Turning Sunlight into Road Miles

Last Saturday, I taught a class in building a solar array. After the class was over I thought, "Why not put that project to good use." Hence: Here is the 875 watt solar array re-charging the batteries in my electric VW. What more can you ask for ... Sunlight to Road miles!

Nice Driving Weather ... Finally!

Driving again: Beautiful 70+ weather today. It was a good day to take the "Electric Jet" to the barber shop so the driver could get a "spring trim."

Photo shows recharging on the helicopter landing pad. Whenever possible I open the hood for recharging so as to let the gasses escape. This prevents rust from forming in the battery compartment.

Sadly, due to the big John Deere tractor Upgrade project/business, I never got any of the planned winter-downtime improvements done. Hopefully, I'll get to them soon. ("Soon" being quite undefined.)

Adding to the prior items, I've acquired a LINK-10 ("E-Meter") that needs to be installed. This is a very handy gadget which will monitor and log all battery functions.

FIRST on the list is headlight re-wiring! I drove home last night with headlights about as powerful as a 1950 Schwinn bicycle! The problem is typical undersized VW wiring, plus bad grounds. When I get done, I think it will light up the road like a 747 on short final approach!

The original US Battery battery pack is doing better than expected. I figured I would have to replace the pack first thing this year, since this is the fourth year on the pack. So far, it's still chugging well after 25 miles, which will get me to Pullman, and back, still with a little reserve to run around in town a bit. (Down from the initial 50 mile range) I haven't actually "pushed it" to see what the actual range is, however I have definitely noticed that the range is increasing as I drive it this year.

I plan to add two more 6-volt batteries, using the Electro Automotive under the floor battery box. It looks very well designed, as is all their products.

Rob, another Cabbie Converter (http://chaosmgmt.blogspot.com) just installed a lithium-ion pack. I'm watching that carefully and might consider it, if the price is right. Other than being able to extend the vehicle range an amount farther than I usually drive and allow me to spin the wheels and beat most cars to the first stop-light, I really can get along with my faithful non-BMS lead-acid batteries. (Re: Smoking Tires - Pullman is a "Small Town" and too many people know me!)

Stay Tuned ...

Next "Electrifying" Project

NEXT PROJECT
How about an Electric, Solar Charged, "Off-Road Monster," Golf Cart?
Yeah ... I think so!

Step 1: Install a 6" Lift Kit and cool-looking wheels and tires.

The future:

• New Paint Job
• New upholstery that is appropriate for the new paint.
• Headlights
• Add a bunch of chrome
• Convert from gas power to electric power
• Install a solar module on top to keep the running batteries fully charged.
• Oh yes ... Seat Belts!
  

Things Are Heating Up

Now that Winter is upon us, (-3F tonight) it's time to pull the Electric Jet out of service for winter maintenance. I basically have three projects: Add a heater; Improve headlights; Fix the door and window operation.


Heater: I have mocked up a possible heater setup ... and it seems to work well. Now I have to install in the car.


At first, I planned on installing an electric ceramic heater, as many have done, but decided against that because of potential safety issues. I think hot water will work better.


I bought a small hot water heater tank that is used in the winter as an engine block heater. (eBay) It has a 1000 watt 115vac heater element and will work on 96vdc, just fine. (Tank heaters are available up to 2000 watts.) I used a small 12 vdc hot water pump used in solar hot water systems to circulate the water. (El-Sid pump). Hooking all this in series with a new VW heater core, I proved that it will put out a good supply of hot air.


I will wire it in, in such a manner that I can run the heater on aux. home power for a time before departing, so as to pre-heat the car interior. When I'm ready to depart, I will switch it over to car power.


Before you ask: The whole heater system will require about 1,100 watts of power, when ON. Compare that to the 20,000 watts of power the car uses in normal cruise. This computes out to about an added 5% requirement, which in most cases will not affect power or range to any appreciable amount.


I think this will be a safe system, with minimal amount of controls required. If it starts to overheat, the hot water heater tank has a internal cut-off thermostat switch.


What could be easier?

What Happens When You Short Out The Pack

Here is why I always wear gloves and eye protection!

Today, I was doing the spring battery maintenance, which consisted of topping off the water and tightening the battery terminal connections. For the tightning, I use a 1/2" box end wrench that is wrapped with electrical tape. The only exposed part is the box end.

Today, however, I needed an extra wrench and I just grabbed another, unwrapped wrench. Unfortunately, it slipped and shorted across the entire pack of batteries in the rear of the car. This was "only" eight of the sixteen in the car. When it crossed the terminals, it was like a Fourth of July display, with hot molten steel flying in all directions. I can't imagine what would happen if full pack had been shorted.

In the second picture, you can see chunks of molten steel and tracks across the battery tops where the hot metal rolled across.

Word to EV builders and owners: BE CAREFUL.

Possible Design Defect

In my opinion there is a design defect in the Electro Automotive VW wiring scheme:

I have lost two 12 vdc vehicle aux. batteries. Last week, the second aux. battery ended up fully discharged … and frozen. (The temp in my barn has been in the 0-25 deg. F range.)

Remember from my last blog entry, I discussed long maintenance charges?

Here's the problem:

Whenever external power is plugged into the car outlet for charging, the 12vdc fan is activated to ventilate the rear battery box. The fan is powered from the aux. battery During this time, there is no recharging of the aux. battery. It's the same as leaving the car lights ON, when leaving the car ... albeit, with a much lower current draw.

I frequently plug in my charger in the afternoon, upon return home, and leave it ON all night, as my PFC-20, turns OFF at the appropriate time. It seemed like there was no downside to this technique. Several times, when the power was plugged in for extended times, even with the charger OFF, the aux. battery became fully discharged, eventually resulting in my buying a new battery.

During the worst of this winter, my car stays in the barn. In order to preserve the batteries, I use my PFC 20 to frequently charge the batteries. Last week, I left the charger on for 24 hours, in 10 deg. weather, with the charger set at the appropriate float voltage. When I checked later, I discovered the fan stopped, the aux, battery dead ... and frozen! I now have to buy another new battery.

I think it's a poor design to run the battery box ventilator with a 12vdc fan, powered from a source that isn't kept charged. I plan on replacing the fan, ASAP, with a 120vac fan that runs from external house power whenever the vehicle is plugged in.

If this situation applies to you, I suggest you replace the 12vdc fan with a 125vac fan, wired in appropriately.

Just my opinion.

Winter Upkeep: Part 2

In battery lore, there are two critical numbers: The first is the "Charge to" voltage, sometimes referred to as the "Acceptance" voltage. This the the voltage the pack should be charged to after usage. The second number is the "float" voltage. This is the voltage the pack should be held to when not being used i.e., the pack should float along at this voltage when idle. Both voltages are computed, based upon battery type and battery temperatures, among other things.

In the case of my pack, the float voltage at the 30-35 deg.F, is 105.95 - 106.25 volts. Using a thermometer, my PFC20 charger and a lab quality digital voltmeter, I am going to float the pack for a day, or so, to do a rather lengthy "equalizing balance."

(CLICK photo for a larger image)

Winter Upkeep

It's not the best electric vehicle weather ... especially considering that we're having a hard time even getting our Volvo XC90 (4-wheel drive!) out to the county road.

So, for the time being the VW is staying in the unheated garage/barn. While there, I'm being very careful to keep the batteries fully charged. I have a chart from the battery manufacturer (U S Battery) that states the "charge to" and "float" voltages. Using my HP precision digital voltmeter to monitor my Manzanita Micro PFC20 charger, I periodically do a charge to the "charge to" voltage, followed by a 30-min equalizing charge. This is the same technique I used last year. Even though the vehicle sat for about three months in temperatures as low as -10 degF, when I reactivated the VW, last spring, I saw virtually no loss from the batteries! I hope I can say the same thing this spring!

As far as the video, I mentioned in an earlier blog, that will have to wait until spring. I will get it done ... promise!

No Heat - No Problem

For some time now, I have been "getting ready" to take on the task of adding a heater to the Cabbie. There are, by my count, about three reasonable possibilities:



Option One: Replace the old hot water heater with an electric ceramic element. The ceramic element would be installed in the original VW heater box, along with the appropriate electric controls to run it. This would make a nice professional installation and the heater would function much like the original VW unit. I actually have all the parts gathered together ... I just haven't gotten around to it.



Option Two: I have read about several heater installations involving conventional hair driers. Since the hair drier really doesn't care if it's plugged into the household 115 vac outlet or my 98-volt DC battery pack, the hair drier will run just fine (maybe even better!) and put out copious amounts of hot air. Some builders have stuck the end of the drier into one of the car's air vent lines and simply switched it ON/OFF manually. An advantage of the hair drier is it can be pointed directly at the windshield for fast defrost or defog. I'm thinking: If I constructed a small metal box as a "docking station" to hold the hair drier, the box could direct the warm air from the drier into the cabin area. Then if I needed defrosting or defogging, I just lift the hair drier from it's "docking station", then return it when the windshield has been cleared. I actually am beginning to favor this approach ... to the point that I will probably give it a try ... after I get tired of Option Three!



Option Three: Do nothing! I've been driving quite a bit in 25-28 deg. F, weather with no heater and it really isn't all that bad! With a warm coat, light gloves and a warm hat, I don't mind it that much during my nine-mile work commute. After all, it would usually take three or four miles for a conventional car to warm up, so you would dress warmly, anyway.



BOTTOM LINE: Don't get too worked up over how to get heat into your conversion. Just make sure all the holes in the vehicle firewall are plugged. I had one pretty good sized hole where the old heater assembly came out and that let in a lot of cold air, while driving. Once the air leaks were plugged, as I mentioned, "It really isn't all that bad."



HINT: If I have the chance, I "pre-heat" the cabin, using a small 115 vac ceramic type heater. (Yes, the one that I planned on taking apart to permanently install in the car.) If I know I'll be driving in 15-30 minutes, I put the heater on the floor of the passenger side, being EXTREMELY careful that it isn't in any position to overheat any part of the car (Like in: Catch on fire!) The warmed up car feels pretty good and the heat will persist for several miles.

What it like to drive an EV

Stay Tuned:

Before too long I'll grab the video camera and take you on an informative tour and ride in my "Electric VW."

Road Report

It's been about two weeks since I have the car back on the road after the front end rebuild.

It drives almost like a new car. I am particularily impressed with the Bilstein shocks. The ride is "Euro-Firm." I like it: It reminds me of my last Audi i.e., great road feel and very positive steering. It also helped to get the lower anti-roll bar reinstalled, along with the upper strut tower support fixture. (I have to ask myself: "Why didn't I do this sooner?")

Next project will be headlights and heater.

Work-In-Progress

As of today, I have one side completed. I would have been done, but discovered yesterday that one upper strut bearing plate was worn beyond limits. No one in town carries the part so it was ordered thru Schuck's Auto Parts. It will be here Monday AM. (I endorse Schuck's. They are very responsive to parts orders.)

A Bilstein performance strut assembly ... The Best!

New driveshaft/CV joint assembly. Both left and right were replaced.

Upon initial build of the car, I did not attach the upper stabilizer bar because it interferred with the mounting plates for the DC/DC converter, the main contactor and the throttle pot. I trimmed down the mounting plates and now the bar fits. (I put a lot of work into getting a great paint job on the bar.)

Here is a pix of the strut assembly installed in the right side of the car. The springs are not stock, but custom wound units designed to handle the added battery weight AND lower the car about 1-1/2" (38 mm)

A new ball joint.

Time-Out

The V-Dub is down for a little maintenance. It has been very reliable transportation for me for over 3000 miles, since the conversion was completed almost exactly one year ago.

Last night, while driving to town, I heard a very distinctive "grinding" sound. I had a very good idea what it was: The CV joints. I knew they needed replacing, even when I first started to drive the car after conversion, last year. In fact, I have had the replacement drive shafts/CV joints on hand for several months, waiting until "I felt like" replacing them. I now "feel like it!" Today, I started the disassembly of the front end and will do the following repairs:

* Replace both drive shafts and CV joints. (Interesting note: The shafts I have had for several months are the wrong ones! Fortunately, I have the original receipt and can exchange for the correct ones.)

* I discovered that the wheel bearing on the left-front wheel was totally worn out. I'll replace that, along with the right-front, just as a preventing measure.

* The right-front steering tie-rod end will be replaced. (It was actually OK, but got a little "banged-up" during removal.)

* Both front strut cartridges (shock absorbers) will be replaced. I bought new ones when I did the conversion, but they failed almost immediately. (That's what you get for trying to save a buck ... even though they were advertised as "performance.")

* I have had a tachometer adapter for almost a year, but never installed it because it takes a little drilling into the transmission case. I'll get that done this time.

* Since I do a lot of driving at night, I need to do some work on the headlights. The wiring is old, resulting in less than optimum light output. They also need to be re-aimed.

That's probably enough work for this cycle. This winter, I'll catch up on a few more improvements/repairs. The major deferred project is a heater!

Watch this blog for photos and updates as the work progresses.

I'm Getting A Charge Out Of You

This is the Manzanita Micro PFC-20 Charger that I have installed in the truck of the VW. The "AMPS" control sets the charging current. I have marked two positions: 15 AMPS (for charging from a normal 120V household outlet) and a 20 AMP position, which it is currently set at. (I have a dedicated 20 AMP circuit in the barn.) If I used the 20 AMP position for "away from home" charging, I would probably trip the circuit breaker ... NOT a good way to impress friends and neighbors!

These are the controls for adjusting the time the charger "floats" the battery pack after charging. This is to balance the sixteen batteries in the pack.

The left arrow points to the rotary switch that lets you "guess" what the balance/float time is. It is a 16-position rotary switch with no hint as to timing except to state that the "three o'clock position" is zero time ... it's kind of a "try it and see" approach. (This could be improved.) This is why I'm using the recording chart device to monitor the times.

The right row of switches (installed upside-down ... intentionally, I guess for assembly convenience) selects the various charge/float options. The #1 switch ON, as I have selected, selects the option for the balance/float to start as soon as the charger senses the pack has reached the selected charge voltage.

A vintage Omega chart recorder that I bought on eBay, several years ago. This is the first real application that I have used it in. Works great!
Here is the latest recording that I made after after an eighteen mile trip to Pullman and back. You can see that the charge time was 3.5 hours, followed by an approximate one hour very low power balance/float.

With the current cost of electricity here, the total trip cost would have been approximately TWENTY CENTS! I say: "Would have been," because our solar electric system is currently generating MORE power than it takes to recharge the car. We get free "gas" and what's left over, we sell back to the power company! What's better than that?
See -> http://rjrenergy.blogspot.com

(CLICK pictures for a larger image)

Free Ticket To Ride

What's better than an electric convertible ride on a warm spring day?

What IS better is when the cool ride is powered by energy from the sun.

Vacuum Brakes Revisted

March 5, 2008

The weather is finally improving and it's actually getting up to 50 deg. (f) during the day. We still have snow laying around in the shaded areas, but it's about gone. Even the fields are starting to green up.

I'm starting to drive the car again, so I decided I better upgrade and reactivate the power brake system. It's not too bad driving with no brake booster, but I think it would be hard to lock up a wheel in an emergency stop. Also, since I'm letting others drive it occasionally, it's sort of a safety issue.

What I did was replace the vacuum switch (the switch that starts and stops the vacuum pump) with a much better switch from EV Parts. It's adjustable. Next, at the suggestion of several members on the EVDL (Electric Vehicle Discussion List) I put a "surge protector" in series with the vacuum pump motor. (The protector is a ten ohm thermistor.) What the thermistor does is cause the vacuum pump to do a "soft start," which is much more "gentlemanly like."

The system is working good and is now virtually unobtrusive ... and it hold vacuum quite well.

UPDATE: January 9, 2008

Project Temporarily Suspended!

Two trucks ... I thought there was only one? Well, the second one, the silver one, was a gift! It has no engine, but the body is very nice. Between the two, I should be able to make ONE very nice electric S10.

Double The Fun

With this posting, I'll begin covering a second vehicle scheduled for conversion from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) to electric. The "new" (and I use that term loosely!) vehicle is a 1988 Chevrolet S10 pickup. The engine doesn't run very well, which doesn't much matter, but the body and transmission seem pretty sound. The interior is definitely a candidate for a total rehab, in fact it looks so shabby that I won't even show a photo ... It's that bad!

Yesterday, while driving into town, I spotted this beauty sitting by the side of the road with a FOR SALE sign on it. Since I've been looking for an S10 for my next project, I stopped to take a look. The price was $400, which included a truck bed full of trash! (I made the trip to the county dump, this morning, to discharge the junk.) What ... a buy?

More than likely, the truck will sit under cover for a while, until I get time to start the project.

VW: I have the replacement battery installed, charged and ready to go. The rebuilt vacuum brake booster, along with a new master cylinder has also been installed. One problem that still exists is the short cycling ON/OFF of the electric vacuum brake booster pump. It's not as serious as it was before I replaced the vacuum booster, but still slightly objectionable. I'm thinking that It may be the vacuum switch is too "sensitive." I will do some testing on that issue next week.

Last minute update: Sunday, Nov 18, 2007:

I put a vacuum guage on the brake booster assembly and discovered that the problem is, in fact, a vacuum switch that is not well adjusted. (Unfortunately, there are are no user adjustments.) The switch, upon reaching the desired vacuum level, rather than shutting the pump OFF, rapidly switches between ON and OFF, causing the power relay to chatter and the pump to short-cycle. I ordered a new and different vacuum switch today. I am confident the problem will be solved.

UPDATE: November 2, 2007

The V-Dub hasn't moved for several weeks ... no change from the prior report. There are a couple of reasons for this:

First, I recently spent two weeks in a solar energy school learning all about installing solar power and hot water systems. This is just the beginning of my new business in solar construction. Because of the time away, I haven't had time to do the work that I wanted to get done ... like installing a heater!

Next, one of my new batteries developed a leak around a terminal and required a warrantee replacement. Unfortunately, since the batteries are not typical, it had to be a special order. It is expected to be here later this week.

I really miss driving the car, especially now with gas over $3 a gallon!

(See --> http://www.RJRsolar.com In case you're curious: RJR is for R J Ranch; the "R" for Roger and the "J" for Jacquie.)

UPDATE: October 9, 2007

The car is going out of service for awhile, while I do some minor repairs and updates. Included will be:

• I have one battery that has a bad seal on the terminal and needs replacing.
• I will be replacing the leaking brake vacuum booster with a new/rebuilt unit. Because the old unit has a vacuum leak, the vacuum pump keeps rapidly cycling ON/OFF. For this reason, I've disconnected the pump ... and have been driving with no brake boost. It's actually no big problem, but does require a strong foot and leg.
• I will be adding recording thermocouples to the drive motor and controller. They aren't needed, but I like to play around with that stuff.
• I will be adding a tachometer interface unit that (hopefully) will be able to drive the existing VW tachometer. The unit "counts" the revolving teeth on the flywheel starter ring and converts that information to pulses used to drive the VW tachometer.
• I will be changing the rear brakes from the original drum brakes to a set of disk brakes from a VW Scirocco. (The front brakes are already disks.)
• I will be installing an electric heater in the original VW heater box, replacing the old water radiator.
• I need to seal up spaces around the rear battery box so that road dust doesn't seep up into the rear compartment.

As you can see, I have a lot to do, so the car will be out of service for a while. As of today, I have 800 miles on the car, since conversion. It's starting to get a little chilly, so the heater will be a welcome addition.