July 2021 - Vol VI
Green LETTER
table of contents 1 2 3 5 6 7 9
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News
GP21 is on its Way!
team leader’s remarks Vítor Teixeira
Siemens Innovation The New Controller
sponsors Copitec; JLCPCB
#Teammates
João Barros; Paulo Silva; Frederico Martins
Photo of the month Photoshoot
Greenpower Track List Silverstone
News In this month, we continue building GP21 from where we left off! During this process, it is essential to transmit knowledge to the younger members of the team who, due to confinements and exams, are yet to use the CNC machine, the mill, the lathe and make composite parts. Even practicing the assembly and maintenance of our cars has been difficult, due to the prioritization of other tasks alongside personnel limitations at the workshop (Covid Restrictions). We also highlight the preparation and tests carried out during the month for GP19 to ensure a good performance in the competition in Navarre, in which we will participate in October.
Team Leader’s Remarks
“after a long and intensive finals season, we’re back to the workshop
in full force”
Vítor Teixeira In the next month we’ll be focusing on mentoring the newest members of the team who, unfortunately, haven’t had many opportunities to work on the cars and dominate the most practical part of the project. This was also a very intensive month for the Electronics Dept., given all the tests they performed on the newly revolutionized electronic and electromechanical systems of GP19, that serves as a test bench for the new ECU of GP21. More specifically, the new Power Delivery and Management System, and the Data Acquisition, Analysis and Feedback System have been progressively improved throughout the course of this season and are becoming exponentially more efficient than any other system we implemented in the past. In terms of 3D-Printing, we’re also letting the new members experiment with the process, as the older members develop our own 3D-Printer of 420x420x500mm3! Why so big? Because we can! And we can manufacture 3D-printed moulds, therefore having another alternative to CNC-Machining.
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Siemens Innov the New controller
PSEM’s next vehicle will have a new controller developed entirely by our Electronics Department. More efficient and functional than the one used so far, this component has revolutionary features, which will allow GP21 to achieve great results. For this, we are relying on a microprocessor (ATmega328) to carry out the voltage control’s logic, which allows us to program the PWM output signal with great ease and fine-tune parameters such as the signal frequency.
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Furthermore, as the connection of the potentiometer that controls the speed will go through the microprocessor first (and not directly through the MOSFETs), there’s the possibility of doing some pre-processing of the signal, which is
vation
very convenient considering the behaviour of the motor’s start. As the current required by the motor increases sharply with voltage variations, starting the car at the beginning of the race involves a high consumption of the batteries’ energy. Thus, it was up to the pilot to do a very gradual dosing of the acceleration, which will now become a task performed by the microprocessor. We were also able to solve an optimization problem that gives us the input to provide to the controller, thus maximizing the distance covered over the course of an hour, with the start-up being the crucial moment of this optimization. Currently, we are testing the second version of this new controller, carrying out extensive high-power tests.
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Sponsors
Copitec is a stationery and print center specialized in printing, binding and stamping services adapted to the different needs of its customers. It is situated in Alameda, near Instituto Superior Técnico. PSEM started to count with Copitec’s unconditional support at the beggining of the present season, for the printing of various advertising materials, such as newsletters and posters. We appreciate its cooperation and interest in collaborating with our project.
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JLCPCB was founded in 2006 and has been at the forefront of the PCB industry, specializing in the rapid production of high-reliability and cost-effective PCBs. It stands out for supporting several student groups around the world and PSEM is no exception. The company is responsible for supplying PCBs for GP21, that is, printed circuit boards where electrical components are soldered, thus ensuring the proper functioning of the prototype’s electronics.
Jõao Barros
I am from Casal de Cambra, I am 20 years old and I have now completed my 3rd year at LEGI. In my spare time I enjoy reading and watching TV shows. I have been a part of the Communication and Marketing Department since 19/20 and have had as main tasks managing social media and contacting possible sponsors. During my path I acquired skills in teamwork, time management and also learned how to work with some image editing software. In the future, I hope that the team has the chance to compete again and that I can follow GP21’s construction.
Frederico Martins
I am 20 years old and studying Mechanical Engineering. In my free time, I practice Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I joined the Mechanical Design Department in the 2019/20 season and I am currently working on the development of new shafts and rear hubs. The main skills I acquired were the ability to quickly develop more efficient components and perform FEM simulations in programs such as SolidEdge and NX. In the future, I hope to work on the development of innovative technologies and win with GP21.
Paulo Silva
#teammates
I am 21 years old, and I study Mechanical Engineering. I really enjoy playing bass and cycling. I joined the Mechanical Design Department in the 19/20 season and I am currently developing GP21’s shafts and hubs. The greatest skills I acquired were CAD and being able to do structural analysis and optimization. I’m thrilled to be starting GP21’s construction and I hope it reflects all the hard work and dedication put into it in the races.
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Photo of the m
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month
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Greenpower Track
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Silverstone Circuit, located in Northamptonshire, England, is one of the most famous tracks in the world since it is stage for the F1 and MotoGP British Grand Prix. Like many english tracks, Silverstone is also a former RAF airbase, having only been transformed
k List: silVerstone
into a racetrack in 1948. It has a length of 5,9km and, in addition to being one of motorsport’s headquarters in the world, it hosts one Greenpower Challenge’s stage every year.
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Thank you for your support! 11
Follow PSEM’s Adventures on:
@psem.ist
@psem_portugal
company/psem
@Psem_Portugal
psemportugal@gmail.com (+351) 218 419 561 Vítor Teixeira
Bruno Vitorino
Team Leader (+351) 913 548 111
Technical Director (+351) 935 820 953
Leonor Barata
Leader of the Comms & Marketing Dept. (+351) 968 275 408
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