Wayside Power Team 2019: Spring 2020; Hitting the ground running!

The new semester has begun and our team has some serious work to do. Over the winter break, we were able to finish the 30-foot track and dismantle the battery pack from last year's project. This way we can use the bogie to mount our current collector mechanisms. Today we purchased Helwig elctrographite brushes from eBay. They are a lot cheaper compared to the supplier. Helwig's price is $58.20 each, however, we found an eight pack for $90 on eBay. These brushes are grade H51 which provide 3200 PSI in strength, low resistivity, and an 80 amp current rating. Electrographite brushes are commonly used in high-speed motor applications with high current densities. Our current specs are approximately 33.4 amps, so these brushes will meet the requirements. Additionally, we designed brackets that hold the brushes in the collector shoe. Our next steps include researching appropriately rated springs that will provide pressure on the brushes to contact the third rail, designing an enclosure for the multiple brushes, and 3D printing the bracket and enclosure to ensure the design will work. Also, we are working on testing the current transfer from the third rail to a 12-volt motor using an Arduino and motor driver. This will be done using the brushes from last year's projects and a 12-volt power supply. After this is successfully tested, the team will scale up to 36 volts and test a bigger motor.