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Supercharger - Auburn MA (non-canonical thread)
- Thread starter cfava
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- New England USA
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Nice! Looks like a little recent rain with the water filled trench. Good to see the Utility Transformer pad in place; the installation of the transformer often delays openings. Did you see where the Equipment enclosure will go. Conduits will connect the Equipment Enclosure to the Utility Transformer and the Equipment Enclosure to each of the Charging Pedestals.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
Well, I'm not familiar with this equipment, but I'll guess both are going on the same pad. There are two openings on the pad, one has five conduits, closer to the chargers, and the other has four conduits. I'll get a close up for you if you like. I couldn't see where the conduits come out into the trench anywhere. It was rain filled. In any case, you'll see pics of the equipment as it goes in. Stay tuned.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
That pad is only big enough for the Utility Transformer. The Equipment Enclosure for the Supercharger Cabinets (Auburn will need 4) and the Distribution Center need a much bigger pad.
Here is an annotated picture of the 4 Stall setup under construction in Blanding, UT for reference.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
There's only that one pad. If there was going to be a second one, I would think they would have poured it at the same time. If they do pour another one, I'll let you know. Maybe they might enlarge it, pouring over the graveled edges? Maybe they have a newer, more compact design? We'll soon find out.
Maybe, they're running off of a pre-existing transformer in the mall complex? The workers had left by the time I got there today, if I see them next time, I'll ask.
Maybe, they're running off of a pre-existing transformer in the mall complex? The workers had left by the time I got there today, if I see them next time, I'll ask.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Yes, a REALLY big, heavy-duty circuit breaker that can handle 1600 to 2000 Amps, 3-Phase, 480 Volt service. It also has circuit breakers that can report status remotely and be reset by remote control over a cellular data link! Here is a picture of the bus bars inside of one. Those groups of 4 bus bars are for the 3 phases and neutral. Each bus bar is rated for 2000 Amps.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
Missed the work crew again, but on closer examination, I noticed that there is about a 300 foot trench from an electrical manhole cover to the pad site. I'm guessing they could tap into the proper voltage in whatever is below the manhole and so don't need a transformer. The mall must use massive power, and there is absolutely no sign of any other pad. Yet, anyway. We'll see what happens next week.
I agree that pad looks too small for the distribution center and four charger boxes. Will be interesting to see how it's configured.
I agree that pad looks too small for the distribution center and four charger boxes. Will be interesting to see how it's configured.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Great Pictures. Thanks!
That long trench from the electrical manhole is to carry the Medium Voltage (about 7-14 kiloVolts) to the transformer. That pad is definitely the transformer pad. The conduits on the right above carry the Medium Voltage into the transformer, and the conduits on the left take the 480 Volt 3-Phase to the Equipment Enclosure. Trace where the conduits on the left go, and you will find where the Equipment Enclosure will be.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
I had a good look around, but I didn't see any stubs indicating where those five 480 volt conduits might surface, or any hint of another pad placement, so I'm stuck for the moment. But it's on my way home, so I'll pull in every day and see what progresses.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Also look for where the conduits from the Charging Pedestals go. The Supercharger Cabinets in the Equipment Enclosure each feed two Charging Pedestals.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
Will do. Looks like no work was done Friday. The pedestals look the same as my last set of pics, a clamp near the bottom, but no conduits yet. Could be two weeks, or more, before it's operational.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Thanks again for all the hard work scouting this location. The conduits are already in the concreted poured for the pedestals. Look at this picture you posted:
View attachment 60532
If you look on the bottom right, there is a conduit just inside the right pedestal leg. That conduit will go to a Supercharger Cabinet in the Equipment Enclosure.
Here is a pretty good diagram showing the connections inside a Supercharger Site. It is from the plans for the Madison, WI Supercharger as submitted to the City of Madison Planning Department. Madison Supercharger Plans There is a lot of gory detail in that PDF, if you really have fun with the details of how a Supercharger Site is put together.
In this diagram, what I call a Supercharger Cabinet is called a Supercharger. The Distribution Center and the Supercharger Cabinets are in the Equipment Enclosure. Also, this diagram only shows 1 Supercharger Cabinet. At your site, there will be 4 of the Supercharger Cabinets each connected to the single Distribution Center and 2 Charging Pedestals, for a total of 8 Charging Pedestals.
I hope that helps, and keep up the great work scouting!
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
Thanks, the plans explain a lot.
I don't see a conduit in my pedestal photo. I see the fixture to hold one attached to the pedestal leg, but no conduit. I don't see any conduit stubs in the photo prior to that one either, the one of all 8 pedestals. Will have to go back and give it a closer look again, maybe dig around in the mud a little, been raining all day today. There's a trench from the transformer pad along the front, vehicle side, of the pedestals, but I saw no other ground work.
I'm guessing the other equipment will be installed between the pedestals and Brotherton Way, similar to the Madison site, and they'll have to dig around the sona tubes if the conduits are to be below frost line. But I could have overlooked something.
I don't see a conduit in my pedestal photo. I see the fixture to hold one attached to the pedestal leg, but no conduit. I don't see any conduit stubs in the photo prior to that one either, the one of all 8 pedestals. Will have to go back and give it a closer look again, maybe dig around in the mud a little, been raining all day today. There's a trench from the transformer pad along the front, vehicle side, of the pedestals, but I saw no other ground work.
I'm guessing the other equipment will be installed between the pedestals and Brotherton Way, similar to the Madison site, and they'll have to dig around the sona tubes if the conduits are to be below frost line. But I could have overlooked something.
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Glad the plans helped.
My mistake on the conduit beside of the pedestal. I mistook the ring holder for the conduit for the conduit itself. See my markup of your image below. They will probably dig beside of the sonatubes to put in the conduit as you say.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
It's a mystery. No work crew at 2:30 pm on a sunny, dry, Monday. The only change since last week is that they pushed dirt back into the open trench, and now some of the pedestals are out of alignment. Go figure.
I examined every bit of the area, and if you look closely, you'll see some steel rods in the ground adjacent to the transformer pad. This may be where the other pad might go, they may not put the other boxes between the pedestals and the road. But then, they don't seem to be in a hurry to do much. no sign of any other conduit stubs.
I examined every bit of the area, and if you look closely, you'll see some steel rods in the ground adjacent to the transformer pad. This may be where the other pad might go, they may not put the other boxes between the pedestals and the road. But then, they don't seem to be in a hurry to do much. no sign of any other conduit stubs.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
BrianMA
Member
mitch672
Active Member
this site looks like they are either not following blueprints, or are involved in "Design/Build".
it makes more sense to put the Switchgear and SuperCharger cabinet area closer to the pedestals, since typically there is an 8 foot fence around the area, and the conduit runs are shorter and with fewer elbows and turns to them.. they also usually run those conduits before any backfilling and/or concrete pouring. i can only conclude this is an inexperienced contractor working on this site, its obvious, backfilling the trench has brought some of the pedestals out of plumb, requiring double work now to fix. total amateur move.
DNAinaGoodWay
Member
Work has resumed. They told me the holdup was the rain. Like many malls around here, Auburn is built over drained wetlands, and this site is on the bottom edge of the lot. In some satellite photos, you can see the snow is piled up by plows near the site, for easier runoff.
Anyway, you can see that the pedestals are straightened and conduits in the trench. The supercharger cabinet pad will be adjacent to the utility pad, but they were still having water issues there. Again, they told me two more weeks. So, figure on a month at least.
Anyway, you can see that the pedestals are straightened and conduits in the trench. The supercharger cabinet pad will be adjacent to the utility pad, but they were still having water issues there. Again, they told me two more weeks. So, figure on a month at least.
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