Team 1640 Battery Charging Station

It's been apparent for several years that FRC 1640 needs a neater (more organized, preferably cooler) way of organizing batteries. We are getting better, but if anything IRI 2010 showed us just how far we are from a low-hassle, effective method.

Project Details & Deadlines

Supervisor:
Collaborators: Clem, Siri, Foster, Sasha, Andrew...

• Deadline for Final Functional Specifications: ? 4 August, 2010
• Deadline for Final CAD Design:
• Deadline for Fabrication:

Benchmarking

We obtained numerous photos of other teams' charging stations at IRI 2010:

User Needs & Functional Specs

• The charging station (CS) is a safe operation
• The CS accommodates a sufficient number of batteries and chargers (target: 10 each, marginal: 8 each)
• The CS allows charged, charging, not charging (unplugged), and dead batteries to be easily identified (target time: 5 seconds, marginal: 20 seconds)
• The CS allows the user to easily, safely, and quickly insert and remove specific batteries (target: 10 seconds, marginal: 30 seconds) and battery chargers (target: 30 seconds, marginal: 45 seconds)
• The CS's wiring is easy to access, inspect, and maintain (target: 1 minute, marginal: 2 minutes for full inspection)
• The CS requires minimal input power outlets (target: 1 outlet, marginal: 3 outlets)
• The CS is easy to transport in the team trailer or a minivan (target: 5 minutes, marginal: 10 minutes)
• The CS is durable and easy to maintain (target projected lifetime: 10 years, marginal: 6 years)
• The CS allows storage and easy access for a sufficient number of white battery caps (target: 2 seconds and 15 caps, marginal: 7 seconds and 10 caps)
• The CS has a minimal footprint without being unstable (target: 5sqft, marginal: 8sqft)
• The CS rolls easily, but only when the user wants it to (target: , marginal: )

Brainstorming

[Siri:]

• Label each charger's body, wires, electrical plug, and battery connector (with the same symbol)
• Label suspected and confirmed dead batteries with their status, the date, and your name
• Tangential: get rid of confirmed dead batteries
• Modular stacking system?
• wire tie/velcro loop the wires
• run the wires internally to an included easy-access surge strip
• removable back for wire inspection
• locking wheels
• Institute a single nomenclature system for all batteries that includes their year, use (competition, practice/pit, etc), and identification number

--Siri 21:53, 20 July 2010 (UTC)