Power Maxed Racing Team Truck is transformed into off-grid data center and workshop thanks to Mastervolt system
The UK based Power Maxed Racing-team has the goal of winning the British Touring Car Championships – the UK’s premier motorsport series. The team runs two cars in the championships, and they need to ensure that the drivers have a perfect car on every start line, which means lots of work before, during and after each race. Their dedicated race truck provides most of this support during events. Onboard the truck, power is a big concern as the truck acts as the team’s office, communication and data centre and workshop at events.
Mastervolt, as part of Power Products Mobile Solutions, has worked with the team to develop and install a complete power solution for the Race Truck. This gives the team full autonomy and the ability to run Race Truck support completely ‘off-grid’.
The system & requirements
The simple brief from Power Maxed Racing was that the truck needs to have the power to run itself independently for more than 48 hours, so that no matter the situation, the team would never have to worry about loss of power to vital communication or workshop equipment. Furthermore, the team did not want to have to run the truck’s diesel engine to provide power, in order to reduce carbon emissions.
Power Products Mobile Solutions designed a system revolving around large Lithium Ion batteries to provide the majority of power for the Race Truck. The Mass Combi is a combined charger and inverter that supplies the required on-board AC power whilst also offering efficient battery charging when the vehicle is connected to land power (through the Marinco inlet and cordset). The whole system is linked together on the MasterBus communication platform, so all information is relayed back to a simple, intuitive colour touchscreen control panel for easy monitoring.
Comment from Si McNally, Marketing Manager at Power Maxed Racing
“The impact of COVID-19 means that in the future we are anticipating on not returning to our main base between certain rounds. And with the truck now able to operate as a remote entity for days at a time, it puts us at a massive advantage compared to the other teams. Having a truck that allows us to work ‘off the grid’ will be of immeasurable benefit to us as a race team. Our race truck acts as an office, workshop and meeting room when we’re off site, and the ability to now work entirely remotely comes with huge additional benefits.”
Benefits of the race truck
- Zero emissions when running tools from the truck.
- The Lithium ion batteries provide long lasting power for the truck, and relieve the pressure on the truck engine starter battery which provides a huge amount of starting amperage but is not designed for prolonged periods of use.
- The ability to work independently when no power sources are available gives PMR an enormous logistical advantage over other teams, meaning we can work absolutely anywhere, not just in very limited locations.
System components
Power Products Mobile Solutions utilised a range of products and components across the product portfolio, including Mastervolt, Ancor, Marinco, Blue Sea Systems and BEP. The installation brought together robust and industry proven products such as inverter/chargers, batteries, monitoring panels, cabling and distribution systems to power the truck, all onboard tools and communication devices.
- 3 x MLI Ultra 24/5500: A large Lithium-iron phosphate battery that lasts, and that offers a superior Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS ensures optimal use of each individual cell, even during fast charge and discharge, and has integrated battery monitoring to always have the best information on the state of your battery.
- 2 x Mass Combi Pro 24/3500-100: A powerful 3 step+ battery charger that guarantees maximum battery life and can simultaneously charge two battery banks, combined with an inverter with high peak power.
- 1 x EasyView 5: Controlling and monitoring a Mastervolt system is easy with this colour touchscreen and multi-language menu. Its handy functionality and compact size makes the EasyView ideal for vehicles.
- 2 x Mac Plus 24/24-30: The Mac Plus DC-DC charger monitors the service battery and compensates the voltage loss.
- Ancor wiring and cabling: Long lasting and the most rugged available. They are constructed with premium vinyl insulation that is rated at 600 volts, stays flexible even in extreme cold and resists water, battery acid, oil, gasoline, heat, abrasion and ultra-violet radiation. The ultra- flexible (Type 3) tinned copper stranding provides maximum protection against corrosion and electrolysis, while resisting fatigue due to vibration and flexing.
- Pro Installer Fuse Holder with Class T fuse: Providing high-capacity fusing. These fuse holders are ideal for protecting the demanding mobile power electronics technology including inverters and battery chargers. They also protect wiring from short circuits.
- Marinco stainless steel 32 A Inlet: Solid cast stainless steel, include a heavy duty cap strap for strength and durability.
System drawing
