Tech Directions - April 2008 - (Page 11)

It is powered by a rechargeable 1,000-pound, 53 kilowatt hour (kWh) lithium ion battery pack that sits behind the Roadster’s seats. This battery pack is the purple object in Photo 2. Tesla Motors is building its own battery pack which includes 6,000 individual lithium cobalt cells. To prevent thermal runaway (resulting in the battery catching on fire), each cell is separated from its surrounding cells by a pocket of air, and each cell is liquid cooled by a fully integrated tubular cooling system. The battery pack is expected to last 100,000 miles, and it will carry a four-year, 50,000-mile manufacturer’s guarantee. To determine safety concerns if the battery pack should be damaged in a collision, Tesla Motors rearended its Roadster at 50 miles an hour. This crash totally destroyed the vehicle and battery pack without causing any type of fire. The power electronics module (green in Photo 2) is the inverter that transfers the energy from the battery to the 248 hp ac induction motor that powers the wheels. The first-generation motor can provide 211 pounds of torque to the wheels. The Roadster can be fully recharged in 3-1/2 hours when plugged into a 70 A, 240 V electrical outlet. It can also be charged using any available 110 V outlet using its own fancy 110 V-rated extension cord. The Tesla Roadster is selling for $98,000, which sounds very high until you realize that the car’s fuel bill will run you 2¢ per mile. The other plus pointed out at a February 20, 2008, conference in New York City is that as new efficient batteries are developed, the cost of power for the Tesla Roadster will go down at the same time that the cost of gasoline continues to rise. Jump start your planning for next year! On-Demand Classroom Projects Year-End Sale 152 Projects + 19 FREE! Save over $100! Order our Super Saver Collection CD for only $495 and get Supplement CD 1 Recalling the Facts 1. How is fueling a car similar to filling or replacing ink tanks on an inkjet printer? 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the all-electric Tesla Roadster over a Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid? Visit www.techdirections.com/ projectCD.html for more details and to order online Or call 1-800-530-9673 Offer expires August 29, 2008 Due to the nature of the media, CDs are non-refundable. FREE! www.techdirections.com TECHNOLOGY TODAY 11 http://www.industrialpress.com/en/help/tabid/97/default.aspx http://www.industrialpress.com http://www.industrialpress.com http://www.industrialpress.com http://www.techdirections.com/projectCD.html http://www.techdirections.com/projectCD.html http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - April 2008

Tech Directions - April 2008 Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology's Past Technology Today Mastering Computers A Bridge to the Future Aeronautics Study Takes Off! Glider Design for Beginners Project Engineer in the Heavy Construction Industry for Renewable Energy Annual Buyers' Guide More than Fun

Tech Directions - April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.