The Power team deals with all the electrical internals of our electric vehicle.

The projects within this team stem from the understanding of all the electrical hardware that goes into a race car and how they interact with each other.

The team is responsible for designing and managing the power that supplies the race car's motor, alongside everything that keeps the driver safe.

Our Power team working virtually over Zoom!

CURRENT PROGRESS

Over the fall, the Power team has made consistent progress that goes into the internals of an electric vehicle. We’ve completed multiple custom PCB designs, built modules and enclosures that would house all of our electronic and power devices, and tested low and especially high voltage components like the motor and the charger. This semester, we’re making the finishing touches on our designs, manufacturing the components, and putting them all together to test one last time before integrating it into the car itself. And the team? We’re eager to make an even better system for next year!

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- Andrei Divinagarcia, Power Lead

The Controls team develops systems that enable the driver to interact with the vehicle, gather data during operation, and monitor critical safety systems to keep the driver safe during their ride.

From sensors to computer systems, this team designs the systems responsible for all the communication and programming within our racecar.

Our Controls team using Visual Studio Code.

Our Controls team working virtually over Zoom!

CURRENT PROGRESS

The Controls team has been working on wrapping up the development for the '20-'21 car and integrating all our efforts together. Components of our data acquisition system are being tested, and the database to log these values is being implemented. The system will soon be integrated to run alongside the software stack for the vehicle's dashboard.

We've completed the digital design of the dashboard and, with the help of the Frame & Aero team, we're working on ensuring the physical components are secured and can be seen clearly by the driver. 

The main embedded system to run the car, called the VCU, is undergoing finishing touches and the team is bringing together all the features to work seamlessly. We expect to begin black box testing this system shortly, with a hardware-in-loop test board the team designed themselves. This test system will help us determine whether the VCU is handling critical safety checks appropriately, so that we can make any necessary adjustments before we use the car.

New members on the team coming from the Fast Track program have been working on this project, so the completion of this will be an exciting milestone for us. 

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- Courtenay Huffman, Controls Lead

The Dynamics team is responsible for connecting the driver and power to the ground, and ensuring the car handles and performs to its fullest extent.

This team is responsible for the drivetrain, suspension, braking, and other handling systems that give the vehicle its agility and speed.

CURRENT PROGRESS

In the last few months, the Dynamics team has put a large focus on manufacturing processes and getting our first vehicle off stands and onto the ground!

We've made great progress with our welding and learning better practices for it, as well as having to do part modifications as we run into some issues. Additionally, a rolling chassis is quickly approaching in the upcoming months. We've also been working on design procedures for the '21-'22 vehicle. We've started off with some calculations and streamlining our optimization procedures, as well as working on designs for common  and large components that may be roadblocking prototypes for the rest of the vehicle.

We've also added new members to our team through FastTrack. Through this, we've been furthering our learning on our vehicle dynamics research, looking at some component sourcing for the '22 vehicle, and also covering some CAD best practices as new members come on starting their first designs.

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- Aidan MacDonald, Dynamics Lead

The Frame & Aero team deals with design and fabrication for many physical car components, including the space frame, bodywork, and the development of aerodynamic devices like spoilers and diffusers.

CURRENT PROGRESS

In the last few months, the Frame & Aero team has been split between focusing on finishing modifications and manufacturing for our first vehicle, and starting development for the next one.

While a few members involved with design and manufacture finish the completion of final components and bodywork, we've recently gotten a wave of fresh members through our FastTrack program. We're now working on planning and designing components that will be implemented in the '21-'22 vehicle. This includes components such as our aerodynamic package, a greatly improved frame design, and a more tightly integrated cockpit.

We’re also working with other sub-teams in the physical integration of their components as well; a big part of making sure that everything is properly implemented in the big picture.

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- Alex Cherniavskii, Frame & Aero Lead