Gigafactory Permits Hint At Cool New Features

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New building permits have been filed for the Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to build the largest manufacturing plant ever. The records show that there have been new filings for the Tesla Gigafactory between May and July. All the gigafactory news the permits and their values can be found here on Buildzoom’s tracking on the  Gigafactory page.

Tesla Inc TSLABy Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia (Tesla Factory, Fremont (CA, USA)) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Descriptions for permits filed in the last 3 months include the following work:
  • Chiller Yard Expansion
  • Microgrid Lab
  • Addendum to Section F and G
  • Utility Yard Addendum
  • Drive Unit Module Buffer
  • ML Interconnect Equipment Anchorage
  • DQUAD GT9-01 & GT10-01
  • DQUAD GE5-01 & GE5-02
  • DQUAD GA9-01 & GA10-01
  • GT7-01 & GT8-01 (2A Tool)
  • GE4-01 Anode (Phase 2A Tool)
  • GC5-01 (2 A Tool)
  • GE73-01 Anode (Phase 2A Tool)
  • GA7-01 & GA8-01 (2A Tool)

Gigafactory news analysis – The following notes are speculation and not verified, but may help to give some context to what these permits are for.

The “Anode” is most likely in reference to the positively charged electrode through which an electric current runs.  The anode and the “ML Interconnect Equipment Anchorage” are installations that have not yet been described in permits related to the Gigafactory.

The Chiller Yard has been mentioned in previous permits, which are most likely used for testing batteries in cooler environments where they function more efficiently.

The “Drive Unit” contains the motor, inverter, and gearbox.  Here’s a video of a high-efficiency electric drive unit from Tesla’s webpage, thought it’s not clear if this is the same product being produced in the Gigafactory.
The “Module Buffer” most likely refers to capacitors that bridge short-duration dips in voltage. Their purpose is to provide reliable power supply through the manufacturing process by preventing instantaneous power shortages.
The Microgrid lab is also pretty fascinating, as it suggests that the plant will be able to distribute electricity from their own energy sources e.g. solar panels.

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