Product category:
Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: Curtis Instruments (UK) | Subject: 1231C-8601
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 07 December 2005
Controllers power to water speed record
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
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 18 Sep 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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AC motor controllers aimed at latest EV designs
The first of a new family of AC induction motor controllers from Curtis are Models 1236 and 1238, developed as a system solution for vehicle design and covering a voltage rating of 24-80V
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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