ABB Motors/Drives Used to Attempt Electric Land Speed Record

Aug 5, 2003 12:00 PM, Edited by PETech Staff

8/5/2003

Edited by PETech Staff

ABB Motors/Drives Used to Attempt Electric Land Speed Record

ABB drives and motors, used to power loads in virtually all industry applications around the world, are providing the power conversion needed for the main drive system in a new challenge to the world electric land speed record. ABB's new ACS800 ac drive converts the 600Vdc output from four packs of lead-acid batteries in e=motion, a new electric car designed in Britain, for the two 50 hp (40kW) IP23 through-ventilated ac motors that power the car. ABB's system will enable e=motion to travel at over 300 mph, well in excess of the top speed of a Formula One car.

Powered by the dc batteries and controlled by the ACS800 ac drives that feature the company's exclusive Direct Torque Control (DTC) motor control algorithm, the two motors already have propelled the e=motion car to 146 mph during testing. This unofficially broke the 139 mph U.K.-record for the fastest speed traveled by an electric vehicle. The car will be moved to Tunisia in September and the vehicle's designers, Mark Newby and Colin Fallows, will attempt to set the new world electric land speed record. A U.S. team holds the current world record of 247 mph.