Light Electric Vehicle #1...
Part #3
(Plasma Cutters, PWM Controllers
& Electric bikes)...
The
Summer is always a double edged sword out here in Eastern Ontario, there's lots
of work to do, but it gets so insufferably hot, and the lakes are calling to be
fished... But I think that is largely behind me now, as the days are getting
cool enough that the foundry will resume semi-regular operations after Labour-Day.
The
cart to the right was a pleasure to build as it is for a tool that I've coveted
since the day I first saw one a couple of years ago...
...a
Plasma Cutter.
Although
the price is prohibitive, I felt that I had to buy one now while the economy
still offered some items that aren't instruments of digital distraction (ie;
Satellite Dish fed flat screen PVR feeding HiDef reality distortion fields).
The
cart adds considerable ease of movement for the base unit as well as keeping the
ground and Torch lines from becoming a tangle.
Initially
I was following a rumor that a local Tool Store Franchise was going to carry a
line of Asian Plasma Cutters this fall... After following-up I opted to
reconsider...
The
unit I ended up buying is a Miller Scepter 375... Perhaps not Made in Canada,
but at least Made in the U.S.A. with a 3 Year Warranty, serviced and supported
by a local Vendor.
In
addition to the Cutter the cart houses a dedicated Canister Filter (mounted
under the table) to ensure that the nozzles don't blow-out to
quickly.
With
the Cutter now a fixture The LEV-1 resumed progress...
The
Original Controller is almost 3 times the size of the 2006 era controller with
only 2/3rds of the power handling capacity... In all fairness it does offer full
"H-Bridge" output ie; Reverse...
The
new unit was ordered from TNC-Scooters www.tncscooters.com
as well as the "FET" based Twist-Throttle and a 36V/3A charger.
The
Controller is a CT660B9 36V/40Amp controller, just searching on that part#
should offer at least 3 sites with the full spec sheet.
The
original controller also handled an Electric Disc-Brake that is integrated into
the 1500W motor.
The
brake is an "Always-On" mechanism that was summarily cut off to ease
rolling resistance and save on the minimal power required to dis-engage it.
A
series of options were quickly worked out and eventually I settled on this arrangement
for the stiffening of the original frame and the addition of a battery box and
cargo platform.
All
of the steel-work added is from recycled bed-framing that was procured from the
township land-fill.
The 2
platforms are 1" thick 7 ply-wood that has been hanging around the shop
since 1993, side rails are 1 by 2" pine strapping.
If I
have to paint something, the odds are good that it will be black.
Black
is a very predictable colour, in that you always know what it will look like.
Eventually
I'll add some lettering and accents with the air-brush, but this is the last
block of time that I can afford this project.
The
wiring took a few hours, but I ensured that every connection was soldered,
shrink-wrapped, taped and double checked before mounting.
A
sincere thanks to A. Saint in Australia for clarifying the wiring of the
controller!
None
of the "On-Line" data-sheets indicated that the "Lock" lines
need to be closed to enable the controller.
To
the left is the FET based "Twist" throttle that replaces the bulky
box-control that was previously on the bars.
This
rather dark image is of the 16Amp double - throw 6-pole switch that toggles the
battery bank between the controller and the charger plug.
Also
shown is a silver single throw switch that engages a muffin fan that actively
cools the controller.
As
there is no DC/DC converter on the controller to tap 12V off of, I opted to wire
the switch and fan off of the larger (17Ah) cell.
As
mentioned above, one cell is a 17Ah 12V battery, while the other 2 (two) are the
original 12Ah units that shipped with the Curie Electro-drive kit mounted on the
E-Bike.
The
batteries are bungeed into place while the controller & fan are screwed down
directly into the plywood.
In an
ideal world, I would have installed 3 new Odyssey PC625's or larger batteries,
but that will have to wait...
The
last item added was a set of new boots for the rear-end.
The
original rubbers were mis-matched in size, and one rim was so badly rusted that
it bent at the bead when the tire was removed, so add another $20 bucks for a
new rim.
The
tires shown are 8 X 3 wheel-barrow tires that have a smooth rib tread that
hopefully aids the rolling resistance of the buggy.
Although
the tires look odd on the 4 X 8 rim, the bead is well seated and they feel more
sure then the taller profile tires they replace.
The
idea of reducing the overall diameter of the rear tires was to gain a slight
advantage in torque for hill climbing our driveway.
To
the right is the finished unit...
...and
it goes like stink, that is if "stink" goes at 26Km/h on the flats and
upto 36Km/h down hill.
So
far there have been 6 test-drivers and all have come-back with the atypical
"Shit-Eattin' Grin" that spells success for me.
The
LEV-1 has made it up every hill on our road with just a modest loss in speed, traveled
back into the bush with relative ease...
The
cargo box is sized to carry a single chain-saw, jerry can of gas, chain oil and
a lunch-box.
Electric
Bike Revisited...
The E-bike
has run well through most of the summer of 06', though it did suffer a
catastrophic failure of the rear hub (likely due to the 450watts of shearing
strength delivered at the hands of the Currie Electro-drive kit)
The
bike suddenly became unstable on a trip out to lake
"X" , luckily I was able to make it to a chum's place that had a
van that delivered me and the now "shot" bike to the lake...
Although
I did have a replacement rear wheel, I thought that this would be a good
opportunity to upgrade the bike as it would need to be essentially dis-assembled
anyway.
The
unit shown here has a stiffer frame, better front suspension as well as an
un-sprung rear-end.
The
bike shown here was stolen... or rather, it was but remained un claimed at the
police station, so I bought it at an auction for $60 Canadian.
It is
in mint condition, all I had to do was spend an afternoon de-branding it of the
numerous manufactures logos, and lame attempts at flashy graphics and set-up the
brakes.
The
electronics and mechanical gear moved over very smoothly...
The
bike is slightly more agile and has a more responsive feel gained at the comfort
of the full suspension of the previous bike.