Past Competitions- Pod 3

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Pod 3

For Competition III, we set our sights on making it into the vacuum tube (only six teams have ever done this) therefore prioritizing a functional pod over a revolutionary design. Despite challenges during testing week, we were one of four teams selected to present our design to the other teams, media, and other attendees.

Stats:

Length:

Max Speed:

Weight:

Energy Use Per Run:

feet

mph

lbs

WH

Length:

Max Speed:

feet

mph

Weight:

Energy Use Per Run:

lbs

WH

Major Subsystem Highlights

Battery

The high voltage battery systems will be made out of six individual 44 V modules to facilitate testing and to ensure safety. The battery will use an Orion BMS to balance the cells, monitor the current output and temperature of the cells. The battery system will be enclosed in a pressure vessel to dissipate more heat from the batteries, as well as prevent venting of the cells. All battery cells will be wired in series to prevent issues that may arise from wiring cells in parallel through the voltage taps or from a series-parallel configuration, where a large voltage difference could be developed between the series strings.

Stability

The stability system consists of three main parts, a vertical system attached to the propulsion wheel at the front, a vertical system attached inside the pod at the back, and four lateral systems attached to the inside of the channel

Pressure Vessel

The pressure vessel will house the batteries, the battery management system, and the motor controller. This system will be held at a constant pressure of 1.2 bar while in a near-vacuum environment. The pressure vessel will be constructed entirely of carbon fiber and will use NPT feedthroughs to port the high voltage and sensor wires through the walls

Propulsion

The pod will be propelled forward by a single drive wheel powered by an electric motor via a timing belt drive. The drive wheel will ride along the top of the track while connected to the bottom stability wheels, therefore doubling its role as a drive wheel and the top stability wheel. The drive wheel is mounted on a pivoting, rigid linkage to allow vertical translation when encountering imperfections in the track.

Braking

The braking system consists of two redundant mechanisms and pressure systems to ensure one fault tolerance. Each mechanism exerts a normal force on the top and bottom of the flange of the I-beam using pneumatic actuators. Upon actuation, the mechanism will behave like a floating brake caliper, by applying a force to the top of the I-beam, while there is a reaction force on the underside side. The mechanism will be attached to the structure of the pod with linear rails that allow the mechanism to move freely in the vertical direction. The system can be easily removed for maintenance by removing the stops on the bottom of the linear rails. The brakes will be controlled by a redundant pneumatic system.

Shell

The structure consists of a carbon fiber/honey comb base with a fairing. A honeycomb core will be used for the shell and some portions of the structure; mounting and high stress locations will use pure carbon fiber without a core.