Controllers power to water speed record
A
Curtis Instruments product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 7, 2005
In the summer of 2005, Curtis Instruments UK received a telephone call from Thames Electric Launch requesting a technical solution to provide power for a world speed record.
On 1st November 2005, 24-year-old Helen Loney piloted An Stradag, Henry Engelens' 4.6m electrically powered hydroplane to a new world unlimited electric water speed record average of 109.58km/h.
In the summer of 2005, Curtis Instruments UK received a telephone call from Thames Electric Launch requesting a technical solution to provide power to the four high power Lynch motors that would drive An Stradag to victory later in the year.
Maximum voltage, maximum current and the highest efficiency was the overriding specification.
As only a single quadrant drive was required, no regeneration and no reverse, the model 1231C high power controller was selected.
Four controllers would be required to provide the desired 100kW of continuous power needed to break the speed record.
The 1231C-8601 was pushed to the design limits running at 148V with peak currents of 500A, however due to the excellent thermal characteristics of the power stage heat generation was minimal.
Besides driving the motors, Curtis also prepared a custom throttle pedal deriving its supply from the 150V DC battery and supplying a regulated 0-5V input to the controllers.
The whole project was managed in accordance the Curtis ISO9002 procedure and ran smoothly from start to finish - as did An Stradag on her world record run.
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