Seeing as how I've spent 3 or 4 of the last 5 weekends on the bike, I figured I'd provide an update while it was still June. Things are moving along just fine, with a great deal of help from my father and his varied expertise.
What plan:
We've cut, heated, bent, tacked, welded, ground smooth, and stared. I'm really pleased with the way our semi-precise design and ideas are turning out. The bike frame has undergone more modifications than I ever intended, honestly, but it's opened the door to a far better looking and more well-constructed vehicle too. I had a plan, based on my rather time-expensive quarter-scale 2D profile of the bike (in the photo gallery). I'd placed battery cut-outs all around my rendering in order to get an idea of what could fit where. It ended up being useless really. Once we got the frame sitting next to the batteries down in the shop, it was obvious what to do. Thus, we've spent several days measuring parts, thinking about where they can and should go (considering maintenance and factors out of our control), modifying the frame to be what we need, and carefully adding anything we need as we go.
The Result:
Instead of batteries lying in all different directions, being difficult to remove and replace, and perhaps most importantly difficult to wire up, all the batteries sit uniformly in three efficient pairs. They will have space for removal, wiring, and routine inspection. Also, instead of a frame that suggests it can support two people, the frame has been trimmed in the rear. This cuts some weight, shows some individuality, and makes it a bit less misleading at first sight. Sure, we've added far more material up front to support the batteries, but every bit of weight counts. As much as I'd love to share a picture, I'll not be posting any until we reach a certain milestone on the frame. Then, I'll show it off for sure.
Hurdles Remaining:
I have yet to decide on the exact type of drive system. Partly, I'm still unsure whether or not it will work. I haven't seen many belt-driven EVs, but then again, I haven't searched, so I need to figure out what my options are, and make a decision. Going the belt route may have it's issues though. I'll need a way to couple a belt pulley to the wheel, or rather, the existing piece that grabs the wheel. Besides that, there's plenty of wiring to figure out and other parts to order and custom make. We'll get there.
Another Find:
Lastly, I wanted to direct anyone interested in Lifans to http://www.americanlifan.com/lifan3/customer/ which is the forum for American Lifan it appears. It's new to me, so I'm posting it. I'm not exactly an American Lifan buff, so to speak, but it does have very knowledgeable folks behind it providing help to owners of just about anything Lifan has made. I've had a few problems getting my account approved but I'm sure it will be done soon. I'll probably be asking some questions on there before long. Apparently, they get a lot of spam from gmail accounts, so they prevent gmail-based accounts from being created. A bit of a bummer, but oh well.
-Colby
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Interesting Find
While I'm trying not to be terribly picky about what my bike looks like early on, I am wanting to end up with a nice looking ride once it has been proven road-worthy. While searching for motorcycles that I could take design cues from, I stumbled upon one of the very first electric motorcycles I absolutely loved - the ShocKing. I hadn't been able to purposefully find this bike on the net in the past year, so now that I found it accidentally, I thought I'd share it.
There is just something about this bike that I love:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/12/14/shocking-electric-motorcycle-by-patterson-cycles/
I don't have anything against cruisers, but I've always preferred sport-bike styling. Regardless, that cruiser looks great and supposedly has some pretty good performance stats. I hope I can say the same thing about my own project eventually.
-Colby
There is just something about this bike that I love:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/12/14/shocking-electric-motorcycle-by-patterson-cycles/
I don't have anything against cruisers, but I've always preferred sport-bike styling. Regardless, that cruiser looks great and supposedly has some pretty good performance stats. I hope I can say the same thing about my own project eventually.
-Colby
Friday, April 24, 2009
Round Two
Today, I placed an order for one of the most crucial components - the electronic speed controller. I also purchased the main contactor and a couple fuses.
First Impressions:
I selected the KD72401 from Kelly Controllers. I was unsure at first whether or not to do business with them. I found slightly cheaper prices else-where, even though they manufacture the controllers themselves. Their website is alright, but not 100% clear, because of a language barrier. Also, I'd seen a forum thread where a VIP of Kelly was kinda rough on someone trashing their product. I was unsure, but I'm not anymore.
As of this moment, I could not be happier with the service they have provided, especially when compared to that of another internet-based electric vehicle component supplier. I contacted ElectricVehiclesUSA.com because of their competitive prices more than a week ago. I have not heard anything back from them as of yet. Mean-while, I contacted KellyControllers.com for the first time on Tuesday and I received a reply in thirty minutes. Furthermore, they have gone above and beyond what was necessary to make sure I'm taken care of. Plus, they seem to have some kind of 24 hours service thing going on because their operations are divided among different continents. They don't claim anything, as far as I've seen, but I can tell you one person or another has been working on my order for the last 7 hours (it's currently 11 pm, and I just got a confirmation email!), so I'm impressed.
ElectricVehiclesUSA.com has the best price on another few components I need, but I don't plan on doing business with them anymore. I've heard ok things about them, but not paying attention to a potential customer sends the worst of signals. To me, saving a few bucks is not worth poor customer service, especially when it's easy for something to go wrong with an order.
Anyway, the true test will come when it's time to install, program and operate the controller on the bike itself. Then, when it works and keeps working, I will be sold on their product and service, alltogether.
Power to the people:
Speaking of companies...
I called Mars Electric LLC today, for the fourth time. This call was 10 times more productive and meaningful than the previous three.
I ordered my motor, the ME709, from them nearly two weeks ago. I emailed their sales department (only email listed) for a tracking number two days later and I didn't get a response. I called and spoke to a gentleman who took my name and email and said "he'd get right on it." Two days later, I still hadn't received a tracking number, so I called and left a polite, clear, and detailed message. I never got a call or an email with the tracking information I wanted. My other parts, from various merchants had arrived, but I knew nothing at all about the status of my motor. So, this afternoon, I gave it another shot and all things were made clear to me.
The actual sales person for Mars Electric had been on vacation for more than a week. The salesman was super nice, knew my order based on my name alone, took interest in my application, and said he would do his best to get it processed asap. I received a tracking number late in the afternoon and apparently the package is already on its way. Whoever I talked to originally was having to fill-in, I suppose. The problem is, they didn't communicate that to me at any point. I realize you don't want to tell customers to just "try again later because so-and-so isn't here", but I'd prefer that over the silent treatment. At least then, I would understand why nothing was being done, and that I should just wait. Mars Electric had the best price, so I'm glad it's worked out so far.
Overview:
At this point, I've ordered or received the following:
-Colby
First Impressions:
I selected the KD72401 from Kelly Controllers. I was unsure at first whether or not to do business with them. I found slightly cheaper prices else-where, even though they manufacture the controllers themselves. Their website is alright, but not 100% clear, because of a language barrier. Also, I'd seen a forum thread where a VIP of Kelly was kinda rough on someone trashing their product. I was unsure, but I'm not anymore.
As of this moment, I could not be happier with the service they have provided, especially when compared to that of another internet-based electric vehicle component supplier. I contacted ElectricVehiclesUSA.com because of their competitive prices more than a week ago. I have not heard anything back from them as of yet. Mean-while, I contacted KellyControllers.com for the first time on Tuesday and I received a reply in thirty minutes. Furthermore, they have gone above and beyond what was necessary to make sure I'm taken care of. Plus, they seem to have some kind of 24 hours service thing going on because their operations are divided among different continents. They don't claim anything, as far as I've seen, but I can tell you one person or another has been working on my order for the last 7 hours (it's currently 11 pm, and I just got a confirmation email!), so I'm impressed.
ElectricVehiclesUSA.com has the best price on another few components I need, but I don't plan on doing business with them anymore. I've heard ok things about them, but not paying attention to a potential customer sends the worst of signals. To me, saving a few bucks is not worth poor customer service, especially when it's easy for something to go wrong with an order.
Anyway, the true test will come when it's time to install, program and operate the controller on the bike itself. Then, when it works and keeps working, I will be sold on their product and service, alltogether.
Power to the people:
Speaking of companies...
I called Mars Electric LLC today, for the fourth time. This call was 10 times more productive and meaningful than the previous three.
I ordered my motor, the ME709, from them nearly two weeks ago. I emailed their sales department (only email listed) for a tracking number two days later and I didn't get a response. I called and spoke to a gentleman who took my name and email and said "he'd get right on it." Two days later, I still hadn't received a tracking number, so I called and left a polite, clear, and detailed message. I never got a call or an email with the tracking information I wanted. My other parts, from various merchants had arrived, but I knew nothing at all about the status of my motor. So, this afternoon, I gave it another shot and all things were made clear to me.
The actual sales person for Mars Electric had been on vacation for more than a week. The salesman was super nice, knew my order based on my name alone, took interest in my application, and said he would do his best to get it processed asap. I received a tracking number late in the afternoon and apparently the package is already on its way. Whoever I talked to originally was having to fill-in, I suppose. The problem is, they didn't communicate that to me at any point. I realize you don't want to tell customers to just "try again later because so-and-so isn't here", but I'd prefer that over the silent treatment. At least then, I would understand why nothing was being done, and that I should just wait. Mars Electric had the best price, so I'm glad it's worked out so far.
Overview:
At this point, I've ordered or received the following:
- Batteries
- Battery Chargers
- DC-DC Converter
- Motor
- Motor Controller
- Main Contactor
- Main Fuse w/ holder
- Controller fuse w/ holder
- Throttles for Motor Controller input
- Drive and Driven sprockets
- Chain to match the sprockets
- Large & small wiring cables & hardware
- PakTrakr (maybe a Fit-PC w/ custom software to log / report / graph on)
-Colby
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sudden Purchases
About 2 months to the day since I worked on the bike, I have begun to actually order parts for the conversion0. The delay is due mostly to having other, more important, engagements, but I just decided the other day to go ahead with it, as planned. I have researched a fair amount, so I have some confidence that I'm not wasting my money.
The Parts:
I've ordered the motor, DC-DC converter, battery chargers, and picked up batteries.
The motor is the ME709 by Mars Electric LLC.
It's 36 lbs of PM goodness and was $537.
The DC-DC converter is the 300 Watt Sevcon 11086.
It will convert 72 Volts to 12 Volts with 25 Amps. It cost $213 from Electric Motorsport.
Still to do:
I've still got to verify a few things related to the speed controller and order it as well. Apparently, there's a waterproofing option that costs $20. This component might also be back-ordered or slow to ship, in the amount of 4 weeks or more. Additionally, the Kelly controller I've selected is cheaper somewhere other than KellyController.com, which I find strange. Then again, I found several items on that site that seem over-priced.
There will be many other purchases, but these are the big, exciting ones for me. These are the components that are critical and must be selected for each application, individually. These that I've already purchased make up for more than half the total project budget. I'll probably try and go back through all the parts later on, describing them and my reasoning for selecting them.
Another e-Lifan:
On a similar note, I found another electric Lifan.
The first electric lifan I found was Lennon Rodger's eMoto. Last night, I found on the evAlbum, Mark Gelbien's electric 2009 Lifan GS200. It's a nice looking conversion and has impressive stats. Apparently, the guy has made his own version of a hub motor and tested his design by converting a Lifan to electric. There are videos he's posted on YouTube that aren't bad either. I'd be interested in his technology if I hadn't more or less finalized my design before seeing it. Also, his hub design being sold for $1,300 right now, so it wouldn't quite fit my project anyway. Maybe I'll seriously consider hub motors for any future conversions though, as there might be some promise in that technology.
The Goal:
National Ride to Work day for 2009 is June 15th. I'd like to participate in the global event, so this is my only deadline of any kind. I guess I'll need to have the thing legally road-worthy around the end of May so that I'll have time to practice riding, get used to the bike, and make sure it's actually safe. I'll have to get some riding gear too, which is fine by me.
I'm seriously enjoying this project now. I know I may be waist deep in wires, measurements, calculations, and nuts and bolts in a few weeks, scratching my head, but I'm thinking it will be worth it.
-Colby
The Parts:
I've ordered the motor, DC-DC converter, battery chargers, and picked up batteries.
The motor is the ME709 by Mars Electric LLC.
It's 36 lbs of PM goodness and was $537.
The DC-DC converter is the 300 Watt Sevcon 11086.
It will convert 72 Volts to 12 Volts with 25 Amps. It cost $213 from Electric Motorsport.
The battery charger (x2) is the JAC0891-102 by Japlar.
It's a 36 Volt, 4 Amp charger that can accepts anywhere from 100 to 240 Volts AC. These cost $246 online and should be idiot proof.
The batteries are the DCM0035L model from Interstate Batteries.
Not too expensive, nor too heavy, nor too skimpy, I believe. Rated at 34 Amp-hours and non-spillable, these will hopefully make nice starter batteries. I'm not thrilled about the terminal type, but I don't really think another 1/2 inch is a deal breaker. These cost $564 and I picked them up locally. I continued trying to decide where to place the batteries on the bike this evening and made decent progress.
It's a 36 Volt, 4 Amp charger that can accepts anywhere from 100 to 240 Volts AC. These cost $246 online and should be idiot proof.
The batteries are the DCM0035L model from Interstate Batteries.
Not too expensive, nor too heavy, nor too skimpy, I believe. Rated at 34 Amp-hours and non-spillable, these will hopefully make nice starter batteries. I'm not thrilled about the terminal type, but I don't really think another 1/2 inch is a deal breaker. These cost $564 and I picked them up locally. I continued trying to decide where to place the batteries on the bike this evening and made decent progress.
Still to do:
I've still got to verify a few things related to the speed controller and order it as well. Apparently, there's a waterproofing option that costs $20. This component might also be back-ordered or slow to ship, in the amount of 4 weeks or more. Additionally, the Kelly controller I've selected is cheaper somewhere other than KellyController.com, which I find strange. Then again, I found several items on that site that seem over-priced.
There will be many other purchases, but these are the big, exciting ones for me. These are the components that are critical and must be selected for each application, individually. These that I've already purchased make up for more than half the total project budget. I'll probably try and go back through all the parts later on, describing them and my reasoning for selecting them.
Another e-Lifan:
On a similar note, I found another electric Lifan.
The first electric lifan I found was Lennon Rodger's eMoto. Last night, I found on the evAlbum, Mark Gelbien's electric 2009 Lifan GS200. It's a nice looking conversion and has impressive stats. Apparently, the guy has made his own version of a hub motor and tested his design by converting a Lifan to electric. There are videos he's posted on YouTube that aren't bad either. I'd be interested in his technology if I hadn't more or less finalized my design before seeing it. Also, his hub design being sold for $1,300 right now, so it wouldn't quite fit my project anyway. Maybe I'll seriously consider hub motors for any future conversions though, as there might be some promise in that technology.
The Goal:
National Ride to Work day for 2009 is June 15th. I'd like to participate in the global event, so this is my only deadline of any kind. I guess I'll need to have the thing legally road-worthy around the end of May so that I'll have time to practice riding, get used to the bike, and make sure it's actually safe. I'll have to get some riding gear too, which is fine by me.
I'm seriously enjoying this project now. I know I may be waist deep in wires, measurements, calculations, and nuts and bolts in a few weeks, scratching my head, but I'm thinking it will be worth it.
-Colby
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Small Steps
Battery Woes
I called the battery warehouse and asked about what models might be available with a higher maximum discharge rating. I had to describe a couple times what exactly I was asking for. The gentleman on the other end of the call only knew that batteries were usually rated by a 20 hr amperage. He suggested I check out the SLA 1185/1175 and DCM0075. I did, and as expected, they are for far more A-hrs than my current battery, and cost almost twice as much too. I don't think he ever quite realized what I was asking him. I doubt I will call and ask again, because I always get that guy.
Making matters worse, I rechecked the spec sheet for the DCM0035 I bought a week ago. It shows a small table that compares discharge time to A-Hr capacity. Discharging the battery at a continuous 1.7 amps will yield 20.1 hrs of power, while a continuous draw of 17 Amps will yield only 1 hr of power. Of course, if I'm cruising at, let's say, 45 amps, I'll have about 15 minutes of that kind of power.
Seriously
Distance: My commute is 3 miles one way.
Time: It usually takes me 12 minutes (.20 hrs) to get to work.
Velocity: I usually travel at 45 mph (which might pull only 45 amps on the Lifan)
I can find my average velocity with:
Velocity = Distance / Time
My velocity is then 3 miles / .20 hrs = 15 mph.
This is my average velocity over the course of the entire commute because the time variable includes the time spent at a stop, accelerating, cruising, and decelerating.
I can find my theoretical minimum commute time with:
Time = Distance / Velocity
My minimum commute time is then 3 miles / 45 miles / hour = 3 hours / 45 = 4 minutes.
This assumes no change in velocity, though, which is why it is theoretical only.
I can find a theoretical maximum range with:
Distance = Time * Velocity
A 45 Amp draw implies a discharge time of 15 minutes = .25 hours.
My maximum range is then .25 hours * 45 miles / hour = 11.25 miles
These are just estimates. If I later find that the bike actually only draws about 38 amps at 45 mph, then the numbers instantly change. A 38 Amp draw implies 30 minutes of power for the DCM0035. Thus, I would instead have a maximum range of .5 hours * 45 mph = 22 miles! Considering it is a theoretical value, 22 miles isn't bad if you ask me.
Likewise, if I were headed up a hill, into the wind, and gained 50 pounds overnight, the motor might pull 70 amps, just to maintain the same 45 mph. This would give me a cruise-time of 10 minutes, and therefore an estimated minimum range of 7.5 miles. This means I could make it to work and back fairly easily, I think. Maybe there isn't anything wrong with this battery after all. Later on, I'll be able to charge my batteries at work, so that will help in extending their life and my actual range.
The point:
One simple formula can tell you a lot about the performance you can expect from such a machine. Even if some results are theoretical, it doesn't hurt to know absolute minimums and maximums because at least it can't get any worse than that. =) No matter what you're trying to calculate, it's important to treat the values correctly and consider closely what each variable you've specified really includes or excludes.
Question:
I wonder how much regenerative breaking really does help. I mean, how much can it really "re-charge" the batteries, based on speed and regenerative efficiency? I wonder if exceeding the maximum charge rate of your battery pack when using regenerative breaking is analogous to over-revving your manual transmission when down-shifting. =0
-Colby
I called the battery warehouse and asked about what models might be available with a higher maximum discharge rating. I had to describe a couple times what exactly I was asking for. The gentleman on the other end of the call only knew that batteries were usually rated by a 20 hr amperage. He suggested I check out the SLA 1185/1175 and DCM0075. I did, and as expected, they are for far more A-hrs than my current battery, and cost almost twice as much too. I don't think he ever quite realized what I was asking him. I doubt I will call and ask again, because I always get that guy.
Making matters worse, I rechecked the spec sheet for the DCM0035 I bought a week ago. It shows a small table that compares discharge time to A-Hr capacity. Discharging the battery at a continuous 1.7 amps will yield 20.1 hrs of power, while a continuous draw of 17 Amps will yield only 1 hr of power. Of course, if I'm cruising at, let's say, 45 amps, I'll have about 15 minutes of that kind of power.
Seriously
Distance: My commute is 3 miles one way.
Time: It usually takes me 12 minutes (.20 hrs) to get to work.
Velocity: I usually travel at 45 mph (which might pull only 45 amps on the Lifan)
I can find my average velocity with:
Velocity = Distance / Time
My velocity is then 3 miles / .20 hrs = 15 mph.
This is my average velocity over the course of the entire commute because the time variable includes the time spent at a stop, accelerating, cruising, and decelerating.
I can find my theoretical minimum commute time with:
Time = Distance / Velocity
My minimum commute time is then 3 miles / 45 miles / hour = 3 hours / 45 = 4 minutes.
This assumes no change in velocity, though, which is why it is theoretical only.
I can find a theoretical maximum range with:
Distance = Time * Velocity
A 45 Amp draw implies a discharge time of 15 minutes = .25 hours.
My maximum range is then .25 hours * 45 miles / hour = 11.25 miles
These are just estimates. If I later find that the bike actually only draws about 38 amps at 45 mph, then the numbers instantly change. A 38 Amp draw implies 30 minutes of power for the DCM0035. Thus, I would instead have a maximum range of .5 hours * 45 mph = 22 miles! Considering it is a theoretical value, 22 miles isn't bad if you ask me.
Likewise, if I were headed up a hill, into the wind, and gained 50 pounds overnight, the motor might pull 70 amps, just to maintain the same 45 mph. This would give me a cruise-time of 10 minutes, and therefore an estimated minimum range of 7.5 miles. This means I could make it to work and back fairly easily, I think. Maybe there isn't anything wrong with this battery after all. Later on, I'll be able to charge my batteries at work, so that will help in extending their life and my actual range.
The point:
One simple formula can tell you a lot about the performance you can expect from such a machine. Even if some results are theoretical, it doesn't hurt to know absolute minimums and maximums because at least it can't get any worse than that. =) No matter what you're trying to calculate, it's important to treat the values correctly and consider closely what each variable you've specified really includes or excludes.
Question:
I wonder how much regenerative breaking really does help. I mean, how much can it really "re-charge" the batteries, based on speed and regenerative efficiency? I wonder if exceeding the maximum charge rate of your battery pack when using regenerative breaking is analogous to over-revving your manual transmission when down-shifting. =0
-Colby
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Planning
I spent the 3 hours or so last night and another 2 tonight, measuring, recording, plotting and drawing points on graph paper with a pencil, measuring compass, ruler and trusty tape measure.
Practice makes perfect:
This isn't the first time I tried to translate the bike's dimensions onto paper, but all my previous attempts eventually had discrepancies, where one point no longer lined up when measured from 2 or 3 other points of reference. However, this time, before I started, I put small pieces of masking tape at all the important intersections of the frame and a single dot of blue ink on it to indicate the point I should measure to each time. Given that the bike is 3-dimensional, ignoring one of those dimensions and measuring straight from one point to another repeatedly will always yield a small amount of error, but I'm still very pleased with my results this evening. I ended up with a 1/4th scale nice side view of the bike that will allow me to plan for component placement, ground clearance, and even center of gravity if I feel so inclined later. It was a lot of work, but I would seriously recommend it if you tend to like things to be done as efficiently as possible - meaning well done on the first try. I'm going to make some copies at work on legal paper so that I can loosely sketch battery trays without messing up the original, a product of 5 hours' work.
Battery tray:
I've looked at a lot of bikes and other vehicles on evAlbum and elsewhere. For vehicles like cars and trucks, it's a little more important and common, it seems, to fit all the components under the existing panels, doors and frame. For motorcycles, it appears to be far less common. Tons have wires, plugs, and components hanging on for dear life, by the looks of it. Some builders at least took their time and bundled up, organized, or custom cut their wires to make the end result look nice. Then there are the few who get everything to fit under the original fairing, or even make their own fairing and actually have a great looking bike in the end - not that a bike needs full fairing to look good. I mention all of this because as much as I'd like the bike to be low maintenance, it is a vehicle and it's only a matter of time before I have to check, replace, or fix something on it. I don't want it to require 3 hours of dissasembly just to get to the part that needs attention. For this reason, I'm hoping to design a battery tray can be completely removed from the bike in roughly 10 minutes, after removing only a few bolts and disconnecting a couple easily reached plugs. I'd like it to feel really modular when finished, almost like the battery pack for a toy truck. Now that I can begin to decide on the potential placement of multiple batteries, I can start planning for how I might be able to do this.
To do:
Here's what I need to accomplish in the near future:
I'll try to upload a copy of the rendering soon.
-Colby
Practice makes perfect:
This isn't the first time I tried to translate the bike's dimensions onto paper, but all my previous attempts eventually had discrepancies, where one point no longer lined up when measured from 2 or 3 other points of reference. However, this time, before I started, I put small pieces of masking tape at all the important intersections of the frame and a single dot of blue ink on it to indicate the point I should measure to each time. Given that the bike is 3-dimensional, ignoring one of those dimensions and measuring straight from one point to another repeatedly will always yield a small amount of error, but I'm still very pleased with my results this evening. I ended up with a 1/4th scale nice side view of the bike that will allow me to plan for component placement, ground clearance, and even center of gravity if I feel so inclined later. It was a lot of work, but I would seriously recommend it if you tend to like things to be done as efficiently as possible - meaning well done on the first try. I'm going to make some copies at work on legal paper so that I can loosely sketch battery trays without messing up the original, a product of 5 hours' work.
Battery tray:
I've looked at a lot of bikes and other vehicles on evAlbum and elsewhere. For vehicles like cars and trucks, it's a little more important and common, it seems, to fit all the components under the existing panels, doors and frame. For motorcycles, it appears to be far less common. Tons have wires, plugs, and components hanging on for dear life, by the looks of it. Some builders at least took their time and bundled up, organized, or custom cut their wires to make the end result look nice. Then there are the few who get everything to fit under the original fairing, or even make their own fairing and actually have a great looking bike in the end - not that a bike needs full fairing to look good. I mention all of this because as much as I'd like the bike to be low maintenance, it is a vehicle and it's only a matter of time before I have to check, replace, or fix something on it. I don't want it to require 3 hours of dissasembly just to get to the part that needs attention. For this reason, I'm hoping to design a battery tray can be completely removed from the bike in roughly 10 minutes, after removing only a few bolts and disconnecting a couple easily reached plugs. I'd like it to feel really modular when finished, almost like the battery pack for a toy truck. Now that I can begin to decide on the potential placement of multiple batteries, I can start planning for how I might be able to do this.
To do:
Here's what I need to accomplish in the near future:
- I have yet too verify my choice of battery. This is priority #1 for this week, since the battery warehouse is only open from 8-5 during the work week.
- Use my 2D, quarter scale diagram to place the components and do some calculations and more measurements.
- Design a battery pack tray to be fabricated.
- Take a step back before I buy more or build anything to see what problems others encountered or solutions they figured out that I haven't even considered yet.
I'll try to upload a copy of the rendering soon.
-Colby
Sunday, February 1, 2009
State to Date
The current state of my project:
I now own a 2006 Lifan 150-25.
I have roughly 97% of the original motorcycle. The missing 3% is the camshaft and piston from the internal combustion engine (I.C.E). I purchased the bike and after 5 months, have resolved ownership issues which I should have verified before purchasing the vehicle in the first place.
Lesson #1: Never purchase any vehicle in any condition without being provided an accurate title of ownership.
Where I began:
In an EV conversion, the batteries play a huge role in the ultimate performance of the vehicle. The motor and motor controller do the application and processing of power, of course, but how that power is provided is pivotal.
This is where I started with my research. After looking at the types of batteries others used and their price tags, I purchased a battery from the local Interstate Battery store/warehouse. It was a PowerPatrol 1116 Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) maintenance free battery. I had run some numbers on a spreadsheet and figured that these batteries could probably get me to and from work alright. I used the battery for planning how I might fit several on the bike chassis, and to verify their size, weight, cost, etc.
The eVFR:
During my research I had stumbled several times, upon the eVFR, Travis Gintz's converted motorcycle. In his photo gallery, I found an image of batteries, exactly like the P.P. SLA1116 I had purchased, and I got excited. I figured I'd done my homework and chosen on my first try, a battery that would get the job done. I emailed Travis about the performance of those batteries and he provided me with important feedback about them. Even considering the batteries he used were not purchased new, he still encouraged me to look at other options. Six of those 17 or 18Ah batteries were probably not going to be up to the job, and Travis mentioned how much of a pain it was to wire all 12 together in pairs. He recomended I find batteries with at least a 20 hour rating of 25 Amp-Hours.
The Gambermoto 1:
I later contacted Tim Gamber and asked similar questions about his 35 Amp-Hour PowerPatrol batteries. Once again, I recieved priceless feedback. Tim told me that even though his batteries may not have been properly balanced early on and he tended to be rough on them in terms of voltage sag during acceleration, they had worn well. This was encouraging, so I started looking at those type and size batteries myself.
Another battery:
Today, I purchased a battery from my local Interstate Batteries warehouse.
It's a DCM0035. That is to say, Deep Cycle Mobility, 12 V, 35 Ah, Sealed Lead Acid. This battery or model never showed up in any of my extensive searches on the internet for 35 Amp-Hour deep cycle batteries. The guys at the warehouse called it a wheelchair battery. So far, this battery meets all the requirements I've set for my bike, so it's definitely a candidate.
The only drawback of this battery is it's maximum discharge rating of 175 Amps for 5 seconds. The motor and motor controller I've been looking at are both rated for 300 Amps for around 30 seconds, so in this regard, the DCM0035 would be the limiting factor for the bike's performance. [This information is incorrect, as I've since learned more about how the batteries and controller interact. See my January 2010 posts.]
On the other hand, part of my correspondence with Mr. Gamber suggests that I shouldn't actually need more than what the batteries are rated for. He mentioned that he could rarely pull 200 amps from his batteries when accelerating. One difference between our bikes however, is that he was using an Advanced DC motor. I don't know much about Advanced DC motors, or how they differ from your standard Permanent Magnet DC motor, but it seems possible the "advanced" part of his motor might allow him to pull fewer amps from his pack.
Conclusions:
I'm going to see if there is a similar battery with a higher discharge rating available at the battery store. I should find out whether or not Tim Gamber's reported amperage measurements don't line up with mine mainly because of his motor, or if I can expect similar values, allowing for the differences in our bikes' properties and our estimated driving habits.
Question:
Why is the series-wired battery pack called a Traction pack?
I've heard the term, but never a definition.
-Colby
I now own a 2006 Lifan 150-25.
I have roughly 97% of the original motorcycle. The missing 3% is the camshaft and piston from the internal combustion engine (I.C.E). I purchased the bike and after 5 months, have resolved ownership issues which I should have verified before purchasing the vehicle in the first place.
Lesson #1: Never purchase any vehicle in any condition without being provided an accurate title of ownership.
Where I began:
In an EV conversion, the batteries play a huge role in the ultimate performance of the vehicle. The motor and motor controller do the application and processing of power, of course, but how that power is provided is pivotal.
This is where I started with my research. After looking at the types of batteries others used and their price tags, I purchased a battery from the local Interstate Battery store/warehouse. It was a PowerPatrol 1116 Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) maintenance free battery. I had run some numbers on a spreadsheet and figured that these batteries could probably get me to and from work alright. I used the battery for planning how I might fit several on the bike chassis, and to verify their size, weight, cost, etc.
The eVFR:
During my research I had stumbled several times, upon the eVFR, Travis Gintz's converted motorcycle. In his photo gallery, I found an image of batteries, exactly like the P.P. SLA1116 I had purchased, and I got excited. I figured I'd done my homework and chosen on my first try, a battery that would get the job done. I emailed Travis about the performance of those batteries and he provided me with important feedback about them. Even considering the batteries he used were not purchased new, he still encouraged me to look at other options. Six of those 17 or 18Ah batteries were probably not going to be up to the job, and Travis mentioned how much of a pain it was to wire all 12 together in pairs. He recomended I find batteries with at least a 20 hour rating of 25 Amp-Hours.
The Gambermoto 1:
I later contacted Tim Gamber and asked similar questions about his 35 Amp-Hour PowerPatrol batteries. Once again, I recieved priceless feedback. Tim told me that even though his batteries may not have been properly balanced early on and he tended to be rough on them in terms of voltage sag during acceleration, they had worn well. This was encouraging, so I started looking at those type and size batteries myself.
Another battery:
Today, I purchased a battery from my local Interstate Batteries warehouse.
It's a DCM0035. That is to say, Deep Cycle Mobility, 12 V, 35 Ah, Sealed Lead Acid. This battery or model never showed up in any of my extensive searches on the internet for 35 Amp-Hour deep cycle batteries. The guys at the warehouse called it a wheelchair battery. So far, this battery meets all the requirements I've set for my bike, so it's definitely a candidate.
The only drawback of this battery is it's maximum discharge rating of 175 Amps for 5 seconds. The motor and motor controller I've been looking at are both rated for 300 Amps for around 30 seconds, so in this regard, the DCM0035 would be the limiting factor for the bike's performance. [This information is incorrect, as I've since learned more about how the batteries and controller interact. See my January 2010 posts.]
On the other hand, part of my correspondence with Mr. Gamber suggests that I shouldn't actually need more than what the batteries are rated for. He mentioned that he could rarely pull 200 amps from his batteries when accelerating. One difference between our bikes however, is that he was using an Advanced DC motor. I don't know much about Advanced DC motors, or how they differ from your standard Permanent Magnet DC motor, but it seems possible the "advanced" part of his motor might allow him to pull fewer amps from his pack.
Conclusions:
I'm going to see if there is a similar battery with a higher discharge rating available at the battery store. I should find out whether or not Tim Gamber's reported amperage measurements don't line up with mine mainly because of his motor, or if I can expect similar values, allowing for the differences in our bikes' properties and our estimated driving habits.
Question:
Why is the series-wired battery pack called a Traction pack?
I've heard the term, but never a definition.
-Colby
First things first
I'm starting this blog specifically for my electric motorcycle project.
I hope it will serve as a good record of the amount of time and effort invested.
So far, I've been concentrating on researching other electric vehicles (EVs), specifically motorcycles (eMotos). I read whatever I come across concerning EVs at least once. I browse the EVAlbum and EV part suppliers. I investigate how each individual component works and also how they inter-operate.
The basic goals of my project are:
Goal #2 is a personal accomplishment thing. I want to prove I can plan, figure out, build, complete, and operate daily an EV.
Goal #3 is how I hope to accomplish goal #1 and #2. You see, someone already did what I am trying to do, so I'm definitely taking some cues from his project and how it turned out. It doesn't hurt that that guy has a mechanical engineering degree from MIT and has made public his well documented project. I'm not trying to 1-up him by making a better bike, and I'm not trying to steal anything from him either.
The EV community as I understand it is all about sharing ideas, techniques, lessons, technical information, and even expensive components, so as to further the interest and awareness of the field. The field is not new, however, as some of the first vehicles were electric, back in the early 1900s, so I suppose I would have to say the field has simply seen a large growth in interest in the last 10 to 15 years.
I will try to keep a running tab of my efforts, document my findings, explain my decisions, and publish my experience for the education, assistance, and general interest of others and myself.
-Colby
I hope it will serve as a good record of the amount of time and effort invested.
So far, I've been concentrating on researching other electric vehicles (EVs), specifically motorcycles (eMotos). I read whatever I come across concerning EVs at least once. I browse the EVAlbum and EV part suppliers. I investigate how each individual component works and also how they inter-operate.
The basic goals of my project are:
- Produce a relatively simple and cheap vechicle for commuting to work on any acceptable day.
- Complete a reliably working EV
- Duplicate (and perhaps improve upon) an already proven platform.
Goal #2 is a personal accomplishment thing. I want to prove I can plan, figure out, build, complete, and operate daily an EV.
Goal #3 is how I hope to accomplish goal #1 and #2. You see, someone already did what I am trying to do, so I'm definitely taking some cues from his project and how it turned out. It doesn't hurt that that guy has a mechanical engineering degree from MIT and has made public his well documented project. I'm not trying to 1-up him by making a better bike, and I'm not trying to steal anything from him either.
The EV community as I understand it is all about sharing ideas, techniques, lessons, technical information, and even expensive components, so as to further the interest and awareness of the field. The field is not new, however, as some of the first vehicles were electric, back in the early 1900s, so I suppose I would have to say the field has simply seen a large growth in interest in the last 10 to 15 years.
I will try to keep a running tab of my efforts, document my findings, explain my decisions, and publish my experience for the education, assistance, and general interest of others and myself.
-Colby
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)