WIKISPEED build for Electric Motor Module

[rmay635703]

too bad the chassis wouldn't easily fit a Honda Insight G1 setup, that should push the FE a tad past the 109mpg

Cheers
Ryan

[thingstodo]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

too bad the chassis wouldn't easily fit a Honda Insight G1 setup, that should push the FE a tad past the 109mpg
Cheers
Ryan

I apologize - I'm not up on the Insight G1 specs .. but google shows that they are pretty darned impressive.

The WIKISPEED SGT01 can do over 100 mpg using a stock Honda R18a engine. It was built to do over 100 mpg, because that's what the X-prize specified. After that, it was a race, so the design did not use the most fuel efficient engine. It's still got very good performance. I'm sure that the G1 powertrain in a car that light aerodynamic would be very impressive.

The car IS modular, so if someone were to locate an Insight G1 motor/transmission/axle set that needed a new home ... it could be built into a module and swapped in for a test. Not sure if it would all fit into 40 x 40 x 20 inches, but it would be fun to try!

[thingstodo]

I guess I have not updated for a while ... so here we go!

The bolt-together frame (1.25 inch aluminum tube, 0.125 inch wall) pieces were cut to length and the burrs removed 2 weeks ago (referenced to the June 15 update).

Today the tube gets drilled and bolted. The bolts are 3/8 by 3 inch, and I want a tight fit. The nuts and lock washers should be there to keep the bolts from moving, but the bolts should lock into the holes, and the 3 directions of the bolts should keep everything solid.

As usual, things did not go quite as planned. The drill press did not drill vertical compared to the base, out of the box. I thought I did an OK job of adjusting, but the holes did not align between tubes, so I must have done something wrong. I got things close with the drill press and had to use a larger bit (3/8) to clean out more material on most of the holes.

The center punch did an OK job marking the holes, but I did not have enough light to accurately HIT the punched pilot, so several holes were obviously not in the correct place.

After checking for square and plumb on the frame, with a minimum number of bolts in place, the remainder of the bolts were put in. A 2 lb sledge was used to 'convince' some of the bolts to go where they should. The nuts are not required - the bolts are not going anywhere! I didn't bother to put lock washers on.

Something I came up with after the video. I used 2.5 inch bolts (instead of the 3 inch) where the heads would interfere. 2.5 inches goes through the two 1.25 inch tube but does not come out on the bottom side, like where the slides sit on the 4 inch tube. The 2.5 inch bolt from the top ends just before it exits the bottom of the tube. To keep the bolt in place, a nut is used on the inside of the bottom tube, around 1.5 inches from the head and not on the outside of the bottom tube. ... I guess I should have taken pictures!

I was worried that the aluminum frame would not be sturdy enough with bolts only and no welding. There is usually slop in every bolt hole, and it does not take very much slop to make a frame wobbly. I was pleasantly surprised - this frame does not wobble at all, even with 220 lbs (me) standing on it and trying to make it wobble. With the 40 x 40 on the floor (normal) it was the most stable. I tried with each of the 20 x 40 sides down as well. There is a bit of wobble ... but that could have been because only the bolt heads were contacting the concrete.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsextjBP0Ro

I've *REALLY* got to get into the habit of watching the rendered video before I post. The settings for the sub-titles get messed up sometimes and what looks just FINE on the screen when I'm editing ends up with the words cut off on either side.

Normally after I finish editing I don't want to see the video any more ...

[thingstodo]

The last time I had the motor running, it howled when I got to 2500 or 3000 rpm. This week, I set everything up and reproduced the problem. It still howls, and the speeds are 2600 and 3100. No video shot for the 'before' due to technical difficulties ... the phone ran out of memory and did not save the video.

To fix this howling, I set the transmission and motor back to vertical, ran the motor at a few hundred rpm, engaged and disengaged the clutch a few times and allowed it to center again. The video again ran out of space in the phone and did not save.

After putting all of the oil back into the transmission - it drains out when the transmission is put vertical - I went through the phone to check the 3000 rpm video to make sure I knew the howling speeds. That's when I found out the videos were not saved ... SIGH!

After clearing out some old video on the phone, we were good to go! The video shows the results - no vibration in the 2600 and 3100 rpm ranges. There is a bit of a howl that you can hear on the video, and the motor is by no means quiet. But it's not going to vibrate itself apart.

I did separate audio for this run, using a bluetooth headset and a separate phone. Want to guess what went wrong? I ran out of space on my old phone! I don't appear to learn very quickly ...

The lack of separate audio for a voice-over is why I sub-titled the speeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOOPxfrCxN8

[thingstodo]

Getting the motor and transmission raised, moved horizontally into the motor module frame, and set onto a shelf support. Doesn't SOUND hard, does it? It was.

The motor and transmission are just heavy enough that I can't move them around without jacks, rollers, etc. And they don't slide too well. So lifting one end, propping it up on a set of wooden blocks, then lifting the other end ... something shifts and it slides to the ground again.

The blocking that I can use is by necessity quite narrow, so that it is not in the way when you are maneuvering the motor module frame beneath it. An engine lift is quite likely in my near future. I THOUGHT I was pretty paranoid about not putting any part of me under an unsecured load ... but I've seen myself doing just that on video as I edit. So I'm NOT paranoid ENOUGH about that.

In this particular case, the engine lift would have alternated with supporting the system on blocks. The motor and transmission fit into the frame, not below it or above it.

When the axles get cut and the couplers get put on, so that the motor module can be switched out quickly ... THEN the whole thing can be dropped in from the top and this whole procedure will take only a few minutes. I can't wait!

I did eventually get the motor and transmission into the motor module frame, at what I think is about the right location. It's just sitting on wood for now. I'll build some brackets when I get confirmation of the location.

This is a bit of a review of the system, where parts will be going, how they will be supported.

http://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id...rer=watch&ns=1

[thingstodo]

I have some measurements for where the axles shoud exit the motor module. So I'm going to adjust things so that they exit where they should. And I want to get started on making the brackets for the motor and transmission to secure them to the motor module frame.

The video goes through how it was done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8eXsiyNxo

The need for an engine lift is demonstrated again. The motor and transmission slip off hydraulic jacks and skid to the floor. No damage to me. No obvious damage to the motor or transmission. I *REALLY* need to get a darned hoist!

The position of the motor and transmission is low on the frame but does not protrude from the bottom of the frame. So the bottom of the motor module can be smooth. This is a good thing for aerodynamics. This may not be so great for ducting air to what needs cooling (motor controller, DC/DC converter). I'm sure we'll come up with something.

[thingstodo]

Now that I have the motor and transmission set in the correct place, I can figure out what to use for motor mounts and transmission mounts. The motor weighs over 175 lbs and the transmission is another 45 lbs or so.

The motor support bracket can be bolted on the bottom as well as higher up, on each side of the motor. I have the motor 'temporarily' supported by ready rod from the upper mounts. That ready rod is hanging the motor from a temporary ladder network sitting on top of the motor module

I began with 1.25 inch aluminum tube straight across the bottom of the motor module, supporting the motor bracket. But it doesn't fit! The tube would raise the motor by perhaps 1/8 of an inch. That's not good, since adjusting the height of the motor should be done with spacers, not by modifying the bracket or supports ... well, it was a good try!

Scrounging through my metal storage, I locate a couple of pieces (mismatched) of angle iron. They appear to be about the right length - 4 feet or so. The first is cut and fits pretty well. The second is cut and does not fit .. somehow ... there is interference. The interference results from the angle iron being 1.5 inches high on one side and 1 inch on the other.

A simple exchange of ends and the interference is gone.

Drill a hole for a bolt into the frame on each end of the angle irons, but don't put the holes into the frame. The holes in the frame will be slotted .. later

Spacers ... it looks like about an inch. I took small lengths of 1 inch steel tube. That's not quite enough. Add a couple of washers on each ... that's pretty close. Check the height and it appears to be 1.25 inches! that's where I started .. hmmm. Remove the spacers and use 1.25 inch tube. It works! Drill and bolt.

The transmission support is a bit further away from the side of the motor module. I expect that this support will be a bit more complicated.

Start off with the biggest tube I have - 4 inch. Using vertical runs of 1.25 inch tube as supports, then attaching the 4 inch tube to the 1.25 inch ... the 4 inch tube ALMOST fits between the 1.25 inch tube and the transmission mount .. with a bit of interference. After spending a bit of time with a jiffy marker ... and a jigsaw. A small pile of aluminum shavings .. some filing ... it just won't fit! The whole idea is to make it EASY to adjust the height of the transmission as required. Moving the front to back position is a bit less likely, so it can be a bit harder to do. A 3D cut into the 4 inch tube weakens the 4 inch tube, and is not very flexible for small changes or adjustments to the vertical height of the transmission.

Ok ... back off and regroup. The vertical 1.25 inch tube will fit BESIDE the 4 inch tube. How about that? Then I can add 1.25 inch tube bolted to the 4 inch, that the transmission bolt will go through. Changing 2 short (3 inch) lengths of 1.25 inch tube to make adjustments is not too bad. Moving the transmission left or right is done with shims. Up and down with new holes and replacements for the short tubes. It's good enough for now.

All of these tubes are bolted together with grade 8 bolts and nuts. As the video mentions - that bracket would support an OX.

Youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QIz...QV7jV4YjKKSlww

[thingstodo]

I wanted to work on the battery box. And I started making measurements ... but the batteries are used and mismatched so that they will be ... difficult ... to fit into a battery box that looks good and is structurally solid.

That got me thinking about logistics. How much would it cost to ship 400 lbs of batteries to Winnipeg? A quick web check with the only two freight companies that appear to want my money (many of the freight companies will not deal with regular people. You need to have a company, and a loading dock) reveals that the shipping cost is about the cost of the used batteries. That seems like a poor value proposition!

Perhaps this is a good time to postpone the battery box and work on something else, like maybe the placement of the junction boxes.

[thingstodo]

Placement of the HVJB, LVJB, controller, DC to DC converter, charger

I played around with the clear plastic boxes that I'm using to make the Low Voltage Junction Box and High Voltage Junction Box splash-proof in the first prototype. The boxes do fit front to back on the motor module, but the clearance on each side that allows for the charger, DC/DC converter, and controller to be mounted is not great.

How about side to side instead? That gets the boxes closer to the transmission, but that's OK. There is more clearance on the sides, the target of the re-arrange. Good. Yes, I think this will work.

The sides of the boxes, where they rest on supports beneath them, are thicker than I would have expected. The top of the box is almost 2 inches above the support. The top of the frame will not work as a support. There MAY be that sort of headroom above the motor module, but there does not HAVE to be. The brackets wil have to be almost 3 inches lower, to have clearance for the boxes and the lids, and still fit beneath the frame.

A picture of the boxes sitting on top of the frame, in about the right position, is attached. The back of the car is to the right, front to the left. 449a

[thingstodo]

The battery issue has a new proposed solution. Instead of shipping used batteries via freight, the idea is to source new lead acid batteries from a supplier in Winnipeg and have them shipped within the city. The mechanical details of the batteries can be worked out, and the battery boxes will be simple and easy to deal with. Removing the heavy batteries from the shipment makes the electric motor module MUCH easier to deal with. The carrier requires no special instructions for handling ... it's definitely a win-win situation.

I'd like to use in a lithium pack, but it is expensive and requires a different charger, which is expensive ... a new lead-acid pack is reasonable for a prototype. A less expensive pack and a bullet-proof charger make the mistakes less costly ... remember, this is a proto-type!

I'll be investigating which batteries are available in Winnipeg, for a good price. Of course, they need to be safe to put into a moving vehicle. And it would be nice if they did not need to be watered. Maintenance is ongoing and does take time. The batteries need to be more accessible to water them, or a watering system must be installed - another cost. I`ll be searching for a good option over the next week or so