Search found 219 matches
- Wed, 02 Oct 2013, 14:35
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
We've now added two reservoirs totalling 3 litres (2 of 460 mm x 65 mm dia PVC pipe). Is yours really only 0.75 L, Renard? Jeff Owen may not believe this, given my aversion to non-SI units, or he may be surprised that I'm admitting it http://forums.aeva.asn.au/smileys/smiley2.gif but I already owne...
- Wed, 02 Oct 2013, 02:05
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
At least the failed item was not fundamental. I'm a bit surprised you didn't have a reservoir, but I suppose you have been very limited with cubic capacity under the bonnet. I have the same pump as you and my reservoir is about 3/4 litre. Also I oblige the pump to run for several seconds after it re...
- Tue, 01 Oct 2013, 19:52
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
The suspense is killing us!
- Mon, 30 Sep 2013, 01:53
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Voltron-Evo; jonescg's new electric race bike
- Replies: 291
- Views: 57239
Voltron-Evo; jonescg's new electric race bike
My goodness! Very impressive work. You wrote: "The way I currently have it, I have a 50 W, 520 ohm precharge resistor, impeding inrush current to the 560 uF worth of capacitors in the inverter. This means precharge is over in 1 second, and the main contactor closes after 2.4 seconds. On turning the ...
- Mon, 30 Sep 2013, 01:41
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
[quote="jonescg"] The way I currently have it, I have a 50 W, 520 ohm precharge resistor, impeding inrush current to the 560 uF worth of capacitors in the inverter. This means precharge is over in 1 second, and the main contactor closes after 2.4 seconds. On turning the bike off, all contactors and...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 23:36
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
So Chris, I see there are three situations. 1. Pre-charge 2. Break under load 3. Discharge The first is covered by my circuit. The second is the kind of major fault that happens once in a blue moon and which the contactor is designed to handle -- at least a few times. The third is not as serious as ...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 19:47
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
On the other side of the build vs. buy decision, you could send $55 to Ian for a ZEVA Smart Precharger , and get a couple of additional features... (I have not used one) I see that it's voltage-limited to 320V. Without seeing the circuit I couldn't say if if could be changed to cope with higher vol...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 17:54
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
Thanks for the feedback BigMouse and Coulomb. About the ageing: a significant decline in the CTR over time would raise the turn-on voltage somewhat from 29V to something higher. One should set this level low enough that this would not be a problem. Perhaps one could start at say 5% of full voltage (...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 17:02
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
There is a relay in series with the traction pack contactor. The relay's normally closed terminals are in use, so that when we power the relay, we break the supply to the contactor. The diagram is misleading; the Express schematic outlines only include a NC relay, but it should be NO, so that at 29...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 16:32
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
The IGBT temperatures had been climbing up into the sixties, Unless your drive was long or hard, I'm surprised by this, since my controller never goes over about 35. It suggests that the coolant circulation is critical. Or perhaps there is something else in your set-up causing abnormally high curre...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 16:17
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
After consulting multimeters measuring auxiliary battery voltage and charge current, we decided that for reasons unknown, the DC/DC (a 15 V 15 A adjustable MeanWell power supply ) wasn't putting much current into the auxiliary battery. We'd let it run low again today, due to a misunderstanding; it ...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 13:31
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
You might need to provide some context first, and then walk me through it. Which contactor is this? For the heater? For the traction pack? DC/DC is affecting precharge? It's for the main contactor, which has been subject to a pre-charge. (But would apply to any pre-charge situation.) On the left ha...
- Sun, 29 Sep 2013, 03:31
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
I have been trying to think of a circuit to prevent a contactor closing until the voltage across its terminals is low.
Can people see any problems with this circuit?

Can people see any problems with this circuit?
- Mon, 23 Sep 2013, 18:57
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
As you can see, we're using a rather technical method of assembly here; it's based on this thing called the offcut of masonite. [ Edit: it's actually MDF. ] I don't think we even cut it to size; Weber found one that seemed about the right size and told me to use that. It has the sound deadening beh...
- Thu, 19 Sep 2013, 15:16
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
Further to my post of 27th August, the WS200 arrived back from Tritium yesterday with a new base, courtesy of James. He has described it as 'brazed, not bonded'. [Edit: not 'James Bonded'] I can only suppose that the original bases were susceptible to leaks at normal or even slight over-pressure of ...
- Fri, 13 Sep 2013, 23:18
- Forum: Batteries, charging, management and monitoring
- Topic: Accessory battery
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1873
Accessory battery
My car has a standard size 17AHr AGM and it works fine -- with a 450W DC/DC converter.
Every so often, Rockby Electronics has them on special for a good price.
Every so often, Rockby Electronics has them on special for a good price.
- Thu, 12 Sep 2013, 15:09
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
Thanks very much Woody. My computer skills are very minimal. The files -- one file split into two to be less than 200kB each -- diplayed OK when I uploaded them and when I checked them a few minutes later. I did a screen grab of a pdf file which produces a tiff file, but by forcing a png extension o...
- Wed, 11 Sep 2013, 19:01
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
I've managed to get the file about consumption and efficiency displayed:




- Wed, 28 Aug 2013, 14:05
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
weber wrote:
I assume you've tried changing the mass figure in the WaveSculptor configuration. What is it set to? What else have you tried?
The mass figure is set to 1500kg, so that's not it. Neither is it fully removed by setting regen to zero.
I drive sedately anyway, so it hasn't bothered me.
- Wed, 28 Aug 2013, 02:26
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
I make this a separate post. The first major problem was an experience of being stranded 10km from home with a persistent Wavesculptor HWOC error. At the same time, the coolant was leaking from the WS block, but TJ assures me that there's no connection. Anyway, the WS is off to Tritium for repair. h...
- Wed, 28 Aug 2013, 02:15
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Renard's BMW
- Replies: 237
- Views: 35394
Renard's BMW
A couple of months since my last post, and I've been getting experience driving. (And getting the rest of my life back.) The more I drive, the more relaxed I feel and the less I'm feeling the parts of the car as if I were sensing with my nerves into every component waiting for something to misbehave...
- Sun, 25 Aug 2013, 17:20
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
- Replies: 1698
- Views: 402305
Weber and Coulomb's MX-5
Terrific commitment and stamina -- leaves me feeling a bit faint.
And it's just as well that even when it's on the road and legal, it will never be completely finished.
And it's just as well that even when it's on the road and legal, it will never be completely finished.

- Sun, 11 Aug 2013, 19:51
- Forum: Mitsubishi
- Topic: Local News Corp Car Advice
- Replies: 3
- Views: 911
Local News Corp Car Advice
Shortly after Fairfax ran a story about the VW drop-out faults, VW pulled all its advertising. Since then, I think they've kissed and made up.
But before assessing the News Corp comments, I'd ask how much, or how little, advertising Mitsubishi was sending them. It's all about money. Cui bono?
But before assessing the News Corp comments, I'd ask how much, or how little, advertising Mitsubishi was sending them. It's all about money. Cui bono?
- Tue, 23 Jul 2013, 15:27
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: The mauswerkz 300zx EV build
- Replies: 43
- Views: 8813
The mauswerkz 300zx EV build
Spent a good portion of today messing around with the battery arrangement and trying to figure out the best way to mount them. I was thinking about building a battery box to mount under the car where the fuel tank used to be. That would take about half of those cells out of the back seat area and m...
- Sat, 20 Jul 2013, 03:02
- Forum: Members Machines
- Topic: The mauswerkz 300zx EV build
- Replies: 43
- Views: 8813
The mauswerkz 300zx EV build
With my 112 cells, I'm often driving with a pack voltage in the low 370's when the pack is fully charged. As to how the SMPS responds to this slight over-spec voltage, I don't know. Because my SMPS is in a hard-to-get-at position, I didn't risk it; I put a 30V active zener in series with the convert...