Delta-Q Technologies CO-OP

January 2024 - August 2024

Starting in January 2024, I spent 8 months at Delta-Q Technologies in Burnaby, BC as a Hardware Engineer Intern. Delta-Q is a battery charger company that works closely with their clients to develop high quality chargers for various applications. During my internship, I primary worked on the XV3300 charger (pictured below) which is a 3.3 kW charger with an integrated 500W DC-DC converter, CAN communication, and can be equipped for EVSE interface. I had the opportunity to work across both the Hardware and Mechanical team which allowed me to gain a thorough understanding of the product and take on many responsibilities. 

One project, I am proud of is related to the testing of a proprietary DPDT relay and the related circuitry which needed reworking for an upcoming XV3300 model. I first had to interpret the existing circuit which was implemented for safety and had various complexities to it. From reading datasheets of ICs and creating circuit simulations in LTspice, I gained a strong grasp of the circuit and determined various drawbacks during my testing. This led to numerous meetings involving hardware, software, regulation, and marketing teams. Being diligent was key in this work, as I discovered many small issues that could have had major impact on the product and was able to propose changes to mitigate these issues. Furthermore, I developed many skills during the testing of the relay. For instance, I replicated software behaviour for testing purposes by programming an Arduino in C. I utilized circuit troubleshooting techniques involving the oscilloscope and simulations. I ran numerous thermal tests and destructive tests to ensure safe operation of the relay. I fully characterized the circuit operation and documented it in detail for future reference. Lastly, I spent a lot of time soldering SMD components and creating different test setups using power supplies, dataloggers, thermocouples, loads, batteries, etc. 

Another project I am particularly proud of is related to long-term stress testing of the transformer through thermal cycling. I was responsible for developing the test plan and had to work with colleagues in different departments to assemble the automated 3-month test. Many unexpected challenges occurred and had to be dealt with efficiently given the tight deadline. This was my first time guiding others, and I felt a great deal of responsibility. Following successful setup, I documented all procedures and created a Python script that could be used periodically to generate plots of data collected. This had exponential time savings over the course of a 3-month test. 

Technical Skills Applied:

• Developing and executing test plans using: 

  • Sources & loads

  • Thermocouples

  • Humidity sensors

  • Strain gauges 

  • Dataloggers

• Diagnosing circuits using:

  • Oscilloscope

  • Differential probes

  • Current probes

  • Multimeter

  • Simulations

• Interpreting datasheets for ICs to design circuits, size components, and troubleshoot

• Simulate circuits using LTspice for design and troubleshooting

• Soldering SMD components 

  • Package sizes: 0603, 1206

  • Package types: DIP, DPAK, QFP, DFN, etc

• Fabricating custom wiring harnesses

• Led strain gauge experiments 

  • Researched technology and provide best implementation for each experiment

  • Evaluating effects of disturbances/cross-sensitivities and verified accuracy within ±5µε under ideal conditions 

  • Designing Wheatstone bridge circuit (quarter, half, or full bridge depending on application) and datalogging setup

  • Analyzing data and determined uncertainties 

• Led implementation of humidity sensors for testing 

  • Evaluate performance of different humidity sensors - capacitive vs resistive 

  • Construct custom miniature humidity probes to minimize destructive installation

  • Assemble voltage level shifter circuit for I2C communication 

• Automated data graphing using Python + pandas + matplotlib to improve efficiency

• Programming in C for Arduino microcontrollers to create quick verification test setups to replicate charger operation 

• Safely handling high voltage circuits 

• Single fault, hipot, transient testing 

• Testing transformers (ex. Checking leakage inductance)

• Water ingress - IP67 testing for cable glands 

• Exposure to EVSE (SAE J1772) and CAN communication 

• Documentation through documents and presentations

Non-Technical Skills Applied:

• Collaborating across all teams (hardware, software, automation, regulation, marketing) to troubleshoot issues and implement changes 

• Presenting technical information concisely and with consideration of the audience 

• Communicating updates and challenges effectively to continuously maintain progress 

• Manage competing demands, priorities, resources 

• Jira

• Proposing recommendations