Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[esoneson]

Originally Posted by adamj12b

I hope to start enlarging it, Im thinking 15 pairs and 24 caps. it will make the controller about 7-8" longer for a total of about 18" and 5.5" wide. Long and Skinny.


Please let me know what you guys think.

-Adam

Adam,

15, yes 15 is a good number. I like that. This will do nicely
I wish I had a vehicle to test with, but alas, I am just starting my adventure. So I will have to wait a while and let another lucky EV'er test the first one of your power design. But I am definitely getting in line for one nasty size 15, long controller. And thanks again for all you have done!

Can't wait to hear the results of your max voltage tests.

Paul,
All your efforts are now multiplying with even more choices! This is really great.
Looks like we will have everything covered from Schwinn to Corvette

Eric

[sawickm]

Hi Adam,

Again good work !!!

I just want to second what “edown” stated, the base (metal tabs) of the TO-247 packages need to mounted directly to the surface of the heatsink on your new clamped HS power PCB concept. Looking at your photos it is difficult to verify that !!!

I have been following your EVvette project and wanted to ask you this, could you use several (2 or 3) of your new clamped HS 600A power PCB’s in parallel with your modified EVvette controller PCB with (3) FET driver outputs, and (3) remote MOSFET driver PCB’s combined for a 1800A controller ? Would this work if you cabled the (3) paralleled clamped HS 600A power PCB assemblies together to a remote machined forked copper output terminal with the current sensor like on your EVvette power PCB ??? If you could this concept allow you to build a 600A, 1200A, 1800A controller depending on the enclosure used and could be heatsinked or water cooled of course !!!

I do not have an active EV project going right now that I could use your new clamped HS power PCB on. But I might be able to contribute to your new clamped HS 600A power PCB build for your golf cart project. ?

If interested email me at: sawickm@gmail.com

[adamj12b]

Hi guys,

To answer some questions, Yes the face of the mosfet/diodes are touching the heat-sink, and the back with the metal is contacting the PCB for higher current capability. I loaded each mosfet and diode with a very fine aluminum particle grease thats meant for conducting heat. Im not sure how well the controller will work like this, but its not that hard to flip the components around to allow the metal back to contact the heat-sink. The problem with that though, is you still need to use the rubber isolation/heat transfer tape. If somebody wants me to build them one like that instead that can be arrange without changing very much. Should only take a few minutes.

I have also thought about liquid cooling it. It would not be very hard to machine a water block to mount to, instead of a heat-sink.

I have thought about paralleling 2-15 pair controllers back to back on one water block to create a monster 1800A controller. I still have to work out all the current sensor details, but I have hopes.

-Adam

[adamj12b]

Hey Guys,

Here is a picture of the updated board design. It has been changed to allow the metal tabs to rest against the heat-sink.



-Adam

[esoneson]

Adam,

This goes to show that a good design is flexible and accommodating. Your change increased the efficiency and maintained it's integrity. Great work. Hope you find a good beta tester so you can build one. It will be a few months before I can jump in for a 15 mosfet long and slim controller.
How's the voltage testing coming along?

Eric

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by esoneson

Hope you find a good beta tester...
Eric

Ooo! OOOooo!
I have an electric car! I can beta-test!

If anyone needs an electric car motor controller tested at anywhere from 12 to 156V, just send it my way!!!

[jyanof]

For those curious about voltage spikes, I finally dragged my scope out to the garage yesterday. I didn't do any 'moving' tests - just revved the motor in neutral. It requires 60-70 motor amps at a constant RPM, and maybe 150-200A depending how hard I 'rev' it.

The waveform looks very clean - stretching out the horizontal axis shows a small voltage spike. However, the vertical axis was set to 50V/square, so a little blip is actually 20V or so. Nevertheless, my pack is in the 160's if it's immediately after a charge, so a 20V spike still leaves some margin.

On my charger application, I noticed that there was a 10V voltage spike that was present and it was the same size no matter what the current or voltage was. This spike seems to grow as current increases, (though the battery voltage on my floodies also drops due to voltage sag) so I guess we don't really know how it's behaving under a more significant load.

Here's the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM8j_1y3I20

[blowncurtice]

Just tried to order Mosfets from DigiKey they do not have stock and will not have them untill 11 Jan 2010. does anyone have suggestions for a reliable supply also any opinions on the following companies.
Southern International Electronics Limited
Xian Neng Technology (Hongkong) International Limited

[MPaulHolmes]

Awesome joe! I have been wondering about the spikes. Eric, he's waiting on stupid me to mail him the mosfets to blow up. I'm sending them out monday, I swear.

Mosfet source: TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THE STUPID MOSFETS FOR A COUPLE WEEKS!!! Oh, they'll be here August 17th. YA RIGHT! STUPID LIARS!!! OK, calm down, Paul... I found this alternate source:

https://ec.irf.com/v6/en/US/adirect/...ID=IRFP4668PBF

They are more expensive than Digikey, but that's who I'm going to order them from. Makes me mad.

Ben, I ordered your bus bars and will start drilling them the day they arrive. I have your control section from PCBCart already here. I just need to order the components to populate the control board. I'm also going to etch your power section very soon. I'm finally done with work, so I can work. hahaha.

But wasn't Ben's done already???

Well, yes. I was going to mail out Ben's a week ago, but a rather strange set of circumstances happened. A really really really strange set of circumstances. hehe. Here's the short version: A friend (and single mother of 2 young adopted girls) of my wife's was going to become homeless. That night, someone called that wanted to see the controller I was going to mail to Ben. They offered $800 for it and her friend is now not homeless, but Ben is controllerless. hehe.

[charlie_fd]

The East-European prototype is (sadly) not yet assembled. Personal issues have taken precedence for the last month and a half ...

However, I was asking around about mounting options of the bus-bars on the pcb since I was not able to source the conductive epoxy. Some friends suggested using a thin sheet of cooper, annealed so it becomes very soft, and rely on mechanical coupling. Apparently the cooper will become so soft that will shape itself into close contact. I would probably have to provide (bronze/brass?) washers on the other side of the pcb to spread the clamping force and use some locking product on the threads.

What do you think of this?