11/25/25 - 02/22/26: Electrical Integration / Accumulator Segments / SES / The Horizon
Anton Walvoord
Electrical Integration
Hello again from Northwestern Formula Racing! In the time since the last newsletter we've had some major progress that I'm excited to share.
First of all, we have managed to hit both our first and second electrical integration deadlines this year. The first of which was reserved for assembling and testing all of our drive-critical boards to make sure they are functional and able to communicate with one another, abiding by the rules. This includes our VCU, BMS main and daughterboards, high voltage safety boards like our packboard and discharge board, as well as our custom inverter. These boards were able to complete the startup sequence and spin a motor as of February 8th!
BMS Daughterboard
Just one week later we were able to add our data acquisition boards to the mix as well. These include our dashboard, corner and wheel temp boards, IMU, and telemetry board. With the addition of these PCBs, we're now able to collect and store insightful data about our vehicle dynamics which will help us learn and grow as a team to further validate design decisions in the future. We were able to test and confirm that all of these boards are able to communicate with one another and collect data while spinning our motor.
All currently assembled boards
Our final step for electrical integration will be the addition of the Accumulator, which leads me to my next section...
Accumulator Segments Packed
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, we've had some trouble sourcing our battery cells for our Accumulator. A Molicel factory fire had created major delays for all major battery suppliers as well as for our sponsorship through Tesla.
I'm very happy to say that we finally were able to receive the cells this past Monday. Within just 55 hours, our team was able to shuck all individual batteries, apply thermistors, fill cell-holders, solder thermistor lines, and assemble 6 Accumulator segments with a total of 414 cells. This was only possible with the help of many dedicated members willing to put in long hours several days in a row.
Assembled Accumulator Segments
These segments are now fully packed and ready to be shipped ASAP to Hesse Mechatronics for bonding. Once they return to us after bonding, we'll be able to integrate them with the rest of our electrical integration and begin spinning motors just like they will be when on the car.
SES Submitted (and Resubmitted)
We submitted SES for the first time on January 11th, and waited several weeks to hear a response. On February 6th we heard back, and while we were rejected, there were very very few changes that needed to be made. Within only 14 hours, we made the required modifications and resubmitted. On February 17th we heard back again with one new point that hadn't been included in the first inspection. Only 3 hours later we corrected this mistake and are now pending hearing back.
We've been able to have such quick turnaround times because of the attention to detail and promptness of our mechanical leadership. We had so few corrections to make because of their hard work on the first submission, and we made the corrections extremely quickly due to their timeliness.
In the past, prompt SES completion times have impacted technical inspection ordering at competition, which can make the difference between getting inspected or not before tech closes for the day. This is why I'm so happy to say how dedicated our team has been to getting SES behind us.
On the Horizon
We have a few more exciting deadlines coming up that I'll cover in future newsletters, but the largest upcoming milestone is Rolling Chassis.
We intend and expect to have a rolling chassis with our frame, suspension, and drivetrain assembled this coming Saturday. There are a few remaining tasks to complete this week, but we are confident in our progress and excited to finally see the car truly coming together.
We're also beginning to assemble our high voltage enclosures, like the Accumulator and HV Box. The Accumulator in particular will be ready to house our segments when they return from Hesse in a few weeks.
With <3 from NFR