MRacing · 2026
MRacing Cell Cycler
Battery cells in a Formula SAE race car experience changing current demands and significant heating. To understand how they perform in the car, MRacing needs repeatable tests that reflect those conditions.
BMS design
In development
Why we are building a cell cycler
We’re developing a cell cycler to control charging and discharging while recording cell measurements. The goal is to understand how much usable capacity remains, how internal resistance changes with use, and how repeated racing duty affects cell health. These measurements will help inform battery modeling, pack design, and decisions about reusing cells.
How the system connects
The proposed architecture separates the charging and discharging paths. A bench supply charges the cells through a power interface, while a discharge board connects them to an electronic load that dissipates the battery energy.
Individual cell-voltage taps feed the BMS. The Raspberry Pi coordinates test sequences, communicates with the instruments and boards, and records timestamped measurements for export.
A separate shutdown circuit is intended to override the charge and discharge enables in response to BMS faults, temperature stops, or the emergency stop. This fault response is designed to operate independently of the user interface.