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Team Interview: Ralph Brantjes
Hi, I’m Ralph. I’m the current external relations and finance of Electric Superbike Twente. My job is to get into contact and maintain contact with partners. Next to that, I’m also in charge of the finances. This means I make sure that the invoices are paid and that the budget correct. I am doing a gap year from my Masters electrical engineering with the robotics and mechatronics specialization.
What is your opinion on electric racing?
I think electric racing is great. It enables faster acceleration and it is just as exciting as other types of racing except that it is more sustainable. The only downside is the different engine noise. However, this means that electrical vehicles comply to sound regulations meaning that races can be held year round without disturbing the environment. Electric racing also means being at the forefront of new technical developments that will trickle down to normal vehicles in the future.
Name a partner you personally value a lot.
One of the partners I value a lot is Ten Kate Racing Products. That is because they are one of our first partners and they have helped us a lot throughout the years. Without them it would have been a lot harder to be able to get all the parts for a fully fledged motorbike.
What is the most fun thing to do as the External Relations of EST?
For me, it is visiting the broad spectrum of different companies. It is really fun to see the different environments and atmospheres of all our partners.
What is the funniest encounter while being part of EST?
I don’t really have a specific encounter that was funny but within the team the atmosphere is great. Besides working hard we also have a lots of fun and many inside jokes and funny moments. I would say that the whole team is what really makes me happy.
What is a company you would like to become partners with? And Why?
Red Bull would be a company I would really like as our partner. The reason behind this is because I am a big Formula 1 fan and so having a company that is a competitor in the highest racing class would be great. Next to that, they have a certain daring and extreme sports image to them which would fit the fastest electrical superbike very well.
Technical Tuesday: VSIL
Safety is a very important thing to consider when racing with an electric motorcycle. For this reason, we strictly follow the safety regulations set by the Electric Road Racing Association. One of these requirements is the implementation of a vehicle safety indicator light or VSIL in short. The goal of the VSIL is to clearly show everyone if the motorcycle is safe to handle. This is mostly used for the safety regarding the high voltage wires. If there is high voltage present in places where it shouldn’t be, the VSIL will brightly shine red, showing that the bike should not be touched. Let’s say that our rider crashes and somehow high voltage is present on the frame of the bike. The VSIL will turn red and alert the safety marshals (and everyone else) not to touch the bike. If this would not be indicated, the marshals might touch the bike and get shocked, causing even more damage besides the crash.
Apart from that the VSIL also indicates when high voltage is turned on, when the bike is charging and if the battery pack is doing okay. This is all vital information to know when working on the bike, the implementation of the VSIL clearly shows this information to everyone.
Another vital aspect of the VSIL is that it stays powered even after all the bike’s battery systems shut off. This is because, in the case of a crash, it is very possible that wires get broken, which would in turn shut off the VSIL system, defeating its purpose. For that reason, the VSIL system has its own battery, in this way, the light will always stay on for at least 15 minutes. In this way, the VSIL is its own mini system that connects to the other parts of the bike when needed, but is able to function on its own.
While there are of course electrical requirements for the VSIL, there are also mechanical requirements. The VSIL needs to be able to survive a crash, without being damaged. For this reason, this is as much a powertrain component, as it is a chassis team component. The chassis team worked on designing a crash resistant enclosure which will perfectly fit the necessary components of the system, while the electrical parts were being designed by the powertrain team. This close collaboration between sub-teams can be seen in a lot of the bike’s parts, but the VSIL is a nice example of this.
– Robin Venhuizen