# Using industrial variable frequency drives



## kittydog42 (Sep 18, 2007)

Many of them use 24VDC (internally generated) for the controls. Using 120VAC is usually an optional alternative.


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## mjcrow (Jan 5, 2008)

Have a look here http://www.evalbum.com/1149 this is what you are thinking of. Tuarn is the national president of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association and is a regular poster on the AEVA Forums found here http://www.aeva.asn.au/forums

mjcrow


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## OHM (Jun 30, 2008)

Jeff Saxton said:


> Has anyone adapted a surplus industrial AC motor drive (VFD or VFC) to EV use? They can be powered by DC because the standard configuration rectifies the mains AC to DC and then uses it to produce variable frequency 3-phase. Some modification would allow powering it with DC directly. A few of them are already designed to work with a DC supply.
> Generally they produce either 230 VAC or 460 as maximum output. The advantage is that they are fully programmable so that they can be tailored to the application.
> 
> One disadvantage, I suppose, would be that you'd need a high voltage battery pack. (Actually that's best anyway, considering other factors besides cost.) Also one would have to have an inverter to supply 120 VAC fror the control circuitry. An advantage would be that you could use an easily obtained industrial AC motor.
> ...


I also questioned whether I could use a lower battery pack and use an inverter to get to 230volts or more but the cost of the inverter must be tremendous no?
Id prefer this route even though there is slightly less efficiency from say using a 120volts 225AH 20 pack of Trojan T-105s, heavier duty AGM or Gels. Less weight, less BMS complexity and easier to organize.


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