Design and construction of a modular 155V 40Ah lithium polymer tractive battery pack

Engineering students at James Madison University are creating an all-electric motorcycle as part of a two-year capstone design project. The final product will be an educational system that promotes access to various systems including the electric powertrain. Electric powertrains typically consist of a tractive battery pack, battery management system (BMS), motor controller, and motor. The contents of this report focuses on the development of the tractive battery pack subsystem, including physical layout and the integration of the BMS. To support maintenance, it is desirable that individual cells can be replaced without disassembly of the entire pack. The decision was made to create low voltage modules that can be removed from the battery without the need to take the entire battery apart. Initial results include a form prototype that was analyzed for fitment of cells and BMS connections. The final design incorporates modifications informed by prototype analysis of earlier designs. The construction of one module has been completed, work continues on the remaining six modules. Upon completion of all module assemblies, the modules will be assembled into a pack for BMS integration and cycle testing.