Designing a Controller for an 1999 GEM EV e6

[dgibso26]

Greetings everyone,

I am in college for electrical engineering, for my senior design project my group members and I have to design and create a Controller for a GEM e6 electric vehicle by Dec 2010. We have an idea about what we want to do but we don't know exactly were to start. If anyone have any ideas it would be apprieciated.

[Grant-53]

You have my deep and abiding sympathy! I'd start with the Audel "Electric Motors" 6th Ed. Anything from robotics would be useful. Get with the mechanical group to look at power demands and duty cycles. The May 2010 AMA motorcycle magazine has interviews with electric motorcycle builders Brammo, Mission One, and Zero. Low end torque and current control seems to be the most demanding part. Rather than just controlling the frequency of power application, I'd look at changing voltage and current with motor speed. Large capacitors are useful components in start and stop mode. Get help with heat flow issues. (Dang, I knew I should've paid more attention in that class!)

Check book sellers for volumes on hybrid vehicles and the Web for technical papers. Scout the library on campus and at other schools relentlessly, someone from 1978 might have just the technique you need.