Re: [EVDL] Winter & EVs

Roland Wiench wrote:

> Hello Harsha,
>
> I live in Montana, where it can get down to 35 below which my EV is design
> for a 120 degree temperature difference. It takes a lot of equipment, and I
> do not know if the E-beetle has the room or if it is possible to install a
> heating system that can work with a on-board DC or AC system and a off board
> pre heat heating system. My EV has both types of heating systems.
>
> The first thing I do, is to insulated the garage walls to 64 R factor, the
> ceiling to 120 R factor, and use a 19 R factor garage door with triple
> seals. There is two small windows that face the sunny side, which is 5
> layers of material which includes 2 panes of outside glass, 1 pane of inside
> glass with a 6 inch air space, a horizontal insulated blind, and a vertical
> blind, which is about 20 R factor and when its sunny, I have a heat gain.
>
> On the ceiling, I have 24 large diameter 100 watt lamps even space through
> out the ceiling which are control by six dimmer switches, a lighting
> contactor and a room line voltage thermostat. There is a ceiling fan the is
> also control by a built in thermostat if the ceiling temperature gets above
> 75 degrees.
>
> On board the EV, I use three 120 vac heaters. These are under dash
> convention air type with fans. The driver side is a 640 watt type, the
> passenger side is a 840 watt and then under the front hood, there is a 1000
> watt hot water heater with pump that is normally design for a semi truck.
> This heats the water that comes from a holding tank made out of a 3 inch
> diameter copper pipe that I had a radiator shop solder on a radiator cap.
> This tank also acts as a expansion tank.
>
> The water goes from the the heater, to a pump and to the existing heater
> core and back to the tank and then to the heater. I found, that I only need
> 50 degree water temperature to keep my wind shield clear, because I block
> the cold air ductwork that tempers the hot air from a engine, that could
> reach over 200 degrees.
>
> I use to have a Beetle at one time, which uses the hot air which goes
> through a heat exchanger at the engine. If this is the case with your
> Beetle, than you could install a underdash heater and tap into the heater
> ductwork.
>
> You could get by with one heater for direct convention in the driver
> compartment and one for putting heat in the duct to keep your windshield
> clear.
>
> Anytime the outside temperature is below 30 and way down to -30, I preheat
> the EV about 15 minutes before I go. I use a triple pole triple pole
> switch, (three position ON - Off - ON) 30 amp rated to selected between the
> on-board heater power, or out-board heater power which is tap off the 50 amp
> main power plug with three 20 amp circuit breakers.
>
> The garage with its high R-factor, the EV is mostly at a temperature of 70
> degrees. The heaters preheat the EV for only about 15 minutes which will
> raise the inside temperature to 80 degrees or more. When it was about 30
> below, I could drive to my first destination, let it park for about an hour
> and it may still be about 50 degrees inside.
>
> Also the entire inside of the EV is insulation with 2 inches of blue foam
> and cover with a marine carpet. The battery boxes are cover with 2 inches
> of foam, a 4 inch air space, another layer of 2 inch foam with each layer of
> foam cover with a marine carpet.
>
> The insulated battery box is under a gold tint lean glass hatch back that
> allows passive heat from the sun. At 30 below, during a sunny day, I had a
> battery temperature of about 80 degrees.
>
> The on board power to run these 120 vac 60 hz heaters, 120 vac pumps and
> fans come from two sources. One from a solid state DC-AC inverter rated at
> 5 kw that comes off the main battery pack. Made by the Dynamote Co. The
> other one is a alternator-inverter unit which can both provide 13.5 to 16
> volts at 145 amps and at the same time provide 7 kw at 110 VDC which is then
> inverted to 6 kw at 120 VDC which is also made by the Dynamote Co.
>
> These later alternator-inverter unit, will not fit into a Beetle. I could
> not use the inverter for this latter unit, because I did not have the room.
>
> The advantage I have in using the alternator-inverter unit even its only 7
> kw at 110 volts, It provides be with a braking regenerative when going on
> icy roads.
>
> You may even be able to convert a 120 vac 60 hz heater units by using the DC
> power from the batteries just to the heater elements, but you will have to
> change the fan motors to a 12 vdc source.
>
> Roland
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[email protected]>
> To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 2:56 PM
> Subject: [EVDL] Winter & EVs
>
> > I am seriously considering buying a turnkey E-beetle from Utah. Since I
> > live in
> > the great white north (about 500 miles north of Lee), I am very
> > interested in
> > keeping myself & the batteries warm and functional. I sent an email to the
> > Uth
> > group and received no reply.
> >
> > My question is how do you keep yourself warm and still get 30 to 40 mile
> > range
> > per day. Or does on put the ev in the garage until the warm weather
> > arrives?
> >
> > regards
> > harsha godavari
> >
> >
> >

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