Electrical Infrastructure
The deck houses Mini-Minion's power distribution, computer, communications, and control interfaces. We designed it to be large, durable, waterproof and well-ventilated.
The deck houses Mini-Minion's power distribution, computer, communications, and control interfaces. We designed it to be large, durable, waterproof and well-ventilated.
The team inherited the LiDAR, camera, batteries, ubiquiti, computer, water pump and ball launcher from previous competitions. Recent sponsorships assisted with obtaining our JAVAD GNSS, Blue Robotics T200 thrusters, RC receivers, and servos. Our biggest challenge to implement these was providing correct voltages and estimating runtime.
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We conducted a detailed power analysis based on desired activity during competition. With two batteries in parallel (12 Amp-Hours each) Mini-Minion has an estimated 66-minutes of runtime: More than enough for a competition run.
The size of each component and space for wiring drove the dimensioning for the enclosure. The components were arranged based on heat dissipation, wiring ease and center-of-mass. The result: a large 24" x 24" x 5.5" box to safely house all electronics.
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Components either generate heat, are sensitive to it, or have some combination of both. To keep the enclosure at safe temperatures, four fans are strategically placed to prioritize ventilation to the voltage regulators, the computing system, and the batteries.
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Mini-Minion's two batteries use diodes to eliminate dangerous current backflow when the batteries have different voltages. Because the boat only needs one battery to keep its computers on, this allows us to "hot swap" discharged batteries for fresh ones without ever having to shut down Mini-Minion's computers.
The walls are constructed from aluminum honeycomb panels sandwiched in fiberglass epoxy. The panels are lightweight, at less than 0.5 lbs/sqft
The honeycomb panels are assembled with epoxy and carbon fiber, which adds additional strength and rigidity to the deck.
The deck's three waterproof connector panels support all power and signal lines, each with IP67 quick-release connectors. The panels are removable for adaptability to future design changes.
Three sets of clamps connect the deck to the pontoon mounting system.
Made from aluminum honeycomb, the large lid gives direct access to all internal components. A rubber U-channel perimeter seals the enclosure from water.
Latches compress the collapsable rubber U-channel, keeping a tight seal around the lid's perimeter.