not “that” supportive with design teams compared to Waterloo, for liability reasons. After WSC 2019 video where Stanford car battery caught on fire, a lot of procedures/rules changed for them. Their bay is restricted during certain hours and must have a Graduate TA to supervise(max 20 hours a week), and a lot of their machining tools were taken away

  • Their car was built towards WSC, but then modified for ASC/FSGP instead.

  • They will be joining us for FSGP 2025 using existing vehicle

  • Team leads try their best to stay in the area to work on the vehicle, because sometimes people also go on summer internships/long internships so they try to figure out how to retain members

Solar/Motor/Hardware

  • Custom motor machined by former UofMichigan Solar team alumni/graduate students, proven to be very reliable and used since 2014.

  • Motor Controller : WS22, so same as us, has a nice mount with water-proofing in mind, but wants to do it better(see photos).

  • Looks like Maxeon Sunpower cells

  • Use Photon 3 MPPTs, but want to eventually try custom, company went kapok

  • lolTelemetry isn’t anything too special, using Wi-Fi currently but range limited, wants to try something with Cellular

  • PCS is Vicor DCM, but they’re having issues and want to go Custom

  • Harnessing/Connectors : Zip Ties, sleeving on cables, clearly defined routing channel area to look clean. Look into Phoenix Connectors and Deutsche connectors for robustness for CAN lines.

  • STM32F429 is their main MCU

  • General Architecture and Board Config : BMS Board(Carrier/AFE/Current Sensing/MCI/PCS/Contactor and recharge integrated), Main STM32 Computing central hub, mounted in front.

  • Steering stalk/center console is a board inside steering wheel(see pictures), uses buttons and display and automotive standard connectors.(See photos)

  • BMS is similar to us, LTC6811 but everything is on one large board

  • Steering stalk has a separate mechanical and electrical disconnect(see photos)

 

Battery/Elec Integration/Battery Box

  • 31S9P : Split into 15 2S9P modules and a 1S9P

  • Samsung 21700 50S, decided due to high discharge rate(25A)

  • Vibration pads in the battery box to reduce vibration issues

  • Battery box mounted in front of car, they weren’t required to prove the 5G restraining limits in sims funnily enough.

  • Deutsche connectors for a lot of things

  • How battery enclosure is mounted? with seatbelts…. LOL, and yes this is not a joke, see photos

  • Aviation style seatbelts mounted to structural ribs in the front that go to chassis area

  • No cell fusing in the packs that I can see

  • One enclosure, separated in two regions(Top for BMS board), modules placed below

 

Mechanical(Aero/Chassis/Dynamics/Brakes)

  • Since me and Forest aren’t mechies, weren’t able to ask in detail about those lol, but we have photos

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