Revision D High-Voltage Enclosure

The goal of this project was to isolate all High-Voltage (>48V) components on the Unloading Robot into an enclosure that is water-resistant. The enclosure only needed to survive moisture build-up and short rain exposure (such as the small uncovered gap present at loading docks).

This was accomplished via a powdercoated 5052-H32 enclosure that was grounded and mounted to the chassis of the robot. This enclosure had 3 480V inlet ports, 4 120V outlet ports, and a water-resistant cable pass through to power various robot peripherals.

The enclosure itself was designed with various mounting plates within (all grounded to the main enclosure) to rapidly mount/dismount components as needed. It also had a handle which connected to the main breaker, thereby acting as an easily accesible E-Stop.

The required airflow can be calculated using the standard HVAC sensible heat equation: $$CFM = \frac{\text{Sensible Heat (BTU/h)}}{1.08 \times \Delta T}$$ Where we can derive the Sensible Heat from efficiencies listed in the datasheet for each component enclosed. This drove fan sizing, with a \(\Delta T = 10 ^\circ \text{C}\) being deemed reasonable.