Seat Ibiza

[KDRYAN]

Almost half way converting a 1995 Seat Ibiza (VW Polo clone) The system voltage is 120vdc, using a Super Zebo Dc Sepex 11kw motor. Kelly KDC 600amp sepex regen controller, Real Force RFE100 x 38 LiFePO4 batterys.
Spesc:
Motor:       Super Zebo 11kw Sepex DC 144vdc max
Controller: Kelly KDC Regen 120vdc max, with water cooled heatsink
Batterys:    REF100 38 x 3.2volt, 100ah (weight 114kg)
Charger:     TC TTCH-H161-10
Dc-DC:       IOTA 55ah
BMS:        Wicom EMS
Brakes:      Dual 120vdc vac pumps
Steering:    Electric power steering pump from Holden Vectra


Rear battery box fits in place of removed fuel tank.

Under bonnet arrangment

Brake components, 2x pumps, 2x reservoir, vac control switch, low vac warning switch and guage.

I have had an engineer have an initial inspection and all appears to be OK. I only needed a few extra gussets on the front battery box. I had to also install a low vac warning switch, light and buzzer into the system.

I will post a few more photos as i progress.

[KDRYAN]

Finally my Seat Ibiza conversion has passed all inspections and is now registered. I have a couple of glitches to deal with, one being the Wicom BMS which is being stubborn and does not always work and the other being of a more troublesome nature in that the motor / controller momenterly drops into regen as the RPM increases and approaches the max RPM (3600)
I would appreciate any advise on the later problem.

This is my second conversion. I believe on this conversion I have made a wrong decision in using a sepex / field wound motor. It seems that the series wound motor is far more powerful.

A few photos below.


Under Bonnet


Real Force 100AH LiFePO4 Cells


I tried my hand at a different paint job.

[evric]

Hi Kim, Where did you get your Real Force cells from?
Eric

[KDRYAN]

The Real Force cells I imported them direct from China.

[PlanB]

I didn't know DC conversions could do regen. What range are you expecting to get from your 114kg of batteries?

[KDRYAN]

Regen is possible using a shunt wound DC motor. These motors are also called sepex motors. The field windings are controlled seperately to the armature windings.

Its early days yet but I am expecting to obtain a range of about 80km.

I drove the vehicle 46km this morning on levelish roads at 60kph and finished off with a 2km run at 80kph followed with a climb up a steep but gradual hill. At this point the BMS alarm activated, I coasted home 500 meters away to be greated by a burnt electrical smell coming from the rear battery box. I may have found the cause of the problem I described earlier. I am expecting to find a failed battery cell or a loose terminal. Its a big job to remove the rear battery box so in a day or two I shall have the answer.
Not the start I was hoping for.

[Johny]

What a bummer. Hope it's not too $$$ serious.

[KDRYAN]

"on the road again"
The $$$ was not so painful. I have replaced the suspect cell with spare I obtained when I originally purchased the pack. I have recharged the flat cell, it appears to be holding charge, I will do a capacity test down the track when time allows and I muster up the equipment.

The burnt electrical smell appears to have come fron the varnish within the e-motor. The smell was only there when the motor was hot, when cold there is no odor at all.

I have replaced the shunt wound motor with the series wound motor from my first conversion. Both were Super Zebo motors and share the same bolt pattern and shaft splines, unfortunately the series motor has a single shaft so I have lost the airconditioning for now. On the test drive I have just done the series wound motor has far more torque / power.

I used the same 600amp Kelly controller. Although this is a sepex/field controller, by reprogramming the controller switching off the field control, the controller reverts back to a series unit.

BMS and battery charger still to be looked at.