Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Re: [Electric Boats] Re: EV motor controller technology evolves

 

Thats why I included the submission link
If those that are doing it remain silent then Lamb is the defacto expert.
Might attract some fresh blood/experiences??
I would like to understand why efficiency is so low in the 10-30 hp motors/alternators.
Especially when I read the motor in the Australian solar entry was 98% efficient.
Would mean 30% more range on the same battery pack to most of us.
 
...  Would the boy you once were be inspired by the man you've become?
    

From: Eric <ewdysar@yahoo.com>
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 1:28 PM
Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: EV motor controller technology evolves

 
Hi Kirk,

It's kind of funny that I didn't see anything in the article that we haven't been discussing for years on this board, i.e. most of our drive vendors switched to Sevcon Gen4 controllers about two years ago.

Still, I know of a few people that have installed AC induction drives in their electric cars,and they are converting back to DC (that's an expensive experiment). The available DC controllers from Soliton, Zilla, and others are seeing 1000A continuous (liquid cooled) at voltages above 300V. That's right, you can buy DC controllers off the shelf that can push 300kW (400hp) continuous. And these are sophisticated controllers with exotic features beyond what was mentioned in the article. Nobody is making anything comparable in the AC controller world, at least not available to mere mortals like you or me. Of course, batteries are still the big limitation, but I think that we all recognise the benefits of running your components at well below their ratings to maximise life and reduce failures.

But even Nissan recognized the value in running PMAC over AC induction. While some tout the benifits of AC induction over other technolgies, the Leaf's driveline is more closely related to the Propulsion Marine drive in my boat than the space-age GM EV1 drivelines from the late 1990's. It sounds like the big auto manufacturers are finally catching up to the Electric Boat "hobbyists". :)

It might be a surprise to some newer members here, but some of us (including our vendors) actually know what we're doing and we're more cutting edge than much of what is out in the mainsteam world. If you really look at what their latest develoments are, we've been using the same technology for years.

Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Kirk McLoren <kirkmcloren@...> wrote:
>
> http://www.automotiveworld.com/news/electric-vehicles/92008-developments-in-motor-controller-technology-for-evs
> ... The widespread adoption of AC motors has been driven by advances in microprocessor-based motor controllers, which are increasingly powerful, intelligent and lightweight, like the new Sevcon Gen 4 series....
> While DC motors were once the technology of choice, AC motors are now the norm due to their high efficiency, improved performance and low maintenance....
> It is always difficult to predict exact trends in electric vehicles, particularly as higher volume production occurs. However, it is likely that the pace of change in motor controller and drivetrain technology will continue to increase to meet the performance demands of an emerging market.
> The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
> Dave Lamb is Global Applications Engineering Manager at Sevcon. For more information about motor controllers visit www.sevcon.com



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