[Ace_bridger]

Batteries arrived today with no problems. I haven't checked voltages or anything but all indications are that the supplier is very good.

It took my 20 mins to load the batteries (33 Kg each!) into the car to get them out of the rain.

I have, at the moment, 6 up front and 6 in the boot. She's still a little tail heavy but there's no way I can get more than 6 under the bonnet. I might look to lowering the front suspension if I get the time!!

Here's some pictures. The batteries arived today so I have only placed them where they look like they wanted to go. Some fine tuning needed. I might end up with 8 in the back and 4 up front but don't really want that.

[skooler]

Looking good .

How do you plan on clamping the cells down?

[Ace_bridger]

The ones in the boot are pretty well restrained anyway being in a frame but I will pack out any gaps to stop any movement.

The ones under the bonnet are slightly more problematic. There's 200Kg of lead there which in a crash will quite happily keeping moving even if the car stops!!

I have a few thoughts at present. I will probably strap them all together whatever I do, just to make them more managable.

My desire is to stop their forward movement when the car stops so I was thinking of a stainless frame which runs around the front of the batteries and back to the fire wall or something structural back there. There is a steel frame under the batteries which carries the weight. I might come off that and make a braced bar which runs across the front of the pack. The problem there is one of space as that space is reserved for the controller and electrics box (contactors, shunt, relays, etc.). They'll probably be room for everything there, I just need to mock it up.

I found two steel angle brackets which are made of box steel which may well take a starring role in the battery restraint! Never throw anything away!!

I'm just about to get the controller on the bench and hook it up to RTD Explorer to see if it's working correctly and to retrieve the settings for the throttle. I'm hoping for good news!

[Woodsmith]

That's a sight, all the batteries in.

Is it really too tight to turn the two front batteries around to get two more in there?
Maybe uprated rear springs and adjustable dampers at the back end would level it and be more adjustable to get the feel right.

[skooler]

Sorry to keep blabbering about my own convesion..

I have quite a similar setup in the rear and found that they do jump around quite a bit without clamps! (mine were wedged in) I would seriously look into clamps.

Take a look at post 124 if your after ideas

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums...=61556&page=13

I agree that you need something to stop the cells moving/sliding forward when you stop suddenly, on mine I have gotten away with it as my cells but up against the slam panel. I like your idea.

Good luck with the controller!

Cheers,

Mike

[Ace_bridger]

Alfred: I'll have a look this weekend whether I could squeeze two more under the bonnet. I'm just natural hesitant of shorting on the under side of the bonnet!!

If I can get 2 more under there then it would leave room for 4 more in the boot!! No, Adam, no!! Bad idea!!

Mike: Thanks for the info about the batteries jumping. I might strap them down and pack them out in that case. Good to hear of others experiences!! It might have saved me scrapping a battery or two.

You have lead in your Mazda?

I got the controller hooked up to RTD Explorer and got the parameters off. I think I understand what it means. I guess 1023 bits equals 5V of throttle and have just interpolated to convert the bits to volts.

I'm going to hook it back up after work and try to simulate the hall throttle input with the voltages I've calc'd. I'm hoping to see the PWM output in RTD. We'll see!!

Thanks for the input and suggestions, keep them coming.

[mora]

You could also try ticking RT (raw throttle) in RTD and untick all the other options. If graph changes you got your throttle signal there. Though I'm not sure if that software modification makes it impossible to plot raw throttle signal anymore.

I'm also interested in modding my controller to accept hall effect throttle. I'm keeping an eye on your experiments, hehe. Do you sell those motorsport HE throttles?

[skooler]

Originally Posted by Ace_bridger

If I can get 2 more under there then it would leave room for 4 more in the boot!! No, Adam, no!! Bad idea!!

Do It

Originally Posted by Ace_bridger

Mike: Thanks for the info about the batteries jumping. I might strap them down and pack them out in that case. Good to hear of others experiences!! It might have saved me scrapping a battery or two.

You have lead in your Mazda?

Yeah, I bought a very cheap Lead Acid pack (£800, 18KWH!) to get going with, if it only lasts a year then I'm happy

I just couldn't bring myself to spend £12k+ on lithium until I know that everything else works perfectly! and I diddnt see the point in buying a cheap lithium pack as I'll have to reuse it if I ever upgrade! I'm starting to plan my next project and its not going to have small lithium pack!

Anyway, the plan with the RX8 is to upgrade to a 48KWH Sinopoly pack once I'm happy with everything else, kind of similar to the decision you made

By the way, I think that your golf will go like stink once its done!

Cheers,

Mike

[Ace_bridger]

Originally Posted by mora

You could also try ticking RT (raw throttle) in RTD and untick all the other options. If graph changes you got your throttle signal there. Though I'm not sure if that software modification makes it impossible to plot raw throttle signal anymore.

I'm also interested in modding my controller to accept hall effect throttle. I'm keeping an eye on your experiments, hehe. Do you sell those motorsport HE throttles?

Hey Mora,

Yep, Raw Throttle is still an option in RTD Explorer and I had a play after work today. I got a successful change in throttle and that parts looks good. I wasn't running a motor/load and didn't have any 'pack' simulated...so just the board powered and a DC supply to simulate the throttle input with the newly discovered parameters.

The PWM which was plotted was zero at zero throttle and maximum at anything other than zero throttle. So even a little throttle gave 100% PWM which from speaking with Paul is to be expected. Something to do with the throttle being proportional to motor amps.

I'm pretty happy that the controller is working so might just silicon it all up, make the ends caps and fit it in the car. If it doesn't work when connected then I'll deal with it. I need to be very concious of time wasted on this project as new baby demands attention!! Choochy coo!! Bless 'im, gorgeous!!

[Ace_bridger]

Originally Posted by skooler

Do It



Yeah, I bought a very cheap Lead Acid pack (£800, 18KWH!) to get going with, if it only lasts a year then I'm happy

I just couldn't bring myself to spend £12k+ on lithium until I know that everything else works perfectly! and I diddnt see the point in buying a cheap lithium pack as I'll have to reuse it if I ever upgrade! I'm starting to plan my next project and its not going to have small lithium pack!

Anyway, the plan with the RX8 is to upgrade to a 48KWH Sinopoly pack once I'm happy with everything else, kind of similar to the decision you made

By the way, I think that your golf will go like stink once its done!

Cheers,

Mike

Hey Mike,

I know exactly what you mean and I was disappointed to go with lead over lithium. But, once I'd done the calcs I figure that that pack I've just bought should do me for 5-6 years if treated well and whilst lithium is definately cheaper /mile I have such a modest commute (10 miles inc) that lithium would be over specifying the pack, for me. That's how I've justified the purchase to myself anyway! The biggest thing i'll miss about lithium is the weight savings though...jeez those Trojans are heavy!

I have been thinking about how a stripped out MX-5 (or equiv) might go with an 11'' motor, 2000A controller and a lithium pack. I thought it might make a track day or hill climb car.

I do hope the Golf goes like stink. I'll be happy with moderate performance but it would be nice to be surprised!! It might convert some of the heretics at work too!! "An electric car? What, like a G-Whizz?" Gggrrrrr!!!!

Fun, fun, fun...men in their workshops!!