LV Battery & Enclosure
Designed a lightweight 3D printed enclosure for UWFE's 15Ah LV battery.
CAD
DFM
Hand Calculations
What?
Previous 46Ah battery and enclosure were oversized after adding a DC/DC converter, making a smaller cell viable
New enclosure needed to meet UL94-V0 flame requirements, secure the battery under dynamic loads, and remain quickly serviceable during competition
How?
Performed worst-case power draw calculations to select a 15Ah LiPo from 20+ candidates
Evaluated PLA, PETG, ABS, and PC-FR for printability, strength, and flame resistance, selecting PC-FR for UL94-V0 compliance
Designed enclosure with serviceability access for direct battery extraction
Calculated foam compression to secure the 1 kg battery under acceleration and cornering loads
Validated clearances across four 3D printed prototypes
Results?
Achieved 43% mass and 30% volume reduction over the previous aluminum design, improving rear vehicle packaging
Reduced battery swap time through dedicated serviceability features
Installed on the competition car meeting FSAE structural and flame retardancy compliance
