Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[JoeG]

Hey Paul,
It's kind of funny how some places end up in song lyrics and film, and other local places don't get any mention at all. The suburb of Reseda, a low income, blue collar melting pot type of a place, has been mentioned many times in LA pop culture. I have lived here most of my life and it's good place to live.
Joe

[bjdEV]

JoeG,

I live in Northridge. Good to know there are other Ev-ers in the valley.

bjdEV

[MPaulHolmes]

This video made me so dang happy! I thought I'd post it. (Aaron said I could). Just listen to the pride in his wife's voice! I'm telling you, EVs are definitely chick magnets. :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP08...layer_embedded

[adamj12b]

Does anybody know what that vehicle is? It looks like a Geo Metro Pickup.

-Adam

[hamsterpower]

Originally Posted by adamj12b

Does anybody know what that vehicle is? It looks like a Geo Metro Pickup.

-Adam

Looks like people are converting Ford Festivas into mini trucks.

link

[MetroMPG]

Paul - that's an awesome video.

"That's right folks - he's mine.

Everybody wants a ride in the electric car."

[MPaulHolmes]

This is a test of the melexis current sensor on a 1" x 1/4" x LENGTH bus bar. I got the stupid thing reversed on accident, so the voltage drops as current goes up, but it's the same idea. The range is good for over 1000 amps, since the range of the current sensor is from 0.5v up to 4.5v. 1000 amps corresponds to 0.83v.

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

[isaac_alaska]

Nice current sensor test! What are u using for a power supply that can source a thousand amps? Or did u just connect the output of one of your controllers across the bar and power it with a traction pack?
Have u found a good way to make mu shields? I was going to cut up some hard drive magnet shields and cobble them together

[MPaulHolmes]

Fran recommended a test to me that I might get done this weekend. One of the beta testers of the previous attempt had wanted all 3 bars coming out the same side:


This turned out to be a problem. As long as the bars are all like this:

__ __ __

The other bars' magnetic fields won't be able to affect the sensor in this situation. That's because their field will pass straight through the top of the sensor, and the sensor only picks up the fields that pass through the sensor from left to right (or right to left). The old right hand rule!

So, the trick is to put the sensor in a location so that when you run current through a virtual B+ or B- bar (positioned like it would be in the controller), you shouldn't see any change in the voltage output of the current sensor. And modify the position of the sensor until the external affects are minimized.

So my current haha plan is to see if I can get away with not using a shield.

[isaac_alaska]

that's a good plan. i think the best placement will be with the centerline of the chip even with the centerline of the busbars. this would mean mounting the center busbar about a quarter inch or so lower than the other two bars. but experimentation will tell!