Charging the Tesla Model S Car

The Reason for Creation Given the increasing rate of Carbon Monoxide emissions, there existed a need for a new type of vehicle which would not endure the malevolencies of incomplete combustion: the Tesla. This futuristic automobile works in ways very different to an ordinary automobile. Take, for example, the Tesla Model S, Teslas latest all-electric sedan; its intrigue lies within the details of how the car actually functions, powered solely by electricity. Methods for Charging the Tesla There are three methods in which an operator can charge the vehicle: 1. High Power Wall Charger used at a home recharging station 2. Supercharging Station located on major freeways in the United States and some parts of Canada 3. Solar panels installed at home All three means provide power, yet focusing specifically on how the car receives its energy to operate, one must look into the design of its system. When and How to Charge Once the notification light appears on the dashboard of the vehicle, the operator knows it is time to recharge the battery. As opposed to an internal combustion engine which utilizes a carbon dioxide and gasoline reaction to power the system, a Tesla gets its power from lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are the same batteries responsible for the charge in your everyday laptop battery. If charging at home, the operator begins by locating an outlet to plug a 10 kW mobile connector, which is activated through a touchscreen device or smartphone. One end of the mobile connector plugs into the charge port and the other end plugs into an outlet. Teslas High Power Wall Connector is installed on a 240 volt circuit and can be supplied with up to twice the amperage as an outlet. At maximum amperage, it supplies two-times more power than the single charger can process. Because of this factor, one must use some sort of converter or power transmitter. This is where twin chargers come into play, doubling the charging capacity to 20 kW to match the output of the High Power Wall Connector. The twin chargers will prevent the user from blowing a fuse. Now that the power transmitter is connected, it would be time to charge the battery. Tesla uses lithiumion battery cells because they dramatically decrease the weight of the battery pack and improve acceleration, handling, and range. However, one may wonder how this lithium-ion battery differs from lithium-ion batteries used in other devices. Tesla vehicles contain 6,831 lithium-ion cells arranged into 11 "sheets" connected in series; each sheet contains 9 "bricks" connected in series and each "brick" contains 69 cells connected in parallel. The cells are of the 18650 form-factor which is again commonly found in a laptop battery. The 18650 form-factor gets its name from its measurement designation: 18mm in diameter by 65mm length.

The pack is designed to prevent catastrophic cell failures from propagating to adjacent cells even when the cooling system is off. Coolant is pumped continuously through the system both when the car is running and when the car is turned off to mediate the batterys temperature. The small cell size makes the cell essentially isothermal, and its large surface area allows it to shed heat to the ambient environment which effectively transfers heat away from the cell. Tesla's ingenious battery pack architecture enables world-class acceleration, safety, range, and reliability. A full recharge of the battery system requires 3.5 hours using the High Power Wall Charger. In practice, recharge cycles usually start from a partially charged state and thus require less time.
A Green Future The Tesla Model S is considered totally emission-free. Nowadays, renewable energy is a hot commodity considering the now known environmental impact of gas engines. If more drivers were aware of Teslas technology, perhaps more would find it a good purchase. Not only is the energy renewable, but the components of the vehicle, such as its battery pack, can all be reused. The components recovered in the recycling process can be very valuable which creates a financial incentive for recycling. Both the technology of the Tesla and its sleek look make it an investment worth-while. References http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster/technology/battery

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tesla-model-s3.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Roadster#Battery_system