|
Components and Materials Selection, More Design Decisions and First Photos of the EVMaine Vehicle
This is the ultimate lightweight wheelmotor (from Australia):
http://www.tip.csiro.au/Machines/success/sc.html
Motor Controller/PWM: I have a controller to match the motor.
The guys at the link below put together "Engineered Systems" for DC Electric Vehicle Drives
http://www.ev-america.com/suppliers.html
Advanced DC Motors below, is one of the best and most popular motor manufacturers:
http://www.adcmotors.com/prod01.htm
My Final choice of motor:
An Advanced DC Motor #A00-4009 rated 36-72 VDC, 6.7" diameter by 10.4" long with .875
diameter keyed shaft 2.28" long
Name Tag rating 36 Volts (can use up to 72 volts), 2300 RPM, 4.15 HP continuous, Reversible, Internal fan
Current Ratings: 80 amps continuous, 100 amps for one hour, 350 amps peak
Horsepower Ratings: 6 HP continuous, 28 HP peak
All ADC motors use class H insulation (180 deg. C), sealed bearings
Motor ADC #A00-4009 6.7" 36-72VDC 6HP Single Shaft
This model of Advanced DC brand motor is recommended for electric vehicles up to 1,000 pounds.
The Biggest EV Parts Dealer in the Country
www.evparts.com/firstpage.php?PHPSESSID=f6c3f64f3e486e584e5422724bccefba
Motor Protection: I will wrap some window screening around the motor to prevent the entry of small rocks, and will provide plenty of cooling air for it.
This is a three-wheeled Doran kit car (electric) from the early ‘90’s
http://www.evclubsouth.org/carfrm.html
The link below is the above guy’s home page from which he describes two electric motorcycles as he’s building them. He also considers a CVT transmission to get better low AND top end performance. http://geocities.com/hendersonmotorcycles/
Curtis foot pedal source below: (potentiometer-accelerator).
http://www.curtisinst.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cDatasheets.dspListDS&CatID=12
Drive Wheel: I will use a # 630 chain and sprockets with about a six to one ratio.
Safety Bumpers: This pdf file below outlines many schemes to increase bumper safety for pedestrians. The summary is really all that needs to be read.
http://www.autosteel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=PDFs&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm& CONTENTID=10499
This site sells the Curtis 900r battery ‘fuel gauge.’
http://www.curtisinst.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cDatasheets.dspListDS&CatID=25
I expect the weight of my finished vehicle with batteries will be about 800 to 900 pounds.
A photo of four battery electric vehicles being recharged in a city in France. They include an El Car (Germany), two Twikes (Switzerland) and a Kurrent (Italy first, but now from the US).
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
A HOMEMADE AUSSIE ELECTRIC 3-WHEELER
Click Here
THE CHARGER DESIGN FROM VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA
This is a .pdf file Click Here
Below: I like the design of the bottom part of this double frame with battery storage under the driver for a very low center of gravity. I will also have my batteries under the driver.
Wheels: My front tires are cast, 26.5 inch outside tire diameter, Kevlar belted with a small tread area for reduced rolling friction. They will give a smoother ride on uneven pavement. A heavier motorcycle wheel and tire is utilized for the single back drive wheel.
I like this design. The running chassis on the right below, not the body on the left, parallels my design.
http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~me470/SnrDesign05_06/me472/H3R_Design_Report_graded.pdf This document from the University of Ohio has lots of great engineering ideas in it. This is the best three wheel design document that I have found yet.
Theft Protection Features: Keyed ignition switch, unusual looking vehicle (easy to find), locked grocery compartment, and eventually a lockable cockpit cab.
Another small, one-person prototype EV below.
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
Here’s the nice aluminum frame of the SolarTaxi, an electric car that is now travelling around the World, although they’ve suffered some frame breakage problems..
Speedo fixer: http://www.cyclepages.com/ProductGroupDisp.aspx?ProductGroupID=4600762
Headlight: A car headlight with both high and low beams. The center of the headlight lens must be no less than 24 inches from the ground.
Below is a very neat rear wheel setup with an E-Tek motor from Briggs and Stratton for a solar racer. Unfortunately this motor is not quite powerful enough for my considerably heavier-than-a-solar vehicle.
http://www.speedace.info/solar_car_mechanics_suspension_steering_and_brakes.htm
The gear ratio here is about 6 to 1.
Here is a handy Electric Vehicle Technology Forum where you can get some of your questions answered, although it appears to be mostly about two-wheelers:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/
Check out Yahoo Groups too, there are several pertaining to electric vehicles.
Here’s an interesting front end below:
www.driveelectric.org
Two photos of a 1970 Bond Bug 3-wheeler
www.3wheelers.com/gal208.html
Plenty of solar panels here, almost enough to run it.
http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=1625
I like this one too
Here’s a good example of a separate body frame
www.sunnev.com
A compact running gear solar car:
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
Some Australian solar car materials and parts are discussed here:
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/beaming03_04/suzuka03/report_01.html
My overarching goal is to keep both the weight and the cost of my vehicle to a minimum, and the range to a maximum. I think that is many people’s goal for their electric car.
Top speed vs range per charge are trade-offs as long as todays batteries cannot store much electricity. When more energy-dense batteries are available at a reasonable price the usual reasons that most people reject electric cars will disappear, but Detroit will continue to fight them anyway. $6 a gallon gas would also speed up the acceptance process, and even $4 per gallon would make people start hating that SUV gas hog sitting in their driveway, not to mention that it would likely also torpedo the US economy.
Tailight and Turn Signal Lights: I’ll use LEDs for less power drain. Two parking lights in the front and two taillights in the rear. Include a switch to turn off the front parking lights while the other lights are on.
Below is a link to a very interesting website about some design flaws inherent in all 3-wheeled vehicles. In defense of my project, it seems to me that a relatively low-speed electric vehicle for running errands is not what this author is talking about when he discusses roll-overs during high speed turns.
http://www.clevislauzon.qc.ca/Professeurs/Mecanique/ethierp/3-wheels/class3.htm
Perhaps the professor above was referring to a vehicle that is a lot speedier than mine will be, such as the high speed, three-wheeled T-Rex that is shown below. Update: They are now finishing development of an electric version of the T-Rex 3-wheeler to be marketed soon in the U.S. for around $49 grand.
Side Mirrors: Break-away type for safety. I’ll get them at an auto supply store, and not skimp on size.
This underslung driver solar design leaves a more coherent panel top, but is too close to the road to be road legal and it dangerously restricts the driver’s view.
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
Windshield Rearview Mirror: I’ll make sure it is a big one. Side rearview mirrors will be present. I will install a flat safety glass windshield.
This basic and clean design is more to my liking:
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
Above: Another one, but surely it is too hot inside.
http://www.blueskydsn.com/
This design does not particularly appeal to me.
http://www.blueskydsn.com/BugE_Concept.html
Brakes: Sturdy disk brakes on all 3 wheels with a 2 wheels /1 wheel double master cylinder.
A different interesting solar design, but again it is too low to be street legal.
https://www.aurorasolarcar.com/main_frame.html
Accessories: I’ll install a standard 12 volt outlet in the dash for any accessories like my laptop computer.
Again, this lightweight solar design below intrigues me, but mine will be considerably larger and heavier than this one.
http://www.solarelectricalsystems.com/html/suncar.htm
Read these info bits about solar car design - very good!
http://www.speedace.info/solar_car_bodywork.htm
MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS OF THE BELMONT COMET BEING BUILT BY EVMAINE
Summer 2008
The ladder frame after welding
Streamlining wouldn’t make much difference because my vehicle will be driven mostly around town at low speeds, which is when there’s not much resistance from the air.
This will become the back end of my car. It is from a 1982 Kawasaki 1,000 cc bike. I will weld it to the car frame and then add the electric motor. I made sure I got a bike that had a hydraulic (disc) brake so it could be used in concert with the two front hydraulic (disc) brakes.
This is my front end. Art Haines of www.sunnev.com made it for me. I later widened it five inches for more road stability and a smaller turning radius.
These are the front wheels and tires, which are 26 and a half inches from outside to outside of the tread. They are larger and sturdier than bicycle tires.
Setup in the basement to check room for the batteries
Basement, back view
Closeup of assembly
The front end as purchased from www.sunnev.com
The original design was to be a 3-wheeled motorcycle (tricycle)
Here’s the beginning of the body frame construction, with the sturdy roll bar behind and over the seat.
A Dodge van seat assures comfort
The left heel accelerator setup
Another view of the accelerator
This is how the unique left heel accelerator will be used. The firewall is too close to the legs for a regular accelerator, and this arrangement is just as safe and easy to use as any other setup
This shows the unfinished dash instrumentation arrangement. The speedometer must have an odometer that keeps its mileage permanently, even if its power source is removed, so most bicycle speedometers can’t be used in registered vehicles.
Here’s the front end, including the boat bumper to protect from parking lot bumps.
The frame will get some diagonal strengtheners as appropriate for crash protection. This view also shows the new chrome headlights. They have both high and low beams just like any other vehicle driven on the roads. The ‘skin’ of the vehicle will be mostly fiberglass panels on one quarter inch plywood that is bolted to the body frame.
Here’s the dash. A Forward or Reverse switch still needs to be added. The
dash hinges down for easy access to the back of the instrumentation. A high voltage kill switch will be located between my knees, where I will always be able to quickly and easily operate it by either my hands or my legs.
This shows a good overview of the frame system and the boat bumper that is attached to the front bumper to eliminate minor fender benders. Also a safety glass windshield will be installed with a windshield wiper.
Here’s a closeup of the front end. I later changed it to a different design for the faster and heavier autocycle plan, instead of the original low speed electric vehicle.
You can see some of the complexity of the frame for the curbside-only door.
Just another photo of the early frame design, different angle.
This shot shows a Mitsubishi 110 watt solar panel for a possible roof. Maybe.
Another angle showing the solar panel.
The tarps removed so I could work on it after a rainshower.
Late Summer and Fall 2008
Open door showing the one quarter inch plywood panels that are under the flexible plastic outer skin.
Photo with the curb-side door closed.
A photo showing the open door.
Another of side with panels in place.
Back end.
Four wheel setup when it was going to become a 4 wheeled low-speed vehicle.
Late Fall 2008. The (temporarily) 4 wheeled version is about to be put in the shed for the winter.
Its official name is now the Belmont ‘Comet’
Top of Page
.
|
