By Madison Reddy, Cal State LA
Innovation, teamwork and dedication have propelled the Charging Eagles forward in year two of the Battery Workforce Challenge. As a collaborative team from Cal State LA and Cerritos College, we’ve achieved key milestones that strengthen our technical capabilities and commitment to advancing innovative energy solutions.
One major achievement from year two was designing a universal cooling plate, which will be manufactured and used by all competition teams. Charging Eagles thermal lead and Cal State LA student Arthur Espinosa played a crucial role in refining the design and balancing its performance, manufacturability and real-world constraints. Initially, teams were hesitant to collaborate, but Arthur’s willingness to share his research fostered trust and teamwork.
“At first, collaboration felt tense — like we were all guarding our cards. But once I laid everything out and shared my research, the vibe completely shifted,” said Espinosa. “Sometimes, all it takes is one person to break the ice and invite real teamwork.”
Working closely with Dana, a BattChallenge industry sponsor and manufacturing partner, the teams refined the cooling plate’s design to meet professional standards while ensuring scalability in production. The result is a universal cooling plate that will be built and utilized by every team in the competition.
Another major milestone this year was finalizing the design and construction of our Battery Disconnect Unit. Charging Eagles Hardware team member and Cal State LA student Jacob Rangel played a pivotal role in this process, designing the bus bars to meet discharge and charging current parameters, while also conducting cost analysis and resistance calculations from the battery to the DC fast-charging side.
“The most rewarding part of being on the team is collaborating with peers and continuously learning through each challenge,” Rangel said.
His contributions have been instrumental in completing the BDU, bringing the Charging Eagles one step closer to achieving our goals.
Another major milestone this year was finalizing the design and construction of our Battery Disconnect Unit. Charging Eagles Hardware team member and Cal State LA student Jacob Rangel played a pivotal role in this process, designing the bus bars to meet discharge and charging current parameters, while also conducting cost analysis and resistance calculations from the battery to the DC fast-charging side.
“The most rewarding part of being on the team is collaborating with peers and continuously learning through each challenge,” Rangel said.
His contributions have been instrumental in completing the BDU, bringing the Charging Eagles one step closer to achieving our goals.
An additional defining moment for the Charging Eagles was securing $150,000 in funding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. This funding will support additional student hiring and the purchasing of essential components.
Vocational deputy and Cerritos College student Ritchie Chavez is especially looking forward to using this funding to create more opportunities for students to engage in the hands-on, industry-relevant experience. Beyond financial support, the funding grants Cerritos College students access to advanced software and tools.
“The opportunity to provide Cerritos students access to software such as SolidWorks and other technologies that they did not have on campus will also aid in fueling their potential to excel and succeed in this competition,” Chavez said.
These milestones represent the dedication, skill and teamwork that define the Charging Eagles. As we continue through the Battery Workforce Challenge, we remain committed to pushing the limits of innovative energy technology while developing the next generation of engineers and technicians.
