Download ANDRA_EV.0208 - The Australian Electric Vehicle Association

ANDRA ELECTRIC POWERED VEHCILE SUPPLEMENT 2008
Although an all-out competitive category does not exist for Electric-Powered vehicles, these vehicles are
recoginsed by ANDRA member tracks. Currently Electric Powered Vehicles will have to compete as Exhibition
Vehicles.
Any person considering construction of any Electric Powered Vehicle must submit the detailed design to ANDRA
for consideration and possible approval prior to construction. Guidelines and Regulations in relation to Electric
Powered Vehicles, including bikes, are contained in this document. Where Electric Motors are used, reports on
their type and condition, fitting, battery type and associated controls must be provided to ANDRA. After
construction, prior to any testing at any ANDRA facilities, this documentation must be forwarded to the ANDRA
Office.
Electric Powered Vehicle Designation
(7.50 ¼ and 4.50 1/8 seconds & slower) Requirements under General Regulations for electric powered vehicles
are the same as Super Sedan, Super Street and Modified Bike - with the following exceptions:
Electric Vehicles must meet the all the requirements contained in this document and must also comply with all
relevant sections of the ANDRA rulebook, specifically in the General Racing Regulations section.
1 - Motor and Fuel System
1.1 Motor - Electric Motor(s) only permitted.
Competitors can use more than one electric motor to power an electric drag vehicle (EDV).
Maximum height of electric motor output shaft centreline is 36-inches on OEM trucks; all others 24-inches.
Exposed-motor electric-powered vehicles with open frame, vented, or brush replacement window motors must
install a motor shield, minimum 0.024-inch steel or 0.032-inch aluminium, or 0.120-inch Plexiglass.
The NHRA, as does ANDRA, prefers aluminium and steel as shields, but a non-conductive shield made of
minimum 0.120" clear Plexiglass is preferred by NEDRA and is currently allowed by the NHRA. (More about this
shield below.)
1.2 Fuel System
All converted/conversion vehicles must remove fuel tanks and fuel system, including vapour storage equipment,
completely from all vehicles.
If you are building an EPV, you have to remove ALL of the fuel system. This also means that competitors are not
permitted to have a fuel-powered heater or auxiliary power unit (APU) on any EDV that has been self modified
(conversion.) Only Hybrids and other OEM EPVs are permitted to have fuel tanks.
2 - Drivetrain
2.1 Clutch, Flywheel, Flywheel Shield
Flywheel and clutch meeting SFI Spec 1.1 or 1.2 (2-disk maximum) mandatory on any car running 11.99 or
quicker. Flywheel shield meeting SFI Spec 6.1, 6.2, or 6.3 mandatory on all cars running 11.99 (7.49 1/8) or
quicker.
If an EPV is equipped with a flywheel or clutch, and the vehicle is running 11.99 or quicker, (7.49 in the 1/8) a
competitor is not permitted to use an ordinary (OEM) flywheel or clutch. Competitors must use a flywheel and/or
clutch specially built for racing. Competitors are also required to use a specially designed bell housing shield to
contain an exploding flywheel. ANDRA require that the EPV competitors must adhere to all the rules regarding
flywheels and clutches.
Exposed-motor electric-powered vehicles with open frame, vented, or brush replacement window motors must
install a motor shield, minimum 0.024-inch steel or 0.032-inch aluminium, 360 degrees to provide protection from
flying commutator bars, molten copper, plasma, etc. in the event of a motor overload.
Note: When you overload or over-rev a DC electric motor, all forms of debris can exit the commutator area. A
shield (head plate) is required to isolate the driver. The NHRA, as does ANDRA, prefers aluminium and steel
shields, but a non-conductive shield made of minimum 0.120" clear Plexiglass is preferred by NEDRA. Note that
this shield is only required for “exposed-motor” vehicles. If the motor is under the hood, in the engine
compartment of a full bodied car, and there is sheet metal between the driver and the motor, there is no
requirement for additional shielding. (However, it is recommended that this shield be fitted, regardless.)
A motor plate, minimum .125-inch steel or 1ò2-inch aluminium, may be used to adapt the motor to a conventional
transmission.
2.2 Driveline
Driveline loop mandatory on any non-OEM vehicle running 16.00 seconds or quicker.
A driveline loop is installed close to the front of the driveshaft on a rear wheel drive EPV. If the universal joint
should break, the loop constrains the driveshaft and keeps it from digging into the pavement (and flipping the car)
or tearing through the floor and injuring the driver. Note that the requirement for a loop is at a substantially slower
ET for an EPV than for ICE cars. This is because EPV’s typically weigh more and typically produce much more
torque than do ICE cars.
2.3 Rearend
Chain drive vehicles must be equipped with a chain guard constructed with minimum 0.125-inch steel or 0.250inch aluminium, covering width and top run of chain to centreline of sprockets.
The material thickness requirement for the EV is twice that required in the motorcycle rules in the NHRA rules.
This makes sense since the torque and HP of a typical four-wheeled EV is much greater than that of a motorcycle.
Many four wheeled EV’s are chain driven, something that needs to be considered.
3 - Deflector Plate Open-bodied vehicles
Each vehicle must have protection for driver from traction motor overload. This must protect the driver from motor
plasma, flying commutator bars, molten copper, bursting batteries and spraying electrolyte.
In an open-bodied vehicle, competitors must have a shield between the driver and the battery pack(s) to protect
the driver from the potential debris and plasma from batteries that may have burst. Open-bodied cars MUST have
the commutator shield (described in the driveline section above) regardless of whether the motor is enclosed by
the body or not. A sheet of 1/8-inch Plexiglass is the preferred shield, but other approved materials can be used.
4 - Wheelbase
Minimum 90-inches, unless the vehicle has original motor or is a conversion electric powered vehicle with motor in
original (internal combustion) location.
Lightweight, short vehicles are very difficult to control on the drag strip. Under hard acceleration, if one rear wheel
loses traction, the force from the other wheel can abruptly spin the car if the wheelbase is too short. OEM cars are
heavy enough (and typically slow enough) where this is not a problem. Thus, conversions and OEM EVs with the
motor left in the original position are permitted to have a wheelbase shorter than 90-inches.
5 - Electrical
5.1 Batteries
Must be securely mounted and outside driver compartment.
Batteries must be isolated from the driver’s compartment. Battery packs physically inside the driver’s
compartment must be fully enclosed in a sealed box. Batteries that are fully enclosed by boxes are considered
outside the driver’s compartment and will be treated as such.
Batteries must be installed so as to withstand a force 4 times (vertical) and 8 times (horizontal) the weight of the
battery pack and each battery or battery pack must be secured with bolts and straps commensurate with the size
and weight of the battery.
Bolt size
Battery weight (lbs)
Bolt size
Battery weight (lbs)
#8
6
#8
15
#10
7.5
#10
19
1\4
14
1\4
35
5\16
23
5\16
57
3\8
34
3\8
83
7\16
46
7\16
114
1\2
61
1\2
152
9\16
78
9\16
195
5\8
96
5\8
243
The batteries must stay with the vehicle in a collision or roll-over. With the deforming of the support structure the
batteries must not be able to dislodge. The mounts and supports for each battery and each battery pack must be
strong enough to withstand 8 times the weight of the batteries in the horizontal plane (front direction, back
direction, and side directions) and must withstand 4 times the battery weight in the vertical axis (up and down
directions).
The rules are structured to give complete specifications for two common methods of mounting batteries and then
allow alternate methods by design submission and prior approval.
If competitors are mounting batteries on a flat plate, the required/allowable bolt size for the weight of the battery
and then the required/allowable strap size, as per the tables available from the governing body. If competitors are
mounting batteries in a box or rack, the required/allowable bolt sizes for the weight of the battery and then use the
required/allowable strap size, as per the tables available from ANDRA. If competitors have some other design that
isn’t a flat plate or a rack with the batteries held in with bolts, competitors must submit their design in advance to
the ANDRA for determination if it meets or exceeds the basic criteria.
This is to make it easier for competitors to make a battery hold down system that works and it makes it easy for
the tech inspector to determine if each hold down system meets the rules.
For example:
A 45 pound battery, mounted on a flat surface requires the minimum bolt sizes from the table (available on
request) that would: 7/16" Grade 1, 5/16" Grade 5, or 1/4" Grade 8. If I have a box of 1/4" Grade 8 bolts, so I'll
select them. Next, I look at the strap table. Table (available on request) states that I should use 0.084" steel or
0.139" aluminium. I have some 1/8" (0.125") steel on hand, so I'll pick that. From the same line on the table, the
cross section must be 0.120 square inches. I divide the cross section by the thickness to get the width of the strap.
Thus, the minimum width = 0.120 / 0.125 = 0.96".
On a flat surface, each battery must have a bolt on either side. Bolts can be shared with an adjacent battery.
Thus, you could mount three 45 pound batteries side-by-side with 1/4" grade 8 bolts between each battery with
one bolt at each end for a total of 4 bolts.
You can use several small bolts in place of one large bolt. In a box or rack, if the bolts are captive, you can use
washers in place of straps. In a box or rack, when using straps (or a cover plate) you must have end (edge) bolts,
but you need not have a bolt on each side of each battery. However, the bolts must be sized for the weight of the
batteries that each bolt is securing.
The battery may not be located above the top of the rear or drive tires in open wheeled cars or outside the
bodylines in bodied car, except OEM production line electric powered vehicles.
Batteries must be completely sealed from driver’s compartment.
Batteries must be separated from the driver by a barrier. The firewall of an ordinary car is considered sealed, even
though it has a quite few penetrations through it. Thus, there may be a few penetrations or small openings in your
battery box, much like a firewall.
All open bodied vehicles must use absorbed glass mat or starved electrolyte batteries for power source.
Absorbed glass mat (AGM) and starved electrolyte batteries are the high performance sealed type batteries are
recommended. There is no free liquid to splash out in the event of a collision or burst battery.
Traction motor and/or any high current wiring may not be located in driver’s compartment.
In the event of a short circuit, the traction wiring will sometimes light up like a fuse. It’s important to keep the
smoke and plasma away from the driver. If it is impractical to route the high-current wiring outside the driver’s
compartment (like in a dragster) it must be routed through a duct or conduit that will contain the smoke and plasma
that would result from a short circuit. Thus, it will be sealed from the driver’s compartment, just like the batteries.
Instrumentation wiring permitted.
Competitors can run a high-voltage wiring to your instruments inside the driver’s compartment. High current wiring
is not permitted. The amount of high voltage wiring inside the driver’s compartment should be kept to a minimum.
This will be decided by ANDRA.
All traction motor wiring must be isolated from the chassis.
All traction wiring, including all of the motor and battery wiring, must be isolated from the chassis of the car. This is
a very important safety practice. Unlike typical 12-volt car wiring, the high voltage wiring in an EV is completely
isolated from the chassis of the car. This practice greatly reduces the risk of a shock and greatly reduces the risk
of a fire.
When the traction wiring comes in electrical contact with the chassis, it is called a ground fault. It takes two
separate ground faults to produce a complete short circuit. If the car has no ground faults, a person may
inadvertently touch the high voltage wiring, yet not get a shock even though they are touching the car chassis as
well. It is important to check for ground faults on your EDV before every race.
5.2 Fusing of Batteries
All battery packs must have over current protection. Circuit breaker(s) or fuse(s) permitted. Such
protection devices must have a DC voltage rating equal or greater to the nominal pack voltage.
There must be a fuse or breaker associated with each distinctly separate battery pack in the EDV. The DC voltage
rating must be greater than or equal to the TOTAL nominal pack voltage. For example, if the vehicle has a 240volt drive system, it must have 240 VDC (or greater) rated protection devices. An AC voltage rating will NOT
suffice. Fuses and breakers may be paralleled.
A device designed for AC typically will not "clear" a DC voltage much over 28 VDC. The fuse blows, but a stout arc
remains to continue to carry current and start a fire.
Current rating must be lower than a short circuit current that pack can produce without damage.
ANDRA rules require that not only must the pack be protected from over-current, the main (safety) disconnect
must also be protected from over current damage. The same protection device (fuse or breaker) can serve both
functions. The continuous current rating of the protection device must less than or equal to the continuous current
rating of the main (safety) disconnect.
It is important to note that not only the continuous carry current of the fuse should be less than the rating of the
contactor, but the carry current curve of the fuse should lie completely below the carry current curve of the
contactor.
Battery sub-packs must be individually fused.
Often, all the batteries are not in the same location or battery box. If there are distinctly separate battery boxes
(packs) that are connected by cables, each separate pack must have a fuse (or breaker). The fuse (or breaker)
must be rated for the vehicle voltage, not just the separate pack voltage.
5.3 Recharging
Batteries may be recharged in the pits or other designated areas only.
Competitors may not charge your EVD in places other than where the track officials tell you it is permitted.
All vehicles must be connected to AC power supply (earth) ground when charging.
It is rare that you get access to a plug-in at the track. If you do, you must connect the frame of your EVD to the
ground wire of the supply. If you are charging from a generator, you should connect the frame of your EVD to the
ground wire of the generator.
All battery chargers must be equipped with an output fuse rated for 600 volts and a current capacity at
least 125% of the maximum charger DC output.
This rule is another from the EVTC. It's easy enough to comply with and in the US no one has complained. Due to
this there has been no need to alter the rule.
In addition to this "regulatory fuse" you should have a charger output fuse (or breaker) that is rated for at least the
maximum DC voltage output of the charger (if it is on the DC side of the rectifier.) This fuse must protect the
charger, the vehicle wiring, the charge connector, and the charger output conductors. Thus, the fuse current rating
is set by the weakest of these components. If the charger is rated at 20 amps, but the charging cord is rated at 15
amps, the fuse rating can be, at most, 15 amps.
It's wise to have more than one fuse (breaker) in the circuit. One fuse should be located in the charger, the other in
the vehicle, (where the charging wiring ties into the traction wiring.) The vehicle charging fuse should be sized to
protect the portion of the charger wiring that stays with the vehicle.
5.4 Ignition
All vehicles must have a visible indication of a 'live' car, except OEM.
One of the biggest, and most overlooked, hazards in electric drag racing is a driverless launch. When you "start"
an EV, it makes no noise. Thus, without some obvious visible warning, it appears to be "safe" even though it is
not. Just like an ICE vehicle at the track, you may not "start" an EV without a driver/person in the driver's seat, or
“in control”.
An externally activated switch or switch control must be installed on the outside of the vehicle and clearly
marked to indicate OFF position.
See "Master Switch" below. There must be some convenient way to operate the main disconnect from inside the
vehicle as well. It can be a separate switch, if desired.
A RED triangle must be clearly visible when the power system is turned on. This may be a light or a
mechanical indicator.
An easy way to comply with this rule is to put a red triangle on your key ring. It is prohibited to leave the keys in
the ignition when the driver is not in the car.
It's smart to put an indicator light on the dash that is powered by the controller input connections. If the main
(safety) contactor malfunctions, the light will show the problem. This may sound extreme, but a competitor’s life
may depend on the main contactor, so it is smart to have the indicator to double check proper operation.
Traction battery pack must be physically disconnected when the switch is in the off position.
There must be mechanical contacts that open up. A semiconductor 'switch' may be used to serve this purpose.
An electrically operated contactor can be used as well as a mechanically operated contactor. Some competitors
use a large connector for this purpose.
It's important to note that this main "safety" contactor may NOT routinely open or close under load. That is, it must
be separate from any contactor used to throttle the vehicle, or pre-charge the controller.
5.5 Master Cut-off
All vehicles, except OEM, must incorporate a master electrical disconnect switch that must disable all
electrical functions. The switch must disconnect traction motor battery pack section of circuit, and if
switch is push-pull design, push must be 'off' function.
This sounds like there are a lot of high-current disconnect switches involved, but there need not be. Often, there is
one main 'safety' contactor in the battery pack circuit that is operated from more than one location. Conversely,
you may opt for several separate large-current disconnects to fulfil the requirements.
ANDRA strongly recommend that the master disconnect switch be located on the rear of the car.
The simplest way for a daily driver EV to comply with this requirement is to mount a stout toggle switch on a sheet
metal plate, wire it in series with the main ('safety') contactor coil, and shut the trunk lid on the plate. (Toss it in the
trunk as you leave the track.)
Although there is no requirement in the rules, it is very smart to have a way to easily disconnect both the positive
and negative leads of the battery pack. Most folks use a big Andersen connector for this. When the plug is out, you
know that every high-voltage wire in the car is de-energized. This makes any work on the car much safer.
5.6 Wiring
All high-voltage wiring must be located and secured to prevent contact by driver and/or spectators. Any
wiring over 24 volts must be completely covered.
When the hood is closed, and the car is race-ready, there must be no way for anybody to touch a live, bare,
conductor or terminal on the traction circuit (over 24 volts.) Competitors are permitted to have exposed highvoltage under the hood or under service covers. The Competitor, or one crew, must be present when there is
exposed high voltage at all times. This is to safeguard against curious spectators from injuring themselves. The
ordinary spectator doesn’t comprehend that "car wiring" can be deadly.
6 Electric Powered Motorcycle Designation (7.50 (*4.50) seconds & slower)
Requirements and specifications for electric powered motorcycles are the as Modified Bike and
incorporated all Electric Powered Vehicles regulations with the following exceptions.
6.1 Motor
Electric motor(s) only permitted.
6.2 Batteries
Wet, (free liquid) batteries prohibited.
Competitors are not permitted to use flooded batteries on an Electric Motorcycle. If the battery has any liquid
inside, including gel, it is not permitted.
6.3 Master Cut-off
All electric motorcycles must be equipped with a switch, attached to the rider with a lanyard, capable of
shutting off all power to electric traction motor.
This is similar to the "master cut-off" required in all bike classes, but must shut down the main contactor (or breaks
the traction battery circuit) when a rider comes off the bike. The main ("safety") disconnect must be physical
contacts.
On a motorcycle, the driver must be able to actuate the master cut-off with both hands on the handlebars and both
feet on the pegs.
Glossary
APU - Auxiliary power unit. This is a fuelled electric generator used to power an EV on long trips.
C.G. - Centre of gravity. The balance point of a vehicle.
Conversion - An electric vehicle that was not mass-produced. That is, an EV that you built yourself.
EPV - Electric Powered Vehicle. A vehicle powered by electricity.
Ground Fault - An electrical connection from the traction wiring to the chassis of the vehicle. This is a dangerous
condition.
ICE - Internal combustion engine. Typical gasoline engine found in most cars.