Quote:
Originally Posted by gargoyle865
Hey Neil, great work with the Xa. I'm envious. 
I was wondering if you've made any mechanical and/or electrical modifications. I'm planning to replace my (rather worn out) battery with deep-cycle ones, possibly a pair of Optima yellow or blue top (only difference is the blue has threaded studs in addition to the standard automotive ones). I'd relocate them to the spare tire well to allow 2 to fit, as well as to improve front/rear weight balance. My spare has been replaced by a tire-plug kit, a small air compressor, and my trusty AAA card for really bad blowouts. 
I've picked up a couple of solid-state relays and plan to cut power to the alternator's winding unless the throttle is at idle or I flip a dashboard-mounted "just in case" switch. Then I'd top off the batteries with a smart charger at home.
Theoretically this would allow the alternator to free-wheel unless I'm coasting, decelerating, or stopped, in which case it would use this otherwise wasted energy to charge the batteries. Do you know of any cases where someone has done something similar? |
So, you are going to use idle mode sensor to start charging..
Wouldn't that load on the Alt cause it to load up the ICE,
increasing the TPS to maintain idle RPMs??
And use more fuel than a normal idle?
Humm, back when I was thinking about add-on hybrid adapters,
I figured on hooking up something like a good-MPG vacuum switch
so when I was getting over 60 MPG going down a hill etc,
I would charge my pack. Bring that 60 MPG down some,
like maybe to 40 MPG.?.
The good-MPG switch would be ANDed with a low SOC signal
from the pack monitor. Once both were on, the charging would begin.
Based on the idea that it's best to charge when you have outrageously
good MPG, (
or in Fuel-cut-off, using zero fuel) but don't
charge so heavily that you drop your MPG down
too much. I wanted it to work like a Hybrid regen system.
Charge up when coasting up to a redlight or going down a steep hill.
I guess you could test the idea by warming up the ICE and see what
turning on your lights (and high beams) does to your engine loading.
Might want to turn on the rear defroster too.
If your idle RPMs and/or TPS goes up, you'll know Alt loading effects your FE.
IIRC, I've given jumps to people and noticed my car start to change RPMs,
the second I hooked up to the dead battery..