Container conversion specialist S Jones Containers has provided Cardiff University’s School of Engineering with a bespoke, secure battery testing and storage unit for its award-winning Formula Student team, Cardiff Racing.
The specialist container is used to safely store and charge batteries for Cardiff University’s Formula Student racing team, which is made up of students from across the engineering degree disciplines. Cardiff Racing competes every year in the Formula Student (FSUK) competition, which tasks teams to design, build and race a single-seater race car, and became the first British team to win FSUK in 2017. The team is making the leap to electric racing cars making battery safety paramount.
As the unit is located on the university’s busy city centre campus in close proximity to other buildings, S Jones Conversions Division incorporated additional safety elements as part of the design, such as fire-rated materials throughout to make sure the entire container is fire rated from inside to out to give 60 minutes of fire resistance, and installing three phases of electrics – all with surge protection. The 10ft container, which was converted at S Jones Containers’ specialist workshop in the West Midlands, was also fitted with an external isolator and a powerful 5KW HVAC unit – deliberately oversized to keep the equipment cool at all times.
The new battery testing and storage unit also features a super strong steel 60 Min Fire Rated Door and doorset and is securely locked with S Jones Containers’ own heavy duty patented Contain-A-Lock® system which is corrosion resistant and tamper proof. The unit was spray-painted to a dark olive green shade to blend with its surroundings. It took just four weeks from initial design to completion, ready to deliver to campus.
This is the second project S Jones Conversions Division has completed for Cardiff University. A few years ago, the team created a specialist battery testing and storage unit for the university as part of a previous research project at the Centre of Research into Energy, Waste and Environment.
Anthony James, Space Manager at Cardiff University School of Engineering commented: “We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from S Jones Containers. The design and the finish of the container are exceptional and will help us build on our racing success in a safe environment.”
Andrew Nicholls, Conversions General Manager at S Jones Containers added: “Our specialist battery testing and storage units are a proven solution that we’ve developed following consultation with representatives from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service as well as battery manufacturers. This is just one example of how we’re helping to support the research and development of next generation battery power by providing a containerised space for testing to be carried out safely. We’re proud to work with leading research teams to create bespoke solutions that meet their exact needs.”
For more information about specialist storage solutions at S Jones Conversions, please visit: https://www.sjonescontainers.co.uk/container-conversions/
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