FSAE Rule Clarification - EV 5.1

[Sud600]

Hi Friends,

I am Sudharshan from India working for Team Ojas in VIT University, Vellore.

Hope you guys are doing well.

Let me quote the Rule from the rule book that I am confused with :
"EV5.1.2 - The shutdown circuit consists of at least 2 master switches, 3 shut-down buttons, the brake-over- travel-switch, the insulation monitoring device (IMD), the inertia switch, the brake system plausibility device, all required interlocks and the accumulator management system (AMS)."

We planned on using a relay to trigger the switch of Brake - over - travel - switch(BOTS) , IMD, Brake system Plausibility Device(BSPD) and Battery Management system(BMS)(BMS1, BMS2 and BMS 3 for three types of Battery faults)( Let me refer to them as Shut down circuit elements). I believe having one separate relays for each and every Shut-down circuit element is valid as the rule will be satisfied without doubt.

Now my team went one step forward and were able to design the same but with only one relay for all the Shut down Circuit elements together. By this design we are able to shutdown the circuit as well as find which element of the shut down circuit has the fault. Now the confusion arises because the rule says that the shut down circuit must have at least one switch for all of them, as the shut down circuit diagram in the rule book also suggests. So my question is can I use only one relay for all the above mentioned shut down circuit elements. I am able to detect the specific fault.

Please help me

Thank you

[mech5496]

Sudharshan,

First of all welcome to the forums. However I should tell you that the most appropriate way to get an answer to your question (and that answer actually matters) is e-mailing the rules committee of the competition(s) you plan to attend.

[JulianH]

Harry is right.
I'd suggest to answer the German Rules committee, they normally answer very fast and good!

[Sud600]

OK. Thanks. I will do that.

[jd74914]

It would probably be helpful to the Rules Commitee if you send them a drawing of the circuit diagram. I think it will make more sense than only text.

Welcome to the forum!