tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71651444619011932942024-02-19T08:46:45.366-08:00I Dream the Beemer ElectricElectric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-73188024030730187042010-11-08T13:28:00.000-08:002010-11-08T13:28:32.186-08:00Battery Management SystemSince I started driving the car, I have had two cells die. I'm not sure what the cause of the failure is, but the cell goes to 0V but still conducts current. Obviously, the cathode and the anode are being shorted together internally but I'm not sure if it is something I am doing by stressing the cells or if it is a manufacturing defect. The cell doesn't explode or do anything nasty, it just doesn't work anymore.<br />
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--Side Note--<br />
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As far as terminology goes, I have found myself standardizing on what I call the battery parts when I'm explaining my project to people. In the interests of staying consistent:<br />
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<strong><u>Cell</u></strong> - 1 3.2V LiFePO4 60AH cell<br />
<strong><u>Battery</u></strong> - 24 cells connected in series = 72V (really 80V) nominal 60AH battery<br />
<strong><u>Pack</u></strong> - 4 Batteries connected in parallel = 72V nominal 240AH pack<br />
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--/Side Note--<br />
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So, with the idea that I need more information, I started working on my BMS. There are some good ones out there right now, but for something as simple as measuring the voltage of each cell, keeping track of cell performance, and alerting when there is a problem, most of the stuff is in the $15/cell range. So for my pack, that is nearly $1500 bucks. In the interests of saving money (yea, right!) I decided to build my own.<br />
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I found a cool IC from Linear Technology: the <a href="http://www.linear.com/pc/productDetail.jsp?navId=H0,C1,C1003,C1037,C1786,P86662">LTC6802</a>. This chip is a stackable, 12 cell battery monitor. It was designed to work with series cells up to 1000V so my 72V pack is nothing. But the nice thing from my perspective is that two of these guys on one circuit board will monitor one of my four batteries.<br />
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In my previous <a href="http://idreamthebeemerelectric.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html">post about my year end progress</a>, I posted a picture of the circuit board I designed for this BMS. And here it is in real life:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsVOLS21e8_hpBzrlFBn-2ynvF6LzZOUajtFZUFcvUXTCxpnomqQZQ5UuSx0YLo6W09gboiFE-eJiXX-HbuzG1BZUBFEC7UNt7J-_dg9nYXZCk0tI85iJNE0JJTO7dj9-VOTViNl-myHY/s1600/IMG00098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsVOLS21e8_hpBzrlFBn-2ynvF6LzZOUajtFZUFcvUXTCxpnomqQZQ5UuSx0YLo6W09gboiFE-eJiXX-HbuzG1BZUBFEC7UNt7J-_dg9nYXZCk0tI85iJNE0JJTO7dj9-VOTViNl-myHY/s320/IMG00098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It doesn't look like much in the photo, but SMD soldering is something new to me and it is harder than I thought. Thanks to YouTube, I found some great videos of how to do it, but those guys make it seem easy. One lesson I learned: if you are going to hand solder SMD parts, don't use the 0402 stuff. They are TINY!! <br />
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The next step is going to be interfacing one of my <a href="http://www.netburner.com/products/core_modules/mod5213.html">Netburner MOD5213</a> microcontrollers to the 6802s via the SPI bus (more stuff to learn). Hopefully it won't take me too long but it probably will.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-65387167949769330282010-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:002010-09-16T17:32:37.529-07:00Throttle DetailI had to take the throttle out of the car because the rear motors were trying to go even at zero throttle. This is a function of the kind of potentiometers I am using. They are supposed to be 0 - 5k ohm, but actually they are ~750 ohm - 5.2k ohms. The Alltrax controllers I am using for the rear motors don't have the ability to set the dead zone on either the top or bottom of the sensor range, probably because they expect the controller to be switched off at zero throttle. However, I am using the built in monitoring functions of the controller (a big plus for the Alltrax controllers) to get the motor current, battery current, battery voltage, and controller temperature. If the controller is off at zero throttle, that information isn't available. <br />
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Anyway, I solved this issue by putting in microswitches connected to 22 ohm resistors. When the accelerator pedal is not depressed, the microswitches are activated and the 22 ohm resistor is put in parallel with the output of the potentiometer. This lowers the resistance seen by the controller to ~23 ohms, which the controller reads as zero throttle. Problem solved! Anyway, here is some video...<br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N1XZmnTCRDo?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N1XZmnTCRDo?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-50390210339971362732010-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:002010-09-14T15:06:43.726-07:00...And the test driveI didn't get up to 65 MPH like I wanted but I did get to 62. I'm happy with how much quieter it is compared to last September and this should make my commute all electric.<br />
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oNknZtK3GW8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oNknZtK3GW8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-53699837938251745532010-09-14T10:36:00.000-07:002010-09-14T10:36:48.060-07:00Videos!Ok, here are some videos of the stuff I have spent the last 18 months working on.<br />
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Video 1:<br />
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This is how I have laid out the old engine compartment. Since I took out everything including the transmission, it made sense to me to put all the batteries up there; it replaces the weight of the engine keeping the car's balance and handling and it is a big hole with nothing in it. I was trying to keep all the usable space usable and have the car look the same as when I started. I wasn't able to get all four batteries installed there but I'm sure it would be possible if I were clever enough.<br />
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Video #2:<br />
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This is one of the front wheel hub motor installations. In order to install the 6KW BLDC hub motors, I had to have the front struts modified. Obviously, the car started out as rear wheel drive only so the front struts only had a shaft onto which bearings, brakes, and wheel rim were mounted. I had to turn this around and provide a tube into which I could slide the shaft of the hub motor. These turned out really well and I'd like to thank the guys at Hardcore Customs for a job well done.<br />
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Video #3:<br />
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I'm avoiding talking about the snowmobile clutch failure because I'm so bummed it didn't work. But this video shows what I did to drive the rear wheels. Basically, each wheel is driven by a D&D ES-33 motor controlled by an Alltrax AXE 7234 series motor controller via a 4:1 chain drive. This is the same setup that I had last September that didn't have enough torque to climb up my driveway. The 4:1 reduction is basically the equivalent of 4th gear in the old transmission and even the old ICE wouldn't have gotten up the driveway in 4th gear. But, by adding the two 6KW motors to the front wheels, the car now goes right up the driveway! Referring back to my post from last September, I laid out my options for how to address the driveway shortcoming and I'm proud to say that I accomplished my first option.<br />
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Video #4:<br />
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Obviously, there are still lots of things in a rough prototype state. One of the things that is first on my list is to permanently mount the rear controllers. This mount actually goes right above the motors, freeing up most of the trunk space. Now, all I have to do is figure out what to do with that BIG hole where the gas tank used to be.... :-)<br />
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I think that is a good first cut overview of my progress. Now, I'm going to go out for a test drive wearing my big EV grin and bring back some video.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-49763015692175035292010-09-12T20:02:00.000-07:002010-09-12T20:02:53.559-07:00It Lives!!! For Real This TimeAfter nearly 18 months of working on my dream beemer, tonight was the first test drive that I really felt was successful. I drove the car nearly 10 miles at speeds of up to 65 mph and at the end, I climbed my driveway, which was my down fall last September, without a hitch! I am so excited.<br />
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I know I haven't been very good about updating my blog here but I've been spending every spare minute since I got the car back from Hardcore Customs out in the garage working on it. I ran into plenty of snags, one of which ended up throwing out my snowmobile CVT idea (more on that later). I'll spend the next couple of weeks doing cleanup and documenting everything I did including more pictures and video. But for now, I just wanted to shout: <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong> I DID IT!!!!</strong></span>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-76394283788729078402010-06-04T10:26:00.000-07:002010-06-08T08:00:41.714-07:00Disaster in the Gulf<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">UPDATE: I have learned that the Top Kill is not really an option. Apparently, the angle that the Blowout Preventer (BOP) is sitting suggests that the casing the BOP is connected to might be damaged. If the flow of oil was stopped at the riser and the casing failed, the oil would start flowing outside the casing, causing the sea floor to erode and leaving no method of slowing down the oil until the relief wells stopped the flow (think 50 foot hole in the ocean floor spewing oil). Obviously this is an unacceptable risk. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">However, the top of my device could be connected to a riser like the current device and doesn't necessarily have to cap the well. I have submitted this idea to BP and my congressman but I haven't heard anything back</span>.<br />
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As I said in my first post, politics might come later. Well, as I'm sure everyone is aware, a consequence of our oil addiction is playing out off the coast of Louisiana. I have been glued to the pictures from the ROVs as they try to stop or at least slow down the oil spewing out of the broken well. And as a tinkerer, I am astounded that the best that BP can come up with is an upside down bucket with a pipe sticking out of the top. It obviously isn't doing much to stop the oil so in order to feel like I can do something about it, I started drawing in CAD and here is what I came up with:</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqjaOLKvPkCiT9l1b5-aSNSlLiBaxLcL46YNwrBkSZUGPfyHSbR0HUCUF1GPQVTgXj6u9OdfP_A-LCICgIX7oqlzIGETAXFTaIkU-qetc7WlRF7LxIbp6Fp2R28TxRkspAz0ILMx5Cq0g/s1600/BP-idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqjaOLKvPkCiT9l1b5-aSNSlLiBaxLcL46YNwrBkSZUGPfyHSbR0HUCUF1GPQVTgXj6u9OdfP_A-LCICgIX7oqlzIGETAXFTaIkU-qetc7WlRF7LxIbp6Fp2R28TxRkspAz0ILMx5Cq0g/s320/BP-idea.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My idea is to use the flange from the cut off riser pipe as the bearing surface for a series of hydraulically operated clamps around the base of bucket. Inside the bucket is a tapered pipe that would go inside the cut off riser and as the clamps pressed down, this taper would jam into the riser pipe. On top of this device would be a valve that could be slowly closed, at least enough to allow the "Top Kill" a chance at shutting down the flow. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On a similar note, yesterday I watched them trying to get the LMRP ready for this current attempt. For two hours, the ROVs f#!ked around with the hoses for what I assumed was the dispersant. Don't they have any kind of automatic hose reels, jeez....</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-10728770940347960542010-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:002010-04-09T12:11:20.948-07:00Year One in ReviewWhen I set out on this project, I knew it probably wouldn't ever really be finished. Well, here I am at the end of the first year so I wanted to review the progress and plans to date.<br />
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Energy Storage: The LiFePO4 batteries have lived up to their billing. They are easy to take care of and hold a lot of energy per unit weight. My original plan called for four independent batteries supplying four independent drive systems. So far, I have only had two drive systems so I have been tying all the packs together in parallel but that is soon to change.<br />
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What I have been working on: I purchased Volt Blochers for all my cells and they have worked exactly like they are supposed to. I attached the circuits to the tops of the batteries but am now questioning that decision. There have been a couple of instances of Lion batteries catching fire during charging and the culprit may have been a disappative balancing circuit overheating, causing the battery to catch fire. The way the Volt Blochers work is to start shunting current to a large 10 W resistor when the battery gets up to charge. This allows the rest of the cells in the pack to continue charging without overcharging the cell that is already full. However, those resistors can get pretty hot (I have recorded up to 130 F) so I decided to move all the Volt Blochers off the top of the cells. I'm going to mount them all on plexiglass and then use a fan to cool them while charging.<br />
Along with this, I have been working on my BMS. I'm not doing anything too fancy but I found the <a href="http://www.linear.com/pc/productDetail.jsp?navId=H0,C1,C1003,C1037,C1786,P86662">LTC6802-1</a> which is designed to monitor battery stacks of up to 1000V. The IC is designed so that you can hook them up in series, with each one monitoring 12 batteries, and communicating to the next one up the stack using SPI. This gets aroung the issue of how to measure the voltage of an individual cell without having to worry about high common mode voltages. I am using a <a href="http://www.netburner.com/products/core_modules/mod5270.html">Netburner MOD5270</a> to communicate via SPI with the LTC6802-1. Then I'll upload the data to my <a href="http://www.embeddedarm.com/products/board-detail.php?product=TS-TPC-7390">TS-TPC-7390</a> to display it. Again, not very fancy but fun to work on. Here is the circuit board I've designed to mount my BMS on:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYVG4iyoNsw9TKaHWxsfumoWF9ibK1x52oRzK52pVC4P8Xxyx03QI3gnQrSyiiFoPMUEzM0NbikuNyKg-qMix7vsKwbXmkElz-HyrLkP0eGkCA3-9GMh7Fnk8u2uOupovFct8kCkvl2ig/s1600/BMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYVG4iyoNsw9TKaHWxsfumoWF9ibK1x52oRzK52pVC4P8Xxyx03QI3gnQrSyiiFoPMUEzM0NbikuNyKg-qMix7vsKwbXmkElz-HyrLkP0eGkCA3-9GMh7Fnk8u2uOupovFct8kCkvl2ig/s320/BMS.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
Drive system: As I posted in my last update, I have built up a modified rear transmission that is going to give me some variability in drive ratios. I found my direct drive set up, while efficient, was too limiting when it came to real world driving. I have yet to install it in the car because it is still at <a href="http://www.hccustoms.com/">Hardcore Customs</a> having the front end modified to accept the hub motors I found. Here are some pictures of what they have so far:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZP5B148U8qkldsw1XnvauR-te4TQeHonBqaDQm2MVnyAB1mc9k3hOxWmVcqIpJ6czS4sRSFnv5plcbOKaNzshd5ua-iKQ3_iqoqPnLMI-KYm3L520dkVzDY8PDbW6BBjIZyVjfGFp_hDw/s1600/PassFrontWheelMotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZP5B148U8qkldsw1XnvauR-te4TQeHonBqaDQm2MVnyAB1mc9k3hOxWmVcqIpJ6czS4sRSFnv5plcbOKaNzshd5ua-iKQ3_iqoqPnLMI-KYm3L520dkVzDY8PDbW6BBjIZyVjfGFp_hDw/s320/PassFrontWheelMotor.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDmXFwcnQvzwtNjsmuvvOyBRcinTnbeqQNhiuvrZngSgaxTGNVNWZyiRXd7PGAQa63zBGiKMzMxF7NfhM4MJo8_msjqTgVNrNme7XHLx0YBrPRIqhcQekLuBYEAdLIljqH9x28_iE1dla/s1600/PassFrontAxle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDmXFwcnQvzwtNjsmuvvOyBRcinTnbeqQNhiuvrZngSgaxTGNVNWZyiRXd7PGAQa63zBGiKMzMxF7NfhM4MJo8_msjqTgVNrNme7XHLx0YBrPRIqhcQekLuBYEAdLIljqH9x28_iE1dla/s320/PassFrontAxle.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Control system: It seems that the first thing anyone says about my project after describing it is "If you don't have a differential, how are you going to control the the speed of the wheels when you turn?" My standard answer is, "You don't have to worry about it. Each wheel is not tied to any other and therefore they will spin at whatever rate they need to." This is correct as far as it goes; the car drives fine without any direct control of the speed of the motors. However, when going around a turn, the wheel on the inside is supplying most if not all of the power. This limits me to half power while turning so my control strategy:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Each of the motor controllers is controlled by the throttle pedal connected to a potentiometer. Depending on how far the pedal is depressed, a resistance is sent to the controller and that determine how much PWM will be supplied to the motor. I thought about using a digital potentiometer controlled by a micro computer, kind of a fly by wire system but I rejected it because I don't like having to rely on a computer to make the car go (Ironic, I know). Also, there are all sorts of failure modes that I can think of with that set up and the subsequent control system would be more trouble than its worth. So instead, I'm going to try something inspired by the helicopter (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HH-65_Dolphin">HH-65</a>) I used to fly. In the mechanical control runs for the cyclic (and collective) were servo motors that could vary the length of the push-pull tubes to the rotor head. You could fly the helicopter without these servos turned on but with them, it was easier to fly.<br />
So, I'm going to put servos in between the throttle pedal and the potentiometers. Then by measuring the current (power) going to each motor, I will be able to change the throttle to an individual motor to get a little better performance. I will still be able to drive the car without this system turned on but with it, the car will be easier to drive.<br />
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Instrument Cluster: When I removed the transmission and engine, I removed the inputs to the speedo and tach. I'm going to replace those inputs with another micro controller (number 6... I told you there was going to be a lot of computers in this car). I'm going to use a <a href="http://www.netburner.com/products/core_modules/mod5213.html">Netburner MOD5213</a> for this one. It is going to get RPM inputs from the motors and wheels then use a PWM signal to drive the 2 pulse/rev input to the tach. Now this is where it gets silly.... To drive the speedo, I'm going to use a 12V servo motor with encoder to spin the same input shaft that used to be driven by the transmission. I'll control the RPM of the servo motor using the same MOD5213 to match the speed of the rear wheels, thus giving me back my speedo.<br />
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</div>It has been an interesting year and I look forward to making more progress in the near future.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-45548088075280211932010-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:002010-01-29T11:30:18.844-08:00Rear Transmission Pt 2I got some parts back from Commercial Machine Service and put them together to see if my design would work. Well, the addage "Measure twice, cut once" came up to bite me. Since one of the goals of this design was to make the chain sprocket center distance adjustable, the plates that mount the motor and clutches slides along the joint between the upper and lower parts of the transmission. Well, upon trying to put it together, I found that I made an error somewhere and the chain was too tight; couldn't even put it together. Luckily, the joint has plenty of material and I only need about 1/8th inch. So, after MUCH grinding to lower the shelf that the Motor/Clutch plate slides on, here is the result:<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_QmnMDiCfl0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_QmnMDiCfl0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-20243215281919657312010-01-02T09:50:00.001-08:002010-01-02T14:58:02.322-08:00December Update - Rear TransmissionI've been working on my transmission issues for the past month and here is what I'm going to try first....<br /><br /><br />Snowmobile <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">CVT</span> - Basically, since I geared the car for 60+ MPH, I set the motor/wheel ratio to 4:1 (basically 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> gear), not good for driving up steep hills. However, since my initial concept was for one motor for each wheel, I went for direct drive meaning no way to change gears, hence my problem. Here is my current solution:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIHWOjg7GkkxucjaGrRZS7Ekyr-SeLHJwjHzoD-b-MsSWuGdFH8BPbqD1N5QHTpm49M4U0JrTzpOQX98VgZg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />I'm in the process of modifying my direct drive set up with a snowmobile <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">CVT</span> between the small sprocket and the motors. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">CVT</span> will will vary from 2.4:1 to 1:1 depending on torque/motor RPM giving me an effective ratio of 9.6:1 (second gear). The installation requires that the center distance of the drive (motor) clutch and the driven (sprocket) clutch be very exact. In order to fix this distance, I designed a designed a plate that will mount the motor and two clutches at a fixed distance. I looked around for available software and found a program offered by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Solidworks</span>. It is very powerful and I ended up modeling my whole transmission.<br /><br /><br />And, since I'm modifying my transmission, I'm using the opportunity to fix the center distance issue. With all chain drives, a method to tension the chain is required. Most of the time, that involves a method to change the center distance between the sprockets but I didn't initially design in a way to do that. Instead, I tried to use skateboard wheels attached to swing arms and springs to keep a constant tension on the chains but I greatly underestimated the forces, which explains my noisy drive. As the chains rotate over the small sprocket, it flops around, making a lot of noise. By putting the new motor/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">CVT</span> combination on a sliding plate, I'm able to adjust the center distance up to 0.5"; it isn't much but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">hopefully</span> it will be enough. Commercial Machine Service is in the process of making up my pieces so I can give it a test.<br /><br />On another front, I ordered a set of front struts from a BMW 328xi. It is the four wheel drive version on BMW's 3-series sedan, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">descendant</span> of the 2002. Next step there is to try to get the struts installed in my '02 and then move towards motors on the front wheels. More on that later.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-75361627400083343282009-12-18T11:55:00.000-08:002009-12-18T12:10:19.289-08:00Long Overdue VideoHere is the video of the first drive. Took way too long to get them off the camera and into the blog but here they are. In this first one, the squeal is the brakes (need adjustment)...<br /><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzISGwUBlI3BkjxxbIYehPTdD3gRsOoyD-umaVoyciCJN5mQ2d5G216gJlUcCexnqHLcSvlRnvIzmzpuDw_' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>In this second video, you can hear how loud the drive is which is something I am working on. On the GPS (which you can't read) the car gets up to 62 MPH. Not too bad for two 10HP, 72 V motors direct driving the rear wheels in what amounts to 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> gear. Now if I can only get motors on the front wheels.....</p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycLN4gWOi4dUBqFE60RwvD_RlK60bsvZaWIS-A0qAqtnsaiYZH5Em9rV0q1zq-NK03-RYtUL4kKjW6v6y_vQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-67279803535064082112009-11-06T12:03:00.000-08:002009-11-06T12:55:13.695-08:00October.... OOPS, November update...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw_KS2KXIo9ZVQ4rK1eeAH0iYVVP6WDgTmiO2SosUvSMxo6HSs-TwAvl3piD3JK4cis_wfgqAQ-8N75w_NZ1naAHrOWW6JZ_wy1ZWK7oLrb0k49pkW8mREdGhOinXYlOTu_HRal6DP3ow/s1600-h/initialUI.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401092746584673298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw_KS2KXIo9ZVQ4rK1eeAH0iYVVP6WDgTmiO2SosUvSMxo6HSs-TwAvl3piD3JK4cis_wfgqAQ-8N75w_NZ1naAHrOWW6JZ_wy1ZWK7oLrb0k49pkW8mREdGhOinXYlOTu_HRal6DP3ow/s200/initialUI.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Kind of missed the October update for a couple of reasons; a job change coupled with not a lot progress. Basically, I spent the month working on sourcing a hub motor for the front wheels and designing the interface for the cool little embedded computer I bought.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First the motors - I found a hub motor on Alibaba.com (basically, a market place where Chinese businesses can connect with buyers) that might meet my requirements. I have ordered one that should be here early next week and I'll get a chance to see if it is going to work. It is a BLDC motor and controller rated for 6KW so it will be interesting to see how it works. The other interesting thing I found was a blog by <a href="http://scolton.blogspot.com/">Shane Colton</a>. He built and mounted a couple of BLDC motors on a Razor scooter and designed the controller to power them; really cool stuff. But the main reason the oracle of the internet (otherwise known as google) directed me to his blog is that he has an idea for an axial flux BLDC motor that would be PERFECT for my hub motors. If I could get four of these motors plus the 10KW controllers......<br /></div><div></div><br /><div>As far as the little computer. One of my hobbies is programming little embedded computers so of course, the Electric '02 is going to have to have one (or two, or three...) And since a battery monitor is pretty much a requirement with the value of the batteries I'm carrying around, I thought it would be really interesting to combine it into a touch screen computer that could do some other things (mp3 player?, GPS?, etc). I bought a Technologic Systems TPC-TS7390 which is a Arm based computer with a mounted LCD touch screen running Debian Linux. I found the Qt Gui programming language and after a lot (too much in my mind) work setting up the development environment, I'm starting to work on the GUI. It isn't much to look at yet but it is fun. But this lead me to my other great google find: <a href="http://automon.donaloconnor.net/">Automon</a>. This is an application built by Donal O'Connor on the same TPC-TS7390 that interfaces with your car's on board diagnostic system (otherwise known as the thing that turns on the "Check Engine" light). Cool thing about Automon is that the OBD system is always collecting information about how your car is running and Automon is able to access that real time. Donal designed a cool interface that allows you to see engine rpm, speed, temps, etc. Really something worth while to check out.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Well I guess that is it for now. I'm hoping to have more to report next time.</div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-78351627690185656702009-09-15T07:55:00.000-07:002009-09-15T08:37:32.765-07:00September Update - ITS ALIVE!!!The big news for this month is.... The car is on the road!!! Or rather I guess I should say that the car <strong>has</strong> <strong>been </strong>on the road. When I initially was planning for this conversion, I wanted a 4 wheel drive car so I sized the motors accordingly. Right now, I only have the rear motors installed (still haven't figured out how to get motors on the front wheels yet). This means that I only have half power and since I went with direct drive, I'm having some issues with hill climbing power. As for straight out flat speed, I've had the car up to 62 MPH (my goal was for 65) so I am right on track there. But when I try to drive the car back up our driveway, which is VERY steep, I can only make it up about 20% of the time. I'm guessing that if the battery is at anything less than full charge, I don't have the torque to get the last 10 feet. What is interesting is that acceleration seems fine. I can get to 60 in about 15 sec which isn't neck snapping but not horrible.<br /><br /><br />So, now it is time for a re-evaluation. My options are:<br /><br /><br />1. Figure out how to get motors on the front wheels (most desired)<br /><br />2. Get bigger rear motors and figure out how to install them in the limited space (see photos)<br /><br />3. Re-gear the drive to a higher ratio (difficult due to available components and loss of top speed)<br /><br />4. Up the voltage from 72V to 96V or 120V (requiring new motors and controllers)<br /><br />5. Rip it all out and re-install the transmission for a more standard conversion (least desirable)<br /><br /><br />Some other issues I still have to address. The chain noise is rather loud, figure out where to put the fourth battery, speed sensor, body work, battery management system, redo front battery mounts, etc..... I knew when I started this that it was a process that probably had no end. There is always something more to be done but that is what I like about it.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, here are some pictures of installing the rear drive. I also have some video of the first drives but I still need to cut it together into one video.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQuqioWIK5a8TCXGsBbT4ELtfhqOQpVwRvs_uf5O1M0-p7nifX8I1agkU01HoM18nEBgyIOWPu7Bf_2fd5HJdgwQdx4OjHKf0Y69tw_VZB8NENlOD1-Stt8FZXEUXFhJ6AgrPn_vZPc6u/s1600-h/9-15-09+013.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381715115704677282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQuqioWIK5a8TCXGsBbT4ELtfhqOQpVwRvs_uf5O1M0-p7nifX8I1agkU01HoM18nEBgyIOWPu7Bf_2fd5HJdgwQdx4OjHKf0Y69tw_VZB8NENlOD1-Stt8FZXEUXFhJ6AgrPn_vZPc6u/s200/9-15-09+013.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdJ7ulvowM-fnXe-eYB-uwwHaGjzl2F0MrbliP_cFyUHFyeC5R6njU7AjKfTp6iTaykTLUwPO01rJV_OPCJhnp51Kc4SI-UDHb_qcaxzqBG7Cb5VqV_dFrI18k8zIiOb_U0Gs3xcTsH0D/s1600-h/9-15-09+012.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381715124773180610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdJ7ulvowM-fnXe-eYB-uwwHaGjzl2F0MrbliP_cFyUHFyeC5R6njU7AjKfTp6iTaykTLUwPO01rJV_OPCJhnp51Kc4SI-UDHb_qcaxzqBG7Cb5VqV_dFrI18k8zIiOb_U0Gs3xcTsH0D/s200/9-15-09+012.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8r-R6NtlSZMsd-devTDNihhfvMCgLYR6BEqyLs7kPkS4mDFB1iHWxI_1UntW-VfmXd1tqVACknviHDspkmhe1x0JlhCivaAtClR5714JKflyGqWhFjw_T_TiqbJEsVDrZo1_EkqWnc7io/s1600-h/9-15-09+014.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381715134909173970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8r-R6NtlSZMsd-devTDNihhfvMCgLYR6BEqyLs7kPkS4mDFB1iHWxI_1UntW-VfmXd1tqVACknviHDspkmhe1x0JlhCivaAtClR5714JKflyGqWhFjw_T_TiqbJEsVDrZo1_EkqWnc7io/s200/9-15-09+014.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaFWFgtWx2G2wZZXPXFiLvMOY59YkRuRUgRZjB8LTJGvEFrtl7HP1a8WcLLB2bc_YBC7AFk03xrDeqbGxVQrUMdrnUZBjsni-QZcF4doXwRkmlISihqefqj5Axx9A6HPexFOmOrq8oag0/s1600-h/9-15-09+016.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381715144239882162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaFWFgtWx2G2wZZXPXFiLvMOY59YkRuRUgRZjB8LTJGvEFrtl7HP1a8WcLLB2bc_YBC7AFk03xrDeqbGxVQrUMdrnUZBjsni-QZcF4doXwRkmlISihqefqj5Axx9A6HPexFOmOrq8oag0/s200/9-15-09+016.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxrMucPWP3cAuDvDiAEVf63mGWqnPBZy_VKw_6vBYR-me2CO9VT7OdoY6bJ99CvsodV0njuZC9tgH9G8nMie69si-njsC6tZ36HRxJD-kjbqiWhyIHK11sQJN0nwdE9LsuoJUqFNk_1fX/s1600-h/9-15-09+018.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381715153515856578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxrMucPWP3cAuDvDiAEVf63mGWqnPBZy_VKw_6vBYR-me2CO9VT7OdoY6bJ99CvsodV0njuZC9tgH9G8nMie69si-njsC6tZ36HRxJD-kjbqiWhyIHK11sQJN0nwdE9LsuoJUqFNk_1fX/s200/9-15-09+018.JPG" /></a>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-16765988959206996902009-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:002009-08-10T10:23:12.768-07:00August UpdateTime for an update: I've been working on lots of different things and making a little progress, the largest was the transmission. The guys at Commercial Machine Service finished up the transmission and I installed it where the rear differential used to be. Of course, I had to make the rear wheels go around using electricity so even though the batteries aren't fully mounted yet, the controller board isn't finalized and I don't have the pot box installed, I hooked everything and low and behold, I have electric motion!!! (I'll video if anyone is interested).<br /><br />However, not everything worked like I hoped. I'm using a chain drive so the center distance between the input and output shaft must be such that the number of links in the chain is a multiple of two. In my case, the chain ended up needing a half link. Unfortunately, these aren't made for the motorcycle chain I'm using because the half-links are weaker. So, I had to add a full extra link to the chain, making it very loose. Since the center distance between the shafts is fixed, I'd always intended to put a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tensioner</span> in because the chain will stretch. Now, it is just going to have to take up more slack. So, I'm working on a design that will fit in the tight confines of the drive, be adjustable, and be able to reverse. More on this later.<br /><br />Controllers - I laid out the controllers on a piece of Plexiglas and I've gone through a couple of iterations, but I'm still not satisfied. I figure that I will mount them above the motors but I don't want to take up too much room in the trunk, so I'm still adjusting. One thing that is coming together is the method to keep the controllers cool. Again, to keep the cable runs short, the controllers are going to be in the trunk and I was having a hard time coming up with a way of providing enough air flow. A couple of people have used water cooling but mine aren't designed for it. However, I found these: <a href="http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?SKU=6190228&MPN=416501U00000G">http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?SKU=6190228&<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">MPN</span>=416501U00000G</a> . Secure them to the bottom of the controller with some heat sink compound in between then route the antifreeze to a radiator in the slip stream and Voila, cool controllers.<br /><br />Battery Mount - I finished up a battery mount for the front batteries but I'm not super happy with it. I've said before, metal fabrication is NOT my strong suit and the mount looks like it. However, it is functional and I figure that since this project probably will never be totally finished, I'll add a professionally fabricated mount to the list of things to be redone.<br /><br />Batteries - I was part of the group buy from EV Components. I was heading over to Seattle towards the end of July and I thought I would save myself some shipping cost by picking them up myself. Unfortunately, a customs snafu delayed the batteries and they weren't available for my trip. So now I'm having them shipped but that means that I still don't have my full pack. Soon.... hopefully soon. When they get here, I'll have all the components and then it will be time to get this thing driving!<br /><br /><br />Guess that's all for now. When I get something finalized, I'll post some pictures.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-34798884201127029962009-07-01T11:37:00.001-07:002009-07-01T11:50:59.834-07:00Front Battery MountsSpent some time last night working on how I am going to mount the batteries in the car. Since I'm going to have the rear wheels driven by motors in the trunk, the logical place is up front where the ICE used to be. Since I'm planning on having four packs, I need to find a place to put the 96 batteries and no matter how I try, they aren't all going to go in the front. Still, I think I can get three up front which will nicely replace the weight (~360 pounds) and I won't have to monkey with the suspension. I'm thinking the fourth pack is going to go where the gas tank was but I haven't made up my mind about that yet.<br /><br />Since I'm trying a bunch of different configurations, I came up with a different way to simulate the pack rather than the cardboard box method. I got some foam insulation from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lowes</span> and cut it up into 96 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LiFePO</span>4 battery analogs. This made it very easy to pack (pun intended) the batteries into the front of the car to determine the best way to get most of them up there.<br /><br />Now I just have the job of fabricating what I came up with. I tried a little gas welding and let me tell you, it is HARD!! Metal fabrication is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">definitely</span> not my strong suit so I'm probably going to end up with something that will at least initially, be bolted in. Not my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">preferred</span> solution, but you gotta work with what you have.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-49465085155866965992009-06-29T14:24:00.000-07:002009-06-29T14:38:32.958-07:00Back after hiatus....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Oc8syaM6Od2SLtD7mZOpxHdGDW2O3yDga9QLiFICpCXLqhGHvSzjuvluNaY9XqvhTAp-MZu3t5N4lXfQNxWCI8uxKoNfApnko7j_TwVJzTgyak62R0f2u3Jmiyxgr04rTKmRlOcc89q_/s1600-h/Brella+059.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865882874383538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Oc8syaM6Od2SLtD7mZOpxHdGDW2O3yDga9QLiFICpCXLqhGHvSzjuvluNaY9XqvhTAp-MZu3t5N4lXfQNxWCI8uxKoNfApnko7j_TwVJzTgyak62R0f2u3Jmiyxgr04rTKmRlOcc89q_/s320/Brella+059.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtOL6bAE1wM1PW_wFbbBMsg-vMSs6J6ItqoeN4uetFlUW1OBq8fBookGJ81h3xVd04Kcse9ynW_Wr6jyTIrKLSYbUvsTwKHG8xeLSo7YFgCK8lSOIcGkMJ5QN8yb1XnMKQS05-O4t6D77/s1600-h/Brella+058.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865878300808210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtOL6bAE1wM1PW_wFbbBMsg-vMSs6J6ItqoeN4uetFlUW1OBq8fBookGJ81h3xVd04Kcse9ynW_Wr6jyTIrKLSYbUvsTwKHG8xeLSo7YFgCK8lSOIcGkMJ5QN8yb1XnMKQS05-O4t6D77/s320/Brella+058.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjcDn2sOvfyKDhdTMVtrATrLrJz0wQkkH8g3-IhdK9YINfc6wH-aCfHgao_au_7Z2tyaql5av8uz3MY8wzHCOXARLtnCmg1_srNxFBc2TQnxwn4GdN49sAgPILPBJzpMupHLE2Vyl9WW3/s1600-h/Brella+057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352865869260269538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjcDn2sOvfyKDhdTMVtrATrLrJz0wQkkH8g3-IhdK9YINfc6wH-aCfHgao_au_7Z2tyaql5av8uz3MY8wzHCOXARLtnCmg1_srNxFBc2TQnxwn4GdN49sAgPILPBJzpMupHLE2Vyl9WW3/s320/Brella+057.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>I know... It has been too long since my last update. I've been working on several things but it seems that nothing is getting done. So, I haven't updated with any progress. Well, I just went to the machine shop doing my transmission and PROGRESS!! Back when I started this, I had the idea of doing a four wheel drive car using a motor for every wheel. The first step was to build a new gearbox for the rear wheels and here are the results. It is not 100 percent complete but you get the idea.....</div><div> </div><div>The guys at Commercial Machine Services are doing a great job basically building a prototype using pictures I drew on a scrap of paper. Soon, I'll be installing this in the car and seeing the wheels spin using electricity.</div></div></div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-15552021670173126852009-04-24T07:52:00.000-07:002009-04-24T07:56:28.963-07:00First Battery Set Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HWgVXTnB9qMnkG9hGXhleCiwgXxuBuYq2dYE3sCuDEAebKNxvt5yoY4Q77DqGGTv8jxb4cNXew_wWd0hb-f91up_-xd-WjHbgd-JjljAhzMxeceV6Fehlea7E0YYDc5CpVTgcUNxtWWs/s1600-h/Volt+Blocher+Ops+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328271855192531298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HWgVXTnB9qMnkG9hGXhleCiwgXxuBuYq2dYE3sCuDEAebKNxvt5yoY4Q77DqGGTv8jxb4cNXew_wWd0hb-f91up_-xd-WjHbgd-JjljAhzMxeceV6Fehlea7E0YYDc5CpVTgcUNxtWWs/s320/Volt+Blocher+Ops+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I finished putting together, at least in a temporary setup, last night. I plugged in the charger this morning to give the batteries their first charge and after about an hour, the Volt Blochers have started shunting, just like they are supposed to. Take a look:</div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-39521552094403971542009-04-16T07:22:00.001-07:002009-04-17T06:45:02.574-07:00First Set of Batteries<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC6PF8igz6IPIev8INu-w9NU7aN86knXYqtxNJlzYhzLVDtdDU0rqRzJGvut-Yh0ZAODfu1glwJlRsEyJybvjnGAYXJIG_zf-svqZMgRugf5uZQRf3Q9ZFgBVfbbp89PfEpybu3tV3VW3/s1600-h/BMW4-15-09+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325655315120076146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 217px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC6PF8igz6IPIev8INu-w9NU7aN86knXYqtxNJlzYhzLVDtdDU0rqRzJGvut-Yh0ZAODfu1glwJlRsEyJybvjnGAYXJIG_zf-svqZMgRugf5uZQRf3Q9ZFgBVfbbp89PfEpybu3tV3VW3/s320/BMW4-15-09+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I got the first set of batteries yesterday. I bought 24 Thundersky 60Ah LiFePO4 from Elitepower Solutions. They were shipped very quickly and it was exciting when the UPS guy showed up because the batteries are such a significant investment in this whole process. I also bought a cell balancing circuit board from Volt Blocher. I finished soldering those up last night so the next step will be to hook up the entire pack with the Volt Blochers and get the batteries their first charge.</div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-61345665146779346352009-04-12T12:51:00.000-07:002009-04-12T12:56:41.503-07:00While waiting for my gearbox to be built, one of the things that I didn't like about the '02 was the dim headlights. Cars really have gotten much better since 1974; driving the Beemer at night was pretty scary with all the deer we have around here. So, I found a set of Xenon HID lamps on eBay that fit the '02 and boy what a difference. I'll get some before and after pictures and post them.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-46430647304436954012009-04-12T12:34:00.000-07:002009-04-12T12:59:39.500-07:00Out with the old....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQlcF6Dz5CiaOO91MG2_v9cf9pIUmsHE-VX-Yncz7LTc4KM2XVowuIP6hOZ2jEXfQbcspscBJvNhBZYMhiPQ9iscFXDp1rnI0bT9Z5Rb7pXTXXaYLw2ruEF94XONdASQdzlAfXbFbprEq/s1600-h/BMW+001.JPG"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CoCFkBEx8Fa6gBkymAD2fDfLGHqwouU4EDmnm4MEaFq2hWu00YlrBXEmMso_xgQiMPYlpErhLjUxp_1xRrBuRvNPdniRFrlbM3BvZ35lOxO_WqzHXTsU5jUMCclKtgKlP4naPFp-8yNG/s1600-h/BMW+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323893208409163538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CoCFkBEx8Fa6gBkymAD2fDfLGHqwouU4EDmnm4MEaFq2hWu00YlrBXEmMso_xgQiMPYlpErhLjUxp_1xRrBuRvNPdniRFrlbM3BvZ35lOxO_WqzHXTsU5jUMCclKtgKlP4naPFp-8yNG/s320/BMW+002.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigihMmp16R38tEZjZAK4huoElCPBbgyiM7FeOMwqyG52anxwX3XdNUUSzEaDclOAF-cyUTRJtyaGwu8H9WkwzLUD-mYsVQX9K8lxLnksWzpH_v5WS9uoDLmCyatyrjbkFH7ucNTGKOwBIK/s1600-h/BMW-Teardown+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323893213887289570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigihMmp16R38tEZjZAK4huoElCPBbgyiM7FeOMwqyG52anxwX3XdNUUSzEaDclOAF-cyUTRJtyaGwu8H9WkwzLUD-mYsVQX9K8lxLnksWzpH_v5WS9uoDLmCyatyrjbkFH7ucNTGKOwBIK/s320/BMW-Teardown+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvVCh8k0J5NoVj_ojHguKjNzyiTqC3lR1XEscXV0S0PEJyDAkEPLWhf7Aqq-40wT1_umtQrVtn7S3N5_g988yqgxPJAT_leNXjSdhlfyX7BX5xQ3uq_IlvEmklNfM7MSu5B_L-GXgnSfk/s1600-h/BMW-Teardown+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323893218398543170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvVCh8k0J5NoVj_ojHguKjNzyiTqC3lR1XEscXV0S0PEJyDAkEPLWhf7Aqq-40wT1_umtQrVtn7S3N5_g988yqgxPJAT_leNXjSdhlfyX7BX5xQ3uq_IlvEmklNfM7MSu5B_L-GXgnSfk/s320/BMW-Teardown+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uLXjpFwJvRiQOyoPaWBmglJJjdvQ6c6vE4kLgokPcXTWg52AjekfC0kDq-ydFy3mgaP7KyIKPjp5xDmf1a8o4F-CDrt4nG-IaJ14i4DliYl8oC_up2uwcJHgxXaSbHU6DSi0MsHpuAzv/s1600-h/BMW-Teardown+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323893216196027490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uLXjpFwJvRiQOyoPaWBmglJJjdvQ6c6vE4kLgokPcXTWg52AjekfC0kDq-ydFy3mgaP7KyIKPjp5xDmf1a8o4F-CDrt4nG-IaJ14i4DliYl8oC_up2uwcJHgxXaSbHU6DSi0MsHpuAzv/s320/BMW-Teardown+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>As all conversions start, the first thing you have to do (besides decide, design, plan, order... you get the picture) is remove all the stuff associated with the gas engine. This is a grimy, greasy job but it really makes you feel like you've accomplished something. Above are some pictures of the process. At this point, I have removed the engine, transmission, drive shaft, muffler, radiator, and gas tank.</div></div></div></div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-68925116540790441262009-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:36:01.199-07:00Design Considerations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEK6Pp5l9lndeciNP3MF6RThiQcR-ExpE-oBW6N-1J6K_DzG95lP-2yW4GCubh4mnnbIzjYMo7lZEs4QY2d8TtUjZPncXZiOcAVLCNFN6oUu_zWiyaga342z6xPcfgN5FhX8WGMvJRISv/s1600-h/BMW+012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320519036128905074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEK6Pp5l9lndeciNP3MF6RThiQcR-ExpE-oBW6N-1J6K_DzG95lP-2yW4GCubh4mnnbIzjYMo7lZEs4QY2d8TtUjZPncXZiOcAVLCNFN6oUu_zWiyaga342z6xPcfgN5FhX8WGMvJRISv/s320/BMW+012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXCQdkFOwfzq38rXjbXskppDv1hfT8JSIGyQoIdh_7cIgiPK0f1p4HwYE5fdwYjm0o-8t8ndkiZ-GKrzKFtn1aobOK1tc0ntRi-OtOe_YFr5ZLT9TbcsafojGrS4TubcPV7bp9fG0XAov/s1600-h/BMW+011.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>Ok, an electic car but what do I want....</div><div> </div><div></div><div>One thing to think about here in Montana is snow. And from this picture of our driveway (note, this is 3 April and we just got 2 inches of new snow), four wheel drive might be nice...</div></div>Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7165144461901193294.post-46051494519864176512009-04-03T09:33:00.000-07:002009-04-03T10:05:43.844-07:00The Electric BMW 2002Hello everyone... I have embarked on a project to convert our 1974 BMW 2002 to an electric car. I figured this blog would be an easy way for those who might be interested in the project to follow along and maybe encourage others to do something similar.<br /><br />I've been interested in electric cars for a long time. With electricity being something that can be produced locally, it makes sense to me that something that is as important to our way of life (the car) be powered by something that I could theoretically produce, instead of gas, which I HAVE to buy from someone else. As we learned last summer, when oil raced to nearly $150/barrel, we still had to buy it, forcing us to cut back in other areas. I believe this was the final tipping point that pushed us into our current recession. But enough of politics... for now.<br /><br />Why the BMW 2002. Quick answer: we already had it. Longer answer: the BMW 2002 is an enthusiasts car. There are clubs, races, web sites dedicated to the '02 but so far I have yet to find one that has been converted to electric. Obviously, it isn't the ideal car to convert because it is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">relatively</span> heavy and not very aerodynamic, but hey, see the short answer.<br /><br />So, without further ado, away we go.Electric_02http://www.blogger.com/profile/00081064670193199431noreply@blogger.com9