WatDig High Voltage

WatDig is the University of Waterloo’s student design team competing in the Not-a-Boring Competition. It is our first year competing in the full-scale competition building a tunnel boring machine (TBM) meaning everything is designed from scratch. I am responsible for the design and construction of the high voltage power system. Our team is on track to finish construction by end of year.

The high voltage distribution is straightforward as illustrated in the single line diagram. All circuits are appropriately fused and are equipped with disconnecting means. The motors are controlled by the ACS550 VFDs. The branch circuits are protected from ground fault in accordance with the UL943C standard. This protection is accomplished with Bender ground impedance monitors and a Bender ground fault current monitor. The incoming power is metered and the Bender relays interface with the controls system.

The electrical team is currently constructing and testing the high voltage distribution. Please reach out for progress as we are progressing rapidly.