The contactor(s) used by Tesla appear to be Csonka Kilovac family of contactor. These are fairly reliable for high voltage, high current applications. They are available with an 'Economizer' circuit board for lower power consumption, and the economizer tends to be the higher failure point of the contactor. They are also available with a second set of low power contacts that can be used to provide isolated verification of contact closure.
I am very familiar with contactor design and use in many electrical vehicles, but I don't have any detailed information on how Tesla implements their contactor(s). On the thread that showed the battery pack being disassembled, it looked to me that there were 2 Kilovac's in the pack. It would have been very nice if Tesla had implemented an access door or panel for the contactor(s) to be accessed and replaced without opening up the whole pack. If I get the opportunity to see a pack as it's opened, I'd sure like to see what options might be available.
Back to contactor operation; they basically isolate or connect the high voltage high current battery pack to the high voltage systems, such as the motor controller, and HVAC system. The load of the contactor doesn't need to be high current; just for it to need to be isolated from the battery pack at certain times, Fault detection can also open the contactor, preventing damage or unintended consequences, such as a runaway condition, or system short or excessive current draw. The console, etc could easily be powered by the DC/DC Converter (but the weakass 12 Volt AGM battery wouldn't last long when discharging). I would also think the DC/DC Converter would not be switched, since the car electrical system (including the security system, 3G, and sleep mode) would quickly drain the 12 V battery.
When the contactor opens and closes, it makes or breaks the current flow. Just like connecting a battery to a load, there will be arcing, and this can pit the contacts, dmaging them. The amount of pitting each time is proportional to the amount of current that will be flowing through the contacts. The opening or closing is defined a s 'make' or 'break'. Higher current will result in shorter time between failure.
As a MS85 owner, the contactor failing, as well as astronomical accident repair costs, are my 2 biggest concerns. While the Kilovac contactors are not too expensive (typically < $300), what Tesla decides to charge for an out of warranty contactor failure, with removing the pack, opening up the pack, replacing it and resealing the pack, could be eye-opening.
Scotty
I am very familiar with contactor design and use in many electrical vehicles, but I don't have any detailed information on how Tesla implements their contactor(s). On the thread that showed the battery pack being disassembled, it looked to me that there were 2 Kilovac's in the pack. It would have been very nice if Tesla had implemented an access door or panel for the contactor(s) to be accessed and replaced without opening up the whole pack. If I get the opportunity to see a pack as it's opened, I'd sure like to see what options might be available.
Back to contactor operation; they basically isolate or connect the high voltage high current battery pack to the high voltage systems, such as the motor controller, and HVAC system. The load of the contactor doesn't need to be high current; just for it to need to be isolated from the battery pack at certain times, Fault detection can also open the contactor, preventing damage or unintended consequences, such as a runaway condition, or system short or excessive current draw. The console, etc could easily be powered by the DC/DC Converter (but the weakass 12 Volt AGM battery wouldn't last long when discharging). I would also think the DC/DC Converter would not be switched, since the car electrical system (including the security system, 3G, and sleep mode) would quickly drain the 12 V battery.
When the contactor opens and closes, it makes or breaks the current flow. Just like connecting a battery to a load, there will be arcing, and this can pit the contacts, dmaging them. The amount of pitting each time is proportional to the amount of current that will be flowing through the contacts. The opening or closing is defined a s 'make' or 'break'. Higher current will result in shorter time between failure.
As a MS85 owner, the contactor failing, as well as astronomical accident repair costs, are my 2 biggest concerns. While the Kilovac contactors are not too expensive (typically < $300), what Tesla decides to charge for an out of warranty contactor failure, with removing the pack, opening up the pack, replacing it and resealing the pack, could be eye-opening.
Scotty