# ev generator



## Guest (Sep 10, 2009)

I signed up on this chat hopping to get information on building a generating system for my ev. I have a pretty good idea of what I want and the parts I need. Its how to stick them together and the main thing is how to get the generator out put compatible with the battery pack. I am running eighteen 8 volt Trojans The advance 9 inch motor and Curtis controller. Try to keep it in layman's terms. I am not real sharp when it comes to electronics. However I am smart enough to put tape on the handle of that "C" clamp holding the battery terminal.


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## samborambo (Aug 27, 2008)

notmrwizard said:


> I signed up on this chat hopping to get information on building a generating system for my ev. I have a pretty good idea of what I want and the parts I need. Its how to stick them together and the main thing is how to get the generator out put compatible with the battery pack. I am running eighteen 8 volt Trojans The advance 9 inch motor and Curtis controller. Try to keep it in layman's terms. I am not real sharp when it comes to electronics. However I am smart enough to put tape on the handle of that "C" clamp holding the battery terminal.


We need a lot more information on the generator to help you. Minimum of 15kVA for cruising speed. Need to know voltage, alternator type (slip ring?), voltage regulator details, etc.

Sam.


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2009)

Ok I said I had a pretty good idea of what I want. Now I don't. I am aware of the 15 kw minimum and I guess a dc generator capable of that. I do have a 500cc kawasaki to spin it with. what would you do. Money is an object but not an obstacle.


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## samborambo (Aug 27, 2008)

notmrwizard said:


> Ok I said I had a pretty good idea of what I want. Now I don't. I am aware of the 15 kw minimum and I guess a dc generator capable of that. I do have a 500cc kawasaki to spin it with. what would you do. Money is an object but not an obstacle.


A DC generator is not necessary (nor available in that size, I'd imagine). A small 25hp (continuous) engine with a 3 phase slip ring alternator is ideal. The 3 phase output is rectified to DC through 6 diodes. The idea is to be able to control the rotor DC current to regulate the 3p AC output to a suitable voltage/current level. The control system for this is not an off-the-shelf part and if you're not too familiar with electronics design, particularly PID regulators, I'd ask someone to design/build it for you.

If you want to go the off-the-shelf route, you can leave the generator as-is and buy a 15kVA rectifier / float charger to supply the batteries. Less efficient and you wouldn't expect much change from $10k.

Sam.


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2009)

Thank you Sam for the input. I am writing all this down and then after going over everything at least 20 times I'll start shorting out wires and trash a few diodes. There are a couple of other threads on this topic. I am sure every one interested in generators has found them but just incase They are "generator trailer" and "building a series hybred generator". I'm going to monitor those two cause they are getting a discussion going. I will check in this thread incase someone wants to ad something or the powers that are watching over us can through this out if they decide its taking up to much room


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

You didn't mention if you want to generate enough power to keep the EV running while charging or just to provide opportunity charging while you are at a rest stop, etc. Opportunity charging is much easier with a pickup truck, just haul ~4kW AC generator and connect it to your onboard charger as if you are connecting to a wall outlet. Its slow and not very efficient, but if its only needed on rare occasion, it would work.

If you need range extender on regular basis, then you need more powerful generator and DC rectifier connected directly to the pack, bypassing regular charger, as Sam has advised.

Just wanted to clarify....


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2009)

I always think beyond my capabilities. To gen while I am driving of course. I know it is going to take a good sized rig to keep it going but I have spent / wasted more $'s going the easy route or cheapest winding up with something I wasn't happy with or plain didn't what and junking it. I am going for the Gold and just blow all my money at once. I priced Ac Propultion's range exstender @ $30,000 $19'000 if you buy like a dozen. I am sure I will come up with something below those prices. How much lower is what concerns my wife. Now if I can get one of you guys draw it out for me I'll be on my way.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

I apologize in advance for trying to sway you in different direction  but can you describe your typical desired range advance with the genset? Are you trying to cross the country or simply double/triple your existing EV range? 

Have you considered to spend similar funds that you would spend on the range extender, which would put you back to "ICE age" ( pun intended  ) , to instead upgrade your battery to largest LiFePo4 pack you can afford and/or put in the car? This might just give you enough range to forget the genset and keep you in pure EV world?


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2009)

No need to apologize. Yes I will be using a petol powerd device and thats alright with me at this point.I am not at war with the oil companies and I didn't build an ev to save the world.  These things are puzzles to me and I like to solve them. I love driving an ev but I also love love the mellow sound of a good set of pipes on a big block V8 or the screem a hot 4banger @ 10'000rpm. I built an air powerd car and was thinking using that as a pusher but the best I can get is 20 mph. Different batteries? Some day. I am sure that as soon as I plunk down 30grand for batteries they will have a break through on supper cappacitors or something and WalMart will carry them for $29.95. Its like when I bought a digatal camera when they first came out. I paid something like $600 and with in a year better ones were comming in a cereal box. Back to ev gens. Im just messing around seeing what I can do. If I ever come up with something useful I will be more than happy to share.


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

My point was mostly towards adding even more weight to an already heavy EV with lead acid batteries, while LiFePo4 pack would cut the weight in half and double your range or even triple it if you play your cards right.

Price on LiFePo4 will not drop anymore anytime soon because demand is higher than supply and IMHO this will remain for a long time. LiFePo4 is already cheaper than Lead if you consider lifecycle.

But please, don't let me stop you.... I would love to see someone make a DIY series hybrid, it would be fun to see since GM have been scratching their R&D heads to make genset working on Volt for years. Even recent reviews of Volt don't talk about it since its still being "tuned".


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## jzamorah33 (Sep 13, 2009)

Unfortunately LiPO Batteries are so expensive to be used more in the EV Industry. (Why are not the so called "Green" people helping here) They are for now one of the most effective. 
As for a motor, I am leaning to the AC Traction/Asyncronous motors. I believe it is feasable to have an unlimited mileage EV. I am studying the posibility, hopefully I can find sponsors to help me out with my project once I have collected the needed data for my electromobile.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2009)

I don't have a lot of knowledge about electricity except not to wet your finger before you stick it in a live light socket. But I am chock full of insights and antidotes. To the subject of batteries. I have read a lot about different kinds of electric storage methods over the past nine years I have had my ev. First it was new technologies is just around the corner and now all of a sudden we have some pretty good batteries available and more on the way. The price is the draw back. I have looked at the lifpo's quit a lot and compared them to the lead anchors I am hauling around. I get so wound up that I have come that close ( thumb one sixteenth of an inch from forefinger) to going in debt and getting pack. It's not just power density that is attractive it's the thought shaving four to five hundred pounds off my car. I live in the Ozarks where there a lot oh hills and I still can get 40 miles @ 60% DOD. I can live with that rang on straight electric. It's the weight that bothers me most. Who are these green people? Other ev owners? I guess ev clubs could get enough people together and try to get a group discount. That might be a way for a limited number of buyers to get a discount. AC has its advantages. Once again I am going to hide behind my lack of knowledge and say I am going to stick with the off the shelf DC stuff at least for now. If I live long enough save enough money and get a brain upgrade I to would like to go with an AC setup. Oh to heck with it!! I'm going to run right out and buy a Tesla. I have been out looking for motors today. Saw a lot of interesting stuff. Did a lot of head scratching as to how to stick it all together. I have been an artist all my life and like a lot of other artist I am kind of secretive about my creations. Half of its from insecurity ( afraid someone will scoff my idea) half is suspicion (afraid someone will steal my idea) and half is I want it to be shown as a finished piece. I say to myself now that is foolish. There can't be three halves so just spit out your idea. Hear it is. In my case a trailer. The trailer puts extra drag on the ev. Use a smaller motor in the trailer to negate the extra drag. Smaller motor could be as small as 48 volts. A generator in trailer could send power to main battery pack in car. Power to charge the batteries for small motor could be sifend from large generator or have second generator turned by the same engine that is used to spin the larger generator. A real Rube Goldberg for sure. To get more crazy power the engine with Hydrogen made by power from one or both generators. That's an outline of the idea. To quote our Prez. taken from his outline on healthcare... "Their are a few things to be ironed out".


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## jzamorah33 (Sep 13, 2009)

Evidently I upset someone. That was never my intention. Furthermore, the "Green People" I refer to are not the people that are doing something like EV conversions. For now I am educating myself about EV conversions and guidelines so I don't end up frying my car or myself. It is not that I want to keep from sharing with others. On the contrary, I need to "Iron out the few wrinkles" of my theory without misleading anyone.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2009)

You didn't upset me. I hope I didn't upset you. My attempt at tongue in cheek didn't carry over very well I guess. Where in Europe do you live? Are people in your part of the world(except you of course) as clueless about electric cars as they are here? Except me of course. Example; I had an old 12 x 24 inch solar panel that barely put out 1 amp on the brightest day hooked on the back of my ev. You wouldn't believe how many people thought I was powering my car with that one panel.


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## jzamorah33 (Sep 13, 2009)

People are rather conscientious about going green here. As a matter of fact, many factories and homeowners have installed PV arrays to save on electricity. You'd be surprised. There is a lot of development of solar and other forms of power production going on here. I live between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. 
As far as the EV goes, it is not that easy to carry through with such development on your own. Automotive related things are highly regulated and the parts are more expensive than at home (I am American.) It requires a lot more on the safety features than in the USA.
I believe there is a self powered EV, I am trying to find the "KEY" to it, you know we are kept from many technologies but a little more digging will uncover it for us. For me, it is important and would be willing to share will others for the simple fact that when I came into this world it was messed up, I would like to leave a better world for my children and the generations to come. Go Green, do it for the genrations to come, for a better future.


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