DC Generators to power electric cars.

[overover]

I think its a good idea to disassociate the gas pedal from the batteries and put a DC Gen there instead. I have a kick azz system designed but its been an up hill battle trying to fing a pully driven DC Gen that can push 400 volt @ 240 amps. Im starting to think im gonna have to get it custom made. If there are any ideas, I welcome the insight.

[captainslug]

Too much efficiency loss in such a setup. If the generator engine can deliver 400 volts @ 240amps, then you'll get more power out of it by just driving the wheels with it.

[overover]

I’m using a smaller ac induction motor in the system to provide the turning force needed for other pulley driven components. One of which is a pulley driven generator that provides power to my chargers that charge the batteries in the system. With that being said the AC motor is set up within the overall design spec of the infrastructure to accommodate the mechanical force needed to turn the remaining DC Gen to power drive train.

[Intrigued]

Well, I usually keep my mouth shut in cases like this, but I don't want you to learn the hard way - by spending money on something that will not work.

A generator that will make 240 amps at 400 volts, which is 96KW, will take at the very best 130-150 horsepower to pull, just from parasitic losses and generation imperfections. Without taking the time to look up specifics, a generator capable of doing that will weigh something on the order of a thousand pounds, and I would dare say 1500. An AC motor capable of making something like 150 horsepower will weigh similarly...

[overover]

thanks for your input Intrigued. I have found a company that custom builds DC gen heads. At the moment a 40K from them will weigh 85 lbs. thats still a lil heavy but I am getting closer. So far the companies that can make special apllications such as mine cost an arm and a leg. On a side note. I am a soldier here at Fort Hood and yesturdays events have really caused me to wonder why even try to do something to better the world. Im loosing my faith in the human races abililty to do right by each other. I didnt know the soldiers killed, but they were my brothers and sisters. Im hurt beyond words.

[Intrigued]

Yeah, that's quite a tragedy down there. Had an uncle that went through there years ago. Lied about his age to get in, and his grave stone still has the incorrect year! I applaud and salute your sacrifice that you have made.

Let me try to explain part of what I was referring to earlier. Since it always takes more energy to turn a generator than the energy it can produce, if you take an AC motor to turn a generator, which would then power your DC drive motor, you'll actually increase your net energy loss, and run down your batteries even faster!!! Using a generally more efficient (and lighter) AC motor to run the car, like the Tesla does, is the way to go for someone who wants an electric car that can actually get out of its own tracks. This will also save some weight, giving you more range. This was what captainslug was getting at, too.

The cost of the motor and controller is why so many go with old DC forklift motors. I've been watching the "Paul and Sabrina's" cheap open source motor controller thread http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ller-6404.html and hope to get one of those some day. Now if we could come up with less expensive batteries!!!

[overover]

Hmmmmmm...let me see here. I have worked very hard for 6 years designing this system and I’m going to try to defend it the best I can. The electrical system is comprised of a series of components in connection that produces constant direct current power generation via logically and sequentially hot swapping lithium battery packs. The systems controller is powered by a vehicles standard 12 vdc OEM electrical system ei. battery and alternator. The system is fully modular. My system hot swaps four lithium battery packs by way of a special controller. The controller logically reads the voltage of each battery pack and one at a time sequentially connects and disconnects them from a bus bar. The bus bar which is located inside the controller sends that voltage to an inverter. When the battery pack that is discharging reaches its low voltage cut off (programmed in the controller), the controller connects the next battery pack, and disconnects the low voltage one also turning on its own dedicated battery charger. Each battery pack has its own onboard charger. The inverter changes the DC supplied from the battery packs to AC which powers a small but strong inverter duty AC motor. The AC motor is bolted to a CNC Aluminum plate. Also bolted to the plate is the vehicles OEM ac compressor, alternator, and vacuum pump. Also added are a high power AC generator, and custom high power DC generator. The components are pulley driven by serpentine belt, and would look like a normal automobiles internal combustion engines external component's configuration. The AC generator's power is sent to the controller, and then routed to the chargers, and that power is switched in tandem with the battery packs. The AC voltage allows the Three Step Chargers (each battery packs has its own) to complete a charge cycle in one hour. A battery pack will discharge for two hours. With the controller controlling the battery packs in sequence, each battery pack can rest for about five hours before its time to start discharging again. Each battery pack is good for 1,000 cycles (as per K2 batteries). With four battery packs, that's 4,000 cycles with two hour intervals between each cycle, or 8,000 hours total run time given this configuration.

The AC motor in this system exploits the controllers ability to hot swap the battery packs, by receiving inverted constant power, and providing the needed mechanical turning force to the AC generator that powers the chargers, therefore closing the loop on the sub system, and also providing the needed mechanical turning force to the custom DC generator which provides power to the controller for the electric motor of the drive train. Standing alone with a 12VDC 30amp power supply; given 8,000 hours of run time, that would be approximately 333 days if ran for 24 hours a day. If installed in a vehicle, the system would totally change the electric vehicle industry. The benchmark feature here is that the accelerator pedal has nothing to do with the operation of the batteries. The batteries only power the small AC motor, and that motors RPM will stay the same no matter what. So now you could operate an electric vehicle without plugging-in to recharge somewhere, or worrying about the amount of charge time left on your battery pack. Miles per Gallon would truly be an extinct term, along with Miles per Kilowatt. Also the electric vehicle will have all of its original luxuries (air-conditioning, power windows, ABS, and any other thing that was originally on the vehicle!) Any vehicle can be modified with this system. The system works and has been working. Have to install it into a vehicle now. Should fit nicely into a Ford F150. I am going to use the Azure- 55 drive train. I do agree that the system has a lot of energy loss. I do however think the applicable advantages of its outcome during usage will greatly outweigh its inefficiencies in internal design.