Building an EV motorcycle. Batteries: Need opinions.

[TurnNBurn]

Wiring is going slow because im waiting on some shrink tubing. I got all the resistors and terminal ends and im ready to wire. I'm a little hesitant because I am very new to this and I'm confused and need some help.

The contactor is what has me confused. As a kid I remember wiring 9v batteries to motors. Simple enough and im familiar with that. Ive even wired a switch between the fans and batteries. But this is new. The contactor is new ground for me.



Those terminals at the top. #1 and #3, does #3 go to the B+ on the controller? And #1 goes to Battery+ on the battery pack?

[Astro]

Originally Posted by TurnNBurn

Wiring is going slow because im waiting on some shrink tubing. I got all the resistors and terminal ends and im ready to wire. I'm a little hesitant because I am very new to this and I'm confused and need some help.

The contactor is what has me confused. As a kid I remember wiring 9v batteries to motors. Simple enough and im familiar with that. Ive even wired a switch between the fans and batteries. But this is new. The contactor is new ground for me.

Wrote up a great big reply without looking at the picture you attached (dang slow internet connection )

According to the wiring diagram that Ryland posted earlier in this thread.

Terminal 1 (screw terminal) goes to B+ of your battery via your battery fuse.
Terminal 3 (screw terminal) goes to B+ on the controller.

The 1000 ohm (1K ohm) 10 watt resistor goes between terminals 1 and 3. This is the precharge resistor that allows a small amount of current to go past the contactor and charge the capacitors in the controller. This avoids a large surge of current when the contactor switches.

The data sheets are a bit light on for specific details of which of the spade terminals are which.
Basically they are the coil connections with one side of the coil connected to two of the terminals and the other side of the coil connected to the other two terminals.
From one of the pictures on this site SW200-9 | Albright single acting solenoid contactor | 72V it looks like the top two spade terminals ar the positive coil connections and the bottom two are the negative coil connections (viewed with the screw terminals being at the top).

So the bottom spade terminal goes to B- on the controller
and the top spade terminal goes to pin 1 on the controller (KSI voltage)

The IN4004 diode goes across the other two spade terminals.
Anode to the bottom spade terminal
and cathode to the top spade terminal.
On the diode the cathode end is the end that has the white ring painted around it.

I will have a go at editing your picture to make it clearer.



Please be aware i have never used this brand of contactor and so all this is based on what images/data i could locate on the internet. Might be best to wait till a few others chime in to say if it is correct or not.

[Astro]

Silence?
I thought somebody would have shot me down if it was wrong or said something if it was correct.
No more posts on the forum by TurnNBurn since this question.
Hopefully that is because he is out riding his electric bike and too busy to post an update.

Actually i think i found the reason. TurnNBurn mentioned a few posts ago that he was going away for 6 months. That would account for no updates.

Oh also when i referred to terminal 1 and terminal 3 i was referring to the numbering TurnNBurn had used on his original image. I think the terminals are actually labelled 1 & 2 on the contactor itself.

[TurnNBurn]

Originally Posted by Astro

Silence?
I thought somebody would have shot me down if it was wrong or said something if it was correct.
No more posts on the forum by TurnNBurn since this question.
Hopefully that is because he is out riding his electric bike and too busy to post an update.

Actually i think i found the reason. TurnNBurn mentioned a few posts ago that he was going away for 6 months. That would account for no updates.

Oh also when i referred to terminal 1 and terminal 3 i was referring to the numbering TurnNBurn had used on his original image. I think the terminals are actually labelled 1 & 2 on the contactor itself.

Yeah, the project is on hold for 6 months. I'm heading out in a few days and I just got a few parts in the mail just a few days ago. I was still waiting on shrink tubing and miscellaneous diodes and resistors. They took so long to arrive I forgot I ordered them.

I'm not going to abandon this thread/project. When I'm done I'm going to tear it down and rebuild it from the ground up while I repaint the frame and I'm going to take pictures and document everything. And as I make modifications to the bike I'm going to document them here as well.

[TurnNBurn]

UPDATES, guys, UPDATES! I'm back! I'm working on the bike right now. Making wires and connectors and such. Today I need to put the wheel and sprocket and chain back on and hopefully I'll have it rolling.

The charger I've chosen is the Elcon PFC 1500. That's being ordered and I should have that in a few weeks. I will get some pictures and post them up in a bit.

[oil pan 4]

What kind of wire are you using for your circuits?

[TurnNBurn]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

What kind of wire are you using for your circuits?

I have some 16 gauge wires and some 4 gauge

[oil pan 4]

That and what spec like THHN, THWN, SJOOW, welder cable, battery cable.

[TurnNBurn]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

That and what spec like THHN, THWN, SJOOW, welder cable, battery cable.

I have no clue. The packaging doesn't specify.

Just "primary wire". It's not thin strands of wire, but it's not too coarse and thick either.

[oil pan 4]

Yeah that primary wire is usually rated to 60 degrees C.
I just wanted to know if you speced 90'C cables or not.
But its a elecycle so it should matter too much, I am guessing the main power wires will be some what exposed and able to cool?