Michael's MR-02-EV

[MikeD]

MR-02-EV


EV Album Link


Major Components

1. Chassis          – 1989 Toyota MR2
2. Motor            – MES-DEA 200/250
3. Inverter         – MES-DEA TIM-600
4. Batteries        – Thundersky LFP60AHA, 56 cells, 192 volts
5. BMS              - Batrium
6. DC-DC converter - Chenic
7. Control Computer - Beaglebone Black
8. Vacuum pump      – MES-DEA Type 70/6E
9. Cooling System   – Kawasaki GPX-250 radiator and fan
10.Mechanical Bits an Pieces

[MikeD]

I recently got the MR-2 back from Geoff O’Tool (GT Tooling) who mounted the radiator, made four battery boxes, mounting frames and a fibreglass board for the electronics.

The radiator is mounted at the right side of the engine bay.



The main battery box holds 56 Thundersky cells.



The battery box mounting frame in the engine bay (you can see the MES-DEA motor and gearbox underneath.



The battery box in the engine bay.



The battery box under the car, where the petrol tank used to be (it was pretty awkward under there apparently).



The fibreglass board in the rear boot where the electronics will be mounted (there is a front boot also which MR-2 guys call a frunk?).

[MikeD]

The motor in my car is an MES-DEA 200-250 which is manufacture by MES-DEA in Switzerland but purchased from Metric Mind in the USA. The selection and purchasing process is a bit convoluted and I could try to explain - alcohol would probably help.

The motor specification sheet.



The motor adaptor plate and end plate during construction.



The motor adaptor plate, end plate and coupling spline in place.



The motor sans the end plate.

[PlanB]

Sent you a PM re a look at your MR2 layout Mike. I'm having real trouble deciding on a donor car, it would be really nice to see what some others are doing to get a better feel for the mechanical scope of an ev conversion.

[MikeD]

Hello B
PM’ed you back, but am following up with some general thoughts on an EV conversion.

- Consider what you want the car to do ... in my case I hope to have a daily driver that will get me from the suburbs to the city (and back)

- Work out the range you need from the car ... 40km round trip (for example)

- Consider the speeds you will need to maintain ... 60 – 80-km/h

Now you need to consider what technology to use. I have gone the AC route with Lithium batteries which is pretty advance for a first conversion (I’m a electrical engineer and it’s still taking ages to convert my car) so I would advise the DC route for your first conversion and/or get the assistance of someone who has experience with the technology.

Choose a vehicle to convert, something that you really want to own as you will have the car for a while after spending lots of time and money on it. For me that was as sports car but honestly it’s not the easiest vehicle to convert.

Now talk to someone with experience. Drop into an AEVA meeting (as mentioned in my PM), ask plenty of questions and check-out the cars that the meeting.

With all this in hand visit an automotive engineer (preferably the engineer who will certify you conversion) and discuss your plans.

Mike

[MikeD]

The inverter in my car is an MES-DEA TIM-600:

Peak power : 100 kw
Max input voltage : 400 VDC
Input voltage range : 80 .. 400 VDC
Input (battery) current : 225 A
PWM switching frequency : 3 .. 9 kHz
Output current max (RMS/peak) : 225/350 A

[MikeD]

There are 60 Thundersky lithium-ion TS-LFP60AHA batteries in the MR2 at the moment which makes the traction battery pack 195 volts. They are linked together with EV Works braided cell interconnects and looked after by Tritium IQ-Cell BMS cards.




I started to install the stacks into the battery box but paused to check on a couple of cells after a spanner bridged across the terminals – that was rather exciting – in a bad way.



At the same time I tested the CAN comms between the IQ-Cell cards and my vehicle controller. This is the output of the CAN demon. The graphical interface works too but it is rather ugly at the moment.

[coulomb]

Um, isn't an average of 4.3 V a bit much even for Thunder Sky cells? I mean, the BMS might bypass an amp or two, but you appear to be pumping in 18 A there.

I'd rather not be a witness to battricide.

[MikeD]

Well spotted ... when setting up I was turning up the power supply dial whilst watching a volt meter with the probes accross the battery terminals which was ... dumb.

I very artistically framed-up and took the photo ... then noticed the power supply meters!

[MikeD]

This is my high voltage circuit for the moment, it will definitely change as I plan to add more cells (when finances allow).

[feral4mr2]

nice project mate. any updates?

[MikeD]

Hello World … it’s probably time for an update. Whilst the MR-2 conversion has been slow going it has definitely been progressing and in Dec 2012 my father and I took it to Kreative Engineering in Windsor for an engineering certificate. It did not pass … but all the problems are minor and well on the way to being fixed.

With the Australia Day long weekend just hours away I am looking at getting some distractions out of the way (family stuff) and then some quality time in the garage!

More soon.
Mike

[Stiive]

The inverter in my car is an MES-DEA TIM-600:

How do you find this controller? We managed to blow up 3 of them (about 6 times in total with repairs).
But we used a different brand motor... it only seems to blow up during auto-tune.... I hope your motor came pre-tuned and therefore you wont have the same problems. Plenty of bugs in the software - I know how to make it blow up 100% guaranteed - all with settings which would otherwise be conservative (e.g. setting motor RPM limit to exactly 500... not 499 or 501.. just 500). Have fun finding those out!

Needless to say, the whole situation has left me with a deep hatred for MES-DEA and EVE (electro vehicles europe).


Good luck with getting a roadworthy though mate, looks like a nice conversion

[MikeD]

The controller is very complex to setup and configure. I got nowhere for several months until I managed to contact the engineer at MES who designed it …. the supplier was useless but he did accidentally include an email conversation with the engineer in an email to me!

Since setting up the controller as per instructed I have had no problems. However I use a MES motor and only use the car to drive to my letter box! It will be more informative when I hit the road.
Mike

[MikeD]

The Automotive Engineer has signed-off my eMR-2 and I have a vehicle safety compliance certificate (an engineering certificate). Following is an extract from the document which gives you a flavor of the information that was required.

Section 3. Description of vehicle or modifications to vehicle in accordance with the Heavy Vehicle Codes for Modifications and the Light Vehicle Codes for Modifications

Replacement Motor:
This vehicle has been converted to an electric vehicle. The original 1.6 litre 88Kw internal combustion engine has been removed and replaced with a MES-DEA Type 200-250 AC induction motor rated at 30kW continuous power and is driven by an MES-DEA Type TIM600W inverter. The original manual gearbox has been retained and mounted as per standard, an aluminium adaptor has been machined by to connect the electric motor to it and original engine mounts and a new fabricated engine rear bracket secure the motor. The original clutch is removed and the armature of the new motor is coupled to the input shaft of the gearbox. The emissions produced are zero (ADR 37/00).

Batteries:
Traction battery pack contains 56 ThunderSky Lithium-ion cells, which are managed by the Batrium BMS. These do not contain any spiliable liquid; therefore they are classified as Class A.

Battery Restraint:
A 30mm box tube steel frame supports a fabricated aluminium box (875mm wide, 500mm length and 250mm deep) with clear polycarbonate lid to house the batteries in the rear engine compartment above the motor and gearbox. The steel frame is secured by 10mm 8.8 grade bolts threaded into the chassis rails. Access cannot be gained to the batteries without the use of tools. High voltage warning labels are attached to the box.

Demisting of Windscreen:
The original water filled heater and fan/blower assembly and ducting have been retained. The original controls for the fan have been retained. A HotStart TPS series tank water heater and pump has been installed and connected to the heater hoses. The vehicle therefore continues to comply with ADR 15/00.

Braking System:
The vehicle has the original hydraulic braking system and vacuum actuated brake booster. An electric MES-DEA Type 70/6E vacuum pump has been added as well as a seven liter vacuum reservoir. The volume of the vacuum reservoir allows for the brake pedal to be depressed at least six times before the vacuum pump starts to replenish it. The original brake warning light has been retained and still operates. A LED light has been added to the instrument cluster which illuminates when the vacuum sensor (in the brake booster vacuum line) senses a low vacuum. The vehicle therefore continues to comply with ADR 31/00.

There is no noise emitted from the new engine so the vehicle continues to comply with ADR 28/00.

The original fuel tank (40litres), and exhaust system have been removed. The electronics are housed in the boot with all wiring adequately insulated and high voltage labels in place. All electrical cables are clamped at less than 600mm intervals as per ADR 42/00 and are also protected from chafing or heat.

Motor Start Procedure:
- Close charge flap (the old petrol flap) vehicle will not start if been charged.
- Place foot on brake pedal.
- Turn key to the crank position. A Green LED light turns on to indicate motor is on.

[BigMouse]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing!

Was this completed recently? If so, you're one of the first people I've heard of to obtain certification under the new modification certification scheme. I'm glad to hear it's still possible!

[MikeD]

Received my certificate on the 14th March 2013. Yes it is definitely possible!

[MikeD]

MR-02-EV at the AEVA Sydney meeting, June 2013.

[evric]

Congratulations Michael
Eric

[MikeD]

MR-02-EV has covered over 1,500 km since registration and whilst there are plenty of things to fix or improve I drive it to work almost every day. Recently I drove it over the Harbor Bridge on the way home from work ... first time.

[Johny]

I have to add by belated congratulations Mike. A great looking car and very neat conversion. That's a great shot of the drive over the bridge. What it lacks in quality it makes up for in context.

[dadoc]

This is a BIG applause from Munich, Germany! What a nice conversion of such a nice car! As your posts are already three years old, how is the car doing? Still ok?

May I ask you something: I am desperately looking for the software to check and configure the MES-DEA TIM - where did you get yours? Is there a playe to download it?

Would be so glad, if you could help me on this, as I have a Fiat 500e and some trouble, that no one can fix here in Munich...

Cheers to Australia!

Michael

[MikeD]

Hello Michael
Yes I can help. Over on my website is a contact page where you can reach me.

www.mr02ev.me

Michael

[MikeD]

In 2008 I purchased an MES-DEA 200-250 AC induction motor for the EV conversion of my MR2. More information on the motor can be found here:-

www.mr02ev.me/blog/the-ac-electric-motor

[MikeD]

The gearbox in MR02EV is is a standard Toyota gearbox. When driving 2nd gear gets the car smartly of the line and 3rd gear is for cruising above 60kph. However, in a manual gearbox shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear is a “dog leg” which is pretty annoying after a while. So with the help of two fellow AEVA Sydney members, one a mechanic and the other a gearbox design engineer, I set out to modify the MR2 gearbox. The process went a little like this:

www.mr02ev.me/blog/changing-the-gearbox ... ed-gearbox