Battery Calculations for ODrive

Initially we assumed that each ODrive would need 24V and 10 amps to power the two motors. This unwitting calculation resulted in needing a power system that supplied 24V and 60 amps to 6 ODrives in parallel.

The most important point to note while selecting batteries to power bldc motors through motor controllers (ESCs) is that the power supplied to a motor controller is not the same as the power supplied to a bldc motor. The article linked here explains how to choose batteries for motor controllers.

Three points that sum up the article:

1. Current: Motor controllers convert low currents into high currents. One must only worry about the voltage and power output of the batteries.
2. Voltage: Since RPM = V * Kv, the maximum voltage needed can be determined by V = RPM_max / Kv * 1.25, where 1.25 is safety margin for the load.
3. Power: Max power needed P_max = I_max * V_max * 1.25, where I_max is the current needed at max RPM.