Monday, December 28, 2015

New Motorcycle Plans



Following the long-awaited return of former EVT legend, Lennon Rodgers, the team has a revived interest in the electric motorcycle scene!  Lennon led the team’s efforts at the Isle of Man TTZero race back in 2011, where EVT’s converted BMW bike received the best time out of all the first year teams.



As an additional project to go along with the Opel conversion, the team has started working on a motorcycle that will compete in the Pikes Peak hill climb event.  The Pikes Peak event will have significantly less demanding energy requirements than the Isle of Man race, making it a good initial goal for getting started with electric motorcycles again.  The winning electric bike actually outperformed the gas powered bikes at last year’s race:


The project has been headed by Jimmy (sophomore) as the Motorcycle Team Lead, along with Lennon’s mentorship.  Lennon, Jimmy, and the motorcycle team has decided that modifying a commercially-available Zero bike would be the most feasible option for getting started with the motorcycles again.  A list of potential modifications for modifying the bike focused on the improved cooling and thermal considerations, better aerodynamics, and improved controls.  Alterations to the suspension and upgrading the wheels were also under consideration.   



There were a few delays before finally bringing in a bike, but Lennon was able to help us acquire the new 2016 model Zero FXS.  Earlier work throughout the semester focused on developing Matlab simulations and modeling for the race in order to confirm that this would indeed be the best platform for modification.


While we still haven’t decided whether or not we will be preparing this bike in time for the upcoming 200th Anniversary race this June, we can finally get to work now that we have the bike in the shop in time for IAP! 
Zero FXS in the Milkdrop!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Gloucester Clean Energy Fair 2015, Porsche Appearance!

The 1976 Porsche 914EV recently made an appearance at Gloucester's TownGreen2025 Clean Energy Fair! Read more about the event here.

A handful of team members made the trek out to the event, where we got to display our Porsche as well as the electric ATV alongside the new BMW electric i3!


The Porsche was featured prominently right at the entrance to the Gloucester High School.  As people from the community entered the building to see both exhibits of research projects and vendors for green businesses at the event, we were able to tell them about the Porsche, our current Opel conversion project, and the work we do as a team.


We also had a great opportunity to check out the new BMW models!


The day's events made for an awesome team bonding experience, and it was great to see how well-received our vehicles were at the event.  The newer team members had a chance to learn a lot of info about the Porsche project as well.  We taught them the controls and made time for some driving lessons through the parking lot as we were clearing out!


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Update - 10/10/15

Week five of the new EVT semester!


On the MechE side, the Suspension Subteam continues to work at redesigning the Opel's suspension. 

Suspension Design 101 with Jimmy Handy 
The team is reworking the subframe holding the suspension and powertrain components:

"The old design for the subframe used non-right angles to make it smaller, however, especially in the prototyping phase, mitered angles are more difficult to cut than straight across." - Jacob Fisher

Powertrain subframe assembly


The EE subteams are also making headway on their projects.

Several new EE's have finished schematic capture for the CAN dev board and are currently finalizing PCB layout.

Others are working on a wheel velocity sensor that will transmit to subscribing modules on the CAN bus.


Stay tuned for more updates! 

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Update - 10/03/15

Lot's of progress being made by the Opel sub teams! 

Here are some of the things members did this week:
  • Installed and began learning KiCad
  • Began schematic capture for CAN dev board 
  • Characterized hub motors for voltage, frequency parameters
  • Took measurements of stepper motor dimensions for PCB footprints 
  • Installed and began learning SolidWorks
  • Began mockup of front compartment and cooling system
  • Set up firmware and hardware templates for electrical subsystems
  • Learned about CAN communications
  • Got two LPC uControllers talking to each other over CAN bus




Saturday, September 12, 2015

First meeting of 2015



A new year, a new batch of awesome freshman, and a lot of work to be done!

On the electrical side, the team is focusing its efforts on the development of several key components of the car architecture: driver interface, user interface, motor interface, throttle interface, low voltage system, gauges, and wheel velocity sensor. 

Alison (gauges):
"My group went through a small tutorial to introduce [freshman] to CAN - the communication protocol we'll be using in the Opel. Some of the topics we covered to get to this point included:

  • Microcontrollers
  •  How CAN works at the physical level
  • How CAN works at the software level
  • Sending messages over CAN
  • Checking if messages received over CAN contain specific data
  • General C syntax
  • Bitwise operations

Ultimately, we were able to get two microcontrollers (LPCLLCX4?) talking to each other over CAN, and sending each other messages that caused an LED to turn on or off. In the future, members will apply what they learned to focus on a specific component on the CAN bus - the user interface.

Skanda (driver interface):
"Our group started to flesh out the design for the electrical subsystem that accepts driver inputs (e.g. turning on headlights, blinkers, windshield wipers, etc.). We worked with our new members to make sure they understood the subsystem's basic architecture (switches -> LPC controller -> vehicle CAN bus and peripheral relays). After that, we took a look at Hugo's specs and decided on some of the relays that we should use, and the driver interface casing. We also thought about how to fit in our goal of having different car performance settings (sporty and non-sporty, with different throttle profiles). We indicate on the bus (with designated non-conflicting CAN ID x800) which setting our car currently is set to, after which the throttle subsystem should adjust its output accordingly."

Joey (batteries):
"Battery sub-team introduced perspective new members to the design considerations we are facing with weatherproofing the front cabin, cooling the batteries, and mounting the batteries. We came up with some preliminary solutions for the weatherproofing of the cabin and cooling the batteries. Next steps are to test the preliminary solution we came up with, and to research more about air flow to determine if there is a more optimal method of both cooling and waterproofing."

In addition to the Opel conversion, the team is kicking off a new motorcycle project, headed by Jimmy Handy, for the Pikes Peak competition:

We are currently working on creating some Matlab simulations that will allow us to choose the model of Zero that is the best starting point for us. We are looking at the initial cost of the bike, energy requirements for each of the bikes to complete the race, weight, and acceleration profiles. 
The current winner is the zero FX. This is zeros lightest and cheapest bike. We plan on switching the motor and controller from the fastest, heaviest, and most expensive zero to the lighter bike in hopes we can have the best of both worlds.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Albany Trip I: Departure

EVT: Boston to New York on a single charge!

I just realized we never got to publish the blog posts outlining our trip to Albany, now over a year ago!  It was such a great trip and big moment in EVT history, I wanted to make sure that we at least had a post about it.  I tracked down our mile by mile notes that included a lot of great details over the course of the trip, and here's my four part, full narrative summarizing the team's final trike adventures!

Saturday, Aug 2, 2014
Day 1: Cambridge, MA to Florida, MA (130 miles)

The final week leading up to the big trip was spent making all of the necessary last minute preparations.  

We made sure to get extra safety gear, a bluetooth headset for the motorcycle helmet, and walkie talkies between the vehicles.  The van was packed with all the necessary spare parts and tools.

Joey and Hanna got the Xbee communication up and running so that the passengers in the chase car could wirelessly monitor the trike's battery pack.

Everyone went on a big team shopping trip the night before to get groceries for the weekend. John had to become the team dad and make the rest of us get our vegetables.  Joey stuck around for a couple of last minute tests and packing the van.  Jacob and Jarrod were up late reviewing the route one last time and preparing maps for each leg of the trip.

After a late night, we all ended up making it back over to N52, in one form or another...

  

John, Jacob, and Jarrod rounded up the vehicles the day before, with everything waiting in the garage.  The trip was only intended for one way, so we recruited Alban to come on the camping adventure with his pickup truck to haul the trike and trailer back to campus after we were finished.   Ten team members came on the trip, with the following driving arrangements: one person riding the trike, two people in the truck, and seven people in the passenger van.  The insurance for the rental agreement required the driver to be 21, so John and Michelle shared the driving responsibilities.  Alban drove his truck, and we rotated riding the trike in pre-planned 20 mile shifts.

The vehicles had been mostly loaded up the night before, and we put the remaining equipment in Alban's truck.  We prepared to roll out, with the trike waiting in the garage charged up and ready to go! 


The first day accounted for the bulk of the traveling, and we intended to cover 130 miles in order to reach the campground in Western, MA.  The driving was split in 20 mile shifts, with Roberto, Erich, John, Jarrod, Hanna, Joey, and Jacob going in order.

With a quick morning meeting, we discussed the itinerary and day's agenda that we put together the night before.  Jacob and Jarrod had traced the route on google earth and listed viable stopping points every 10 miles in addition to the 20 mile checkpoints.  Everyone got a packet of papers with the list of stopping points, maps and directions for their leg of the trip.  We also reviewed the Smith System for defensive driving and talked through the necessary safety precautions on the road.


Our sponsors Hugo from Beantown Tacqueria and Dave from Geoby also made an early appearance at the shop to see us off!


Not only had they shown support for the team throughout the trike project, but it was great to see them right before departing!  We were happy to have their logos prominently displayed on the trike cover!  



Slightly behind schedule, but still in great shape, we rolled away from N52 at 6AM with Roberto leading off on the trike.  

6:00, 0Ah - Roberto Leaves N52


We had put a lot of thought into organizing the pit crew in the van, hoping to keep everyone busy and engaged and to make sure that everything went smoothly along the way.  In addition to the van driver, one person was going to navigate and make sure we were on course, one person would be on their phone communicating with the trike rider, one person communicated with Alban in the truck via walkie talkie, the next rider in line would be studying the maps for their route to prep for their turn, and Jacob had his laptop to read the Xbee wireless transmission and monitor the battery pack live data.

It seemed like a good plan, but with the crew exhausted from the busy week and early morning, this was instead the resulting scene in the back of the trike...


It turned out to be a good thing, and everyone was well-rested in preparation for their driving shift, and the necessary jobs were covered.

6:50, 5Ah - A123 Facility

The first shift went as smooth as possible, with Roberto putting down a quick 10 miles to bring us to the A123 facility in Waltham.  A123 is one of our biggest sponsors and donated the battery pack used on the trip, originally used on the Isle of Man motorcycle in 2011.


Roberto tagged out, and Erich was in to take it the next 20 miles.  We took a quick break for breakfast, eating some awesome food that Jacob cooked for everyone!


Erich suited up, and we made sure to take a team picture in front of the A123 facility!


With that we were back on the road with Erich leading the way.  We encountered a bit of rain, but no major problems and a quick pit stop verified that the waterproofing was holding up fine.  He encountered a minor throttle problem midway, but resetting the controller resolved any issues.  Otherwise, Erich pushed West out onto increasingly rural country roads, and 30 miles were in the books.

8:26, 32.07 Miles, 18.4 Ah - Nashoba Regional HS 

Erich took the trike into Bolton, MA where John took over.  There was still a slight rain, but no major problems other than losing cell service in the rural towns, making communication to the trike helmet slightly more difficult.  

There were some problems with receiving the battery data, and Jacob resorted to just checking the battery data during the pit stops.

Otherwise, John's careful driving made for a smooth shift with no stopping, and the last of the rain passed during his shift.  Great weather remained for the remainder of the trip.


10:00, 53.11 Miles, 31.67 Ah - Princeton, MA
 
John pulled over into a small farm stand, and Jarrod was up next.  Everyone was up and out for a full pit stop, and we checked everything to make sure the trike was holding up over the opening legs of the trip. 

We had the pit stop checklist down from previous testing, and our schedule accounted for 5 minutes at each stop.  The gang usually took a bit more time to hang out and regroup but managed to stay roughly right on schedule.  The next driver would hop up, suit up with the helmet and gear, and sync their cell phone to the Bluetooth headset.  Someone would check the temperature on the motor, controller, and batteries.  We checked the battery data and recorded the energy consumption and time.  Someone checked the tires and tire pressure, and everyone else checked everything over looking for loose nuts and bolts.  



It was still early in the morning, but team morale remained high!  Alban, Roberto, and Alvaro held down the fort in the truck, blasting Reggaeton and giving the Tacoma the new name of Reggaetruck.  


10:45 chain derailed, 65 miles
 
Jarrod’s shift saw the first slight problems, but everything was fixed appropriately on the road.  Some roads turned out to be in unexpectedly poor shape, and increasingly hilly and pothole-ridden roads shook up the trike a good bit.

 
The chain ended up getting derailed, forcing a quick emergency pit stop.  Jacob made quick work of tensioning the chain, while the rest of the team had an opportunity to check and tighten up anything else that had managed to work loose.


We were back on the road in no time, with noticeably fewer cars on the road the further West we pushed onto smaller back roads.  Cruising along at 25mph turned out to be quite relaxing with no other cars on the road and the rest of the gang following along behind!  


11:32 tape mirrors

There was another quick stop, just to reset and fasten the components attached to the handlebars.  The phone holder, mirrors, and shifting levers had a way of rattling loose on some of the rougher roads.


Otherwise, the trike was holding up fine, handling stretches of gravel road with no problem.  Driving conditions couldn’t have been any better, a comfortable temperature, no more precipitation, and nearly no other traffic on the road.  Should there be any problems, fearless leader Roberto was always ready…



11:50, 72.15 miles, 42.26 Ah - Quabbin Reservoir
 
As we reached the 70 mile mark, Jarrod passed it off to Hanna in New Salem, by the Quabbin Reservoir.  


Aside a couple quick stops between the 50-70 mile marks, there were remarkably no other major issues considering that we hadn’t tested the trike under those conditions before.  The test run to Providence had only been about 70 miles and seemed like an exhausting day, but now we were just getting started.


After another quick pit stop and reviewing the map, we sent Hanna off and we were gone, just over halfway to the camp site.


We quickly found ourselves in an increasingly rural and scenic setting, surrounded by lakes and ponds.


The crew was keeping it together in the party van, and Joey was the designated sandwich maker for the day.  Having all the food in the van made it easy, and we were able to just keep pushing forward while eating on the road.

Hanna ended up running into a bit of a problem as we continued moving.  We ran into a series of unimproved dirt roads, and with no alternative routes, we had to see how the trike fared off of the asphalt.


Jacob and Jarrod had made sure to plan the route mile by mile, but somehow there had been no indication on Google earth that these roads were dirt.  In any case, there was no hope of reaching New York with the addition of any major detours, and we had to continue down the winding dirt roads.


12:45 push at dirt road
 
At a couple points the trike lost traction on the loose terrain, and Roberto and Jarrod had to hop out and give a push to keep Hanna going through the hills.


It was okay though, Roberto continued to save the day in the bright yellow suit...


1:30, 88.6 miles, 51.73 Ah - Lake Wyola, MA
 
Hanna managed to keep the trike under control through some incredibly rough roads, and brought us to a lake recreation area. 


Travel was a bit slower on the dirt roads, making for a long shift.  We all took a break to regroup at the lake, and checked over the trike to make sure that everything was still in good shape. 


At 90 miles in, it was great to see the waterproofing of the trailer holding up.  The fiberglass fairing on the Providence trip had let a mess of salt and sand sneak into the battery compartment, but the new and improved cage passed the Johnny quality test!


2:10, 97.58 miles, 54.95 Ah - Scenic Overlook, Sunderland, MA
 
Hanna continued, taking the trike near the 100 mile mark before passing it off to Big Joe in Sunderland, MA.

3:10, 114.1 miles, 66.71 Ah - Flat tire by farm, Ashfield, MA
 
Joey took the trike up to 115 miles with minimal problems!  His run was so smooth that there weren't even any stops along the way, and we regrettably don't have any pictures of him!
However, his run did end with a flat tire, but overall we were in great shape.  We were prepared with the necessary tools, and the sight of us fixing the tire attracted the attention of some new fans driving by!  We kindly declined their offer to race their truck with the trike...

We replaced the tire with plenty of time left in the day, and Jacob was up for the last round.

3:40 - Leave Farm, tire fixed


We were steering back into a more populated area as we approached Pittsfield, but the camp site was a mere 20 miles away!  Last up on the schedule was Jacob, who had been sitting all day and was itching to take a turn on the road.  Nicknamed ‘Crazy Jake’ after a series of stunts that included rolling the trike during testing in the parking garage earlier that summer, Jacob was ready to prove that he could bring us home and close out the long day’s journey!

4:22 - Savoy, MA




The team was still enthusiastic, although ready to reach the campground and finally get out of the car.  The repairs on the fly had gone as well as we could have planned, but everyone hoped to not need any more.  Exhaustion was beginning to set in as Roberto stared at the road.




5:11,135.3 miles, 79.97 Ah - Savoy Mountain State Forest, campground

Day 1: 58.2 Wh/mile
 
As the roads snaked through the mountains, Jacob brought the trike up to the camp site.  


After a number of full-time UROPS for the team and countless hours spent working on the trike, Jacob had put as much time as anybody else into the trike project.  As we were about to round off a successful first day of travel, we were happy to conclude part one by following Jacob to the Savoy Mountain Reserve.  A mere 50 miles from the final destination, we finally had time for some much needed resting and regrouping.


Full trip outline and details here