Electric fifth wheel (DIY through the road parallel hybrid)

[discovery]

So a year and half passed since last post any new ideas? I was wondering if MD2000 finished his project with the brushless motor?

[MD2000]

A lot has happened since my last post. I have built up another 100 MIMA control systems, (Manual Integrated Motor Assist), developed a simple to install plug and play harness for the MIMA systems to make it much easier to install.
Buy MIMA - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

In Nov of 2008, I was ready to ship the systems but the 75 people that were on the waiting list for systems dropped to 35 after the price of gas dropped, and the economy tanked. I invested a lot of time and money to build the systems, with the idea that the sales of the 100 systems would help with the cost of the many projects I have on my list, the E-wheel being one of them.

My workshop was filled with surplus pneumatic, servo, and hydraulic machinery that a friend was able to acquire for me, as the company he worked for began to contract due to the poor economy. I had no place to work, coulden't even find a bench to work on. I finally had a semi trailer given to me that I set up in my back yard to put the stuff in so I could get my shop back, which is where I am now.

Last week I removed my e-wheel after nearly 3 years on the car, as well as the batteries and boost charger system, so now my car is back to stock with MIMA, and is ready for more experiments.
Some photos of the e-wheel after 3 hard years under the car and maybe 500 miles of use.
E-wheel for any vehicle - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

Except for a dry hinge bearing, and a bit of pitting on the aluminum covers it is still in fair shape.

I reduced the price of the MIMA systems by $400 just before Christmas, to try and get the things in cars saving gas rather than sitting on my pool table, and the interest in MIMA seems to be ramping back up.


The key projects I am considering in the order of priority.
1. Develop a prius battery pack based PHEV system for honda Insights with MIMA. This will more than double the PHEV boost range for the cars which has been proven to yield over 100 MPG while the PHEV pack is providing charge to the stock pack. This will make the MIMA systems more attractive from the payback standpoint, and should help me sell the rest of the systems.
1a. Finish development of a grid charger for the Insight and the Prius battery packs so the stock pack can be charged and rebalanced.
MIMA Pack Whack and rebalancing the battery - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

2. Get my Prius modified synergy drive operational by developing the dual 3 phase driver for the stock Prius inverter. This powerful AC brushless drive with regen will give me an EV power plant that will first be installed in an Insight chassis.
EV Insight with a Prius heart - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

3. E-trailer or Hybrad trailer.
Use another of the modified Prius synergy drives to build an electric pusher trailer for my van. I have a design in mind that would allow the trailer to steer, so backing up will not be an issue, and the trailer will be mounted close to the rear of the van, so it will still allow parking and tight maneuvering in reverse.

4. Further electrify my yard maintenance machines.
Replacing gasoline with solar electric lawn equipment - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

5. Get more solar panels and an off grid wind/solar system developed that will use the 48V powered electric telephone truck and Yard buggy batteries as multy use mobile energy storage devices as well as further developing my solar concentrator utility for domestic hot water and space heating as well as for cooking and canning food.
Plugging into the SUN - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

Thats just the short list

Some of the owners of the New 2010 Insight, have asked me to work with them to develop a CAN bus based MIMA control for the car, so that will soon be somewhere on this list.

The bottom line, I have too many projects and not enough time and money to pursue all of them.
It has been a busy year, and 2010 looks like another. I don't feel retired.

[ai4kk]

How about modifying an older 4WD car, say a Subaru Impreza with electric motors on the rear wheels only or maybe even a standard FWD car with a rear drive axle incorporated in from something small, like an old Toyota or Datsun or small traction motors directly at the wheels themselves. This way, the electric motor/generator could be tied into the rear wheels while keeping the gasoline motor for the front? One could either manually control the power split or devise a simple controller, perhaps via laptop that could read various parameters and issue the appropriate commands or some combination of the two.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by ai4kk

or maybe even a standard FWD car with a rear drive axle incorporated in from something small, like an old Toyota or Datsun or small traction motors directly at the wheels themselves. This way, the electric motor/generator could be tied into the rear wheels while keeping the gasoline motor for the front? One could either manually control the power split or devise a simple controller, perhaps via laptop that could read various parameters and issue the appropriate commands or some combination of the two.

Its too bad the simple approach doesn't work, if there were a reliable simple way of driving dummy wheels I would be all over that for my insight, even the lowly 3-4 miles range the stock pack could provide edge to edge would be a great ev advantage.

[ai4kk]

I'm thinking take something like a Subaru Impreza and eliminate the 4wd mechanism except for the rear axles then attach electric motors to them. Basically treat it like an EV with IC backup/charging ability. Yes, there might be smaller lighter vehicles to start with, but you would have to fabricate a rear-drive mechanism although that might not be too bad if you can graft in a rear driveline from a small IRS car like a BMW 3-series or VW bug....or even a Subaru.

Maybe a small electric FWD car with a motorcycle rear end?

[sheepdog 44]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Its too bad the simple approach doesn't work, if there were a reliable simple way of driving dummy wheels I would be all over that for my insight, even the lowly 3-4 miles range the stock pack could provide edge to edge would be a great ev advantage.

Is it possible to retrofit a spare CV axle to the rear wheels, then mount an electric motor in the back?

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

Is it possible to retrofit a spare CV axle to the rear wheels, then mount an electric motor in the back?

if you replace the whole kit and kabootle

[ai4kk]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

if you replace the whole kit and kabootle

Which is why I was thinking of using a 4wd car to start with..it already has a rear driveline and suspension

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by ai4kk

Which is why I was thinking of using a 4wd car to start with..it already has a rear driveline and suspension

Yes but few 4wd cars are efficient designs, not like an insight for example.

I was thinking maybe 1wd off the halfshafts might work on a fwd hybred conversion, mmm suspended mass.

[ai4kk]

that was one thing that brought the Impreza to mind..it is considered the most fuel-efficient of the 4wd vehicles. Still, if you can swap into something lighter, that would be the way to go.

How critical is reducing the unsprung weight for a non-performance vehicle? Other than exposing the electric motors to additional vibration and road shock, is there any real problem with eliminating the half-shafts altogether and mounting the motors directly to the wheels?