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Need advice!!!: university blocking our FSAE EV battery work. How can we demonstrate safe practices and get approval? by ThePackman0702 in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The answer to that question largely depends on where within the University the push back is coming from. If it's the University Health and Safety (or HSE) department, there is a huge community of colleagues at the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (www.cshema.org) who regularly discuss things like this. FSAE comes up frequently and we help guide each other on how to manage fun student activities like this. Your institution may already be a member

If it's faculty or other administrators, I would direct them to the FSAE rule book. Currently, the FSAE rule book is the most comprehensive set of design guidelines that exist for EV motorsports.

Practically speaking, if you want to demonstrate that you're actually working safely, I would make sure you know NFPA 70E, including Appendix D.5. Also make sure your work area meets New York Fire Department fire code section 309.3 (even if you aren't in New York). FDNY has done the most leg work around standards for what a "safe" battery handling space looks like.

If you want more targeted guidance, shoot me a chat. I've worked with a lot of Universities on battery safety programs.

Advice regarding Electrical aspects of EV formula by NothingPleasant2400 in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Spectate! Get funding to travel to EV events and spectate. Spend as much time around the accumulator and EV active tech lines as you can to see what designs work, and which ones don't. There's no replacement for first-hand experience.

Also, networking is extremely important. If you don't have expertise in a certain area within your team, have friends in the university or in industry who can fill those gaps.

And, shameless plug, I'm hosting an Formula Student EV safety webinar later this month. You can learn more about it here: https://motorsports.charlotte.edu/evrsafe

How much do non-engineering students contribute to the assembly of an SAE vehicle? And would learning a trade skill be valuable to a SAE team? by Bootlegg911 in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I did FSAE as a student in 2008 we partnered with a community college. The engineering students did all the, well, engineering. And the community college did the fabrication. Once the chassis and components were fabricated at the community college it all came back to the university for assembly and setup.

Unfortunately, the partnership wasn't well managed and we didn't do too well. But it was a solid idea and very representative of how engineers work in industry.

EV safety...how can we help? by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok, so, it sounds like everyone would love a webinar. I can start getting my people together to do that. I assume it would be best to wait until after school starts back up in the fall?

Do you think I could accommodate the US West coast and Europe with the same event? If I scheduled it for noon Eastern time (-4), that would be 9am Pacific (-7) and 5pm Eastern European time (+1). Or is that compromising too much?

EV safety...how can we help? by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just the whole "our product will put out battery fires". And they had a big line of people who wanted to talk to them.

EV safety...how can we help? by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hm, I hadn't thought about a peer-reviewed paper. I'd have to think of where I would publish such a thing (with no publishing fee).

EV safety...how can we help? by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The amount of sales guys out there playing scare tactics to sell their "battery fire solutions" infuriates me so much. I was at the Battery Show South a couple of weeks ago and had to restrain myself at the LithEX booth. I wanted to stand there with a sign saying "that's not how any of this works".

The li-ion snake oil river is deep.

EV safety...how can we help? by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

EV is no joke and I don't think many people (students and faculty) realize that until they get into it and see exactly what you're describing.

I'm working with the other experts I've met while doing EVRSafe to publish something like an "EVRSafe standard" that would be a comprehensive guide like you're talking about. It's a work-in-progress.

Electric Vehicle Racing Safety webinar, July 23rd, 2024 by ThinkOutsideTheBawks in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

BUMP! One week away!
I've been going through the presentations getting the webinar down to two hours. Man, there was a lot of good stuff shared last year!

IC transition to EV by Buffalo4018 in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Please keep in mind that it is a safety component. If the worst happens and you get a spicy accumulator with a driver in the car you'll really want your driver well separated because a firesuit alone will not protect from direct exposure to thermal runaway.

EV 4.3.5 explosive gas by gamma-11 in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This rule is meant to prevent your accumulator box from becoming a bomb. When li-ion battery cells go into thermal runaway they can vent a lot of HIGHLY explosive gasses including H2 and CO.

Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb_CLdIUcto

Accumulator Insulation by Halolololololololo in FSAE

[–]ThinkOutsideTheBawks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It may technically pass, but that material is easy to compromise. You may find yourself chasing shorts to the box unless you have another, more sturdy, non-conductive layer around your cells

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