Queen's Formula SAE — Tractive System
Schematics, safety rules, and a faster way to charge.
This is my work on the tractive-system subteam of Queen’s Formula SAE, the student-built racecar competition. The EV class carries its own high-voltage rulebook on top of the mechanical one.
Most of the year has been review. I read the tractive-system wiring diagrams and the charging shutdown circuit — BMS fault, IMD fault, CAN charger enable, the isolation relays and AIRs — and cross-referenced each piece against the FSAE EV safety rules until the schematic and the rules agreed.
Out of that review came a proposal. I analyzed the accumulator’s charger, an Elcon HK-J-H650-12, for FSAE EV rule compliance. I proposed a J1772 adapter using a Control Pilot resistor network, which would let the car charge from a Level 2 station instead of the 120 V backup, for a projected ~40% reduction in charge time.
The adapter is on paper and headed for review.