NEW! Uprising Control Series (Logic and Driver Boards)

[adamj12b]

Originally Posted by puddleglum

Adam,
at the risk of asking a stupid newbie question, is this a different controller to the one on your evvette site? I'm guessing that this is something new since the purposed specs in the thread are much better than the specs on the web site. Are you planning on selling this as a kit like the Cougar or a complete controller or both?

Yes, The controller on the Evvette site is a version of the Cougar.

I will sell kit parts down the road.

-Adam

[puddleglum]

So, do you know yet where this controller is going to end up for output specs? I got that you are planning for 1000 amp peak. What do you think the continuous rating will be? esoneson posted that the components are rated for 400v. What do you think a realistic upper pack voltage will be? Are you still thinking a 144 volt limit or are you hoping that this may be more comparable to a Soliton?

[adamj12b]

Originally Posted by puddleglum

So, do you know yet where this controller is going to end up for output specs? I got that you are planning for 1000 amp peak. What do you think the continuous rating will be? esoneson posted that the components are rated for 400v. What do you think a realistic upper pack voltage will be? Are you still thinking a 144 volt limit or are you hoping that this may be more comparable to a Soliton?

The IGBT's are rated for 600V and 400A each. The controller has been tested over 220V without any issues. It is designed to handle a 300V nominal pack. As long as you stick to around 400V at peak, you should be fine.

As for output current, The controller is design for 1000A continuous, not peak. As long as the water cooling keeps up, which it should, you can get 1000A all day long.

The controller was designed to be comparable to a Soliton. Infact, it uses the same brand capacitor.

-Adam

[puddleglum]

Sounds awesome. I'm a ways away from starting a build yet, but I will be watching this closely. I'm sure you will have the bugs all worked out by the time I'm ready for one. At this point, I'd like to use a HV Kostov motor, but a Soliton seems the only option to make it perform to its potential. While they appear to be excellent, they are pretty expensive for my budget. Any idea what kind of price range you're shooting for?

[FieroChris]

Hi Adam,

I have a few questions,

are you using 1/2 of the IGBT ?? since this is a dual unit?
also do you have a system wiring diagram ??

I am trying to understand the location of the huge cap in your photos, is this across the switch ?? on the input ?? or on the output ??

have you considered making your board be splitable, ie, all the driver parts are at one end so if a user only needs 400A they can cut the board off 1/3 of the way down, 800A 2/3 etc...

have you posted the gerbers for the IGBT driver board yet ??
if you do I will send out for several to be made for my project

thanks

-chris

[adamj12b]

Hello Chris,

Sorry I have not responded sooner. My wife has been in the hospital and i have been taking care of her since she got home. She will be ok, just got a bit of recovery ahead of her.

The whole igbt module is used, but only 1 switch is used. The other switch is used only for its reverse diode. This allows one module to provide all power stage functions.

As for the capacitor location, It is across the batter terminals. It needs to be located as close to the switching device as possible. Also, you want to keep in mind that you want to create the smallest inductive loop as possible. The cap absorbs the voltages spikes so the batteries dont have to, and also keeps huge current spikes from being pulled from the batteries.

I have though about designing a 2 module version of the driver board but this is as small as it can go. The VLA-500 and support circuitry is too large to go any smaller then 2 modules and this is eve pushing it.

I dont think I have posted the files yet, But i have thought about setting up a group buy if there is enough interest.

-Adam

[FieroChris]

Thanks for the info.

I am working on the design, and will probably design my own IGBT driver board.
not sure if the Cap needs much cooling so I may only put the water cooling under the IGBT's this moves them up closer to the plane of the cap terminals and the copper plates dont need to be bent. also looking at PCB as conductors for this and have found that they dont design PCB's with very thick copper, so I will use plate stock.
Adam, What thickness copper plate did you use in your design ??

[MPaulHolmes]

I think I need to write you back on email. dang it! I read it, but then got busy. haha. That looks like a awesome layout. You save about an inch by raising the igbts like that. It's basically optimal I think. They do sell copper sheeting in any thickness you want. I'd try a place like this:
Nimrod Hall Copper Foil Company

They have thicker stuff too. 10 mil is around 8 or 9 ounce copper. Then you can just add some flexible isolating tape to one of the plates. Very cool!

[z_power]

FieroChris, we seem to come to the same design in independent way - isn't it always like this with greatest inventions? Here's a picture of unfinished cooling plate with drilled cooling channels, by coincidence thickness is 1"

[adamj12b]

Very cool Chris,

You havnt mention how much current you want to push through this.

I used .032 copper.

I think im going to put in an order for driver boards. How many would you be interested in?

How about anybody else? I need to get around 10 minimum to make it worth it.

-Adam