Design and Development of an Electric Motor Inverter/Controller for a Formula SAE Electric Race Car

Baker, Samuel (2023) Design and Development of an Electric Motor Inverter/Controller for a Formula SAE Electric Race Car. [USQ Project]

Text (Project - redacted) Baker_S_Ahfock_Redacted.pdf Download (11MB)

Abstract

Formula SAE (FSAE) is a student-led engineering challenge focussing on designing, engineering and building a formula-style, open-wheeled race car. The developed vehicles are assessed for compliance against the stringent rules and standards set by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Compliant vehicles are then competitively evaluated against competing teams from local and international universities. The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) has recently formed the USQ Racing team to compete in the Electrical Vehicle (EV) category, requiring the scratch build of a functional vehicle. This is a significant engineering challenge involving a large team of multidisciplinary students who must coordinate the development of several integrated subsystems to produce a functional, compliant vehicle.

The motivation behind this project is to support the USQ Racing team by developing the powertrain, a key subsystem on the EV. Specifically, this project aims i) to develop and perform the acceptance tests for the previously acquired 55kW 228 EMRAX motor, as well as ii) design and develop a low-cost and customisable electric motor controller and simulation platform for an FSAE application.

A series of tests were performed in the UniSQ Energy Systems Lab to verify the integratory of the motor windings, substantiate the mechanical functionality and confirm the operability of the rotor position sensor. Tests identified the resolver to be faulty. Following rectification, the motor was deemed to be serviceable.

A review was undertaken to inform the selection of components for developing a custom motor controller for an FSAE application and capable of commutating the EMRAX 228 motor. Thermal analysis and modelling were performed to validate the proposed cooling system. Field Oriented Control (FOC) algorithms for motor commutation were adapted from the MathWorks’ Simulink environment, compiled and deployed on an STM32 microcontroller. A PCB incorporating power transistors and current feedback was designed and fabricated as a prototype motor controller. Commutation of the EMRAX 228 was successfully demonstrated with this motor controller. The Simulink and microcontroller framework and the developed prototype have produced a sound basis for the ongoing development and optimisation of the FSAE vehicle powertrain and other subsystems.

Future work identified includes i) performance testing of the EMRAX 228 motor under load conditions, ii) improvement of current feedback and rotor position sensing to the motor controller, iii) IGBT thermal monitoring and management, and iv) broader systems integration of the controller and motor in the vehicle.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	USQ Project
Item Status:	Live Archive
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Engineering (1 Jan 2022 -)
Supervisors:	Ahfock, Tony
Qualification:	Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Power)
Date Deposited:	22 Sep 2025 04:38
Last Modified:	22 Sep 2025 04:39
URI:	https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52924

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