Sunday, June 29, 2014

High Voltage

I'm mainly building a mounting rail below the car for the batteries at the moment. I must admit, it's the task which taxes me most in this conversion. I like designing, doing electronics and software - but metal construction is a bit foreign to me and I find it tedious. Yet, I'm a bit proud of my construction. In the pictures on the side you see the T-shape rails in the exhaust tunnel and the almost finished construction. The third picture shows how I used a hollow aluminum tube (square) as a spacer to attach a rail. Inside is a threaded rod which attaches the construction very firmly to the former gas tank mounting. The rails will be bolted together in the lower right side of the picture. In the fourth and fifth picture you see an example how the batteries will be placed in the construction. The L-shaped rails from left to right will be bolted down to the T-shaped rails on the side with gibs. The L-shaped rails are close to the poles of the batteries but I think it is still safe this way. The batteries will be strapped down with velcro bands. Klaus AG is also helping me to create a mounting structure for the motor to the original motor mount. More on these things later (incl. a video for evtv).

Aside from that, I'm prepping up my HV stuff. Buying some missing things like another contactor for the heating system (Gigavac GV200), a maintenance switch (Gigavac HBD41a), some high voltage - low current fuses from EV West, a Polycarbonate case for an HV distribution box (Hoffman Q403013PCICC). As I require 4 bus bars with 5 connections each, I decided to create them myself and save 400 CHF. In the metal shop of my choice, where I got all the rails, I also found an offcut copper bar which suited my needs: 2.5cm x 1cm, cut down into 4 pieces of 12cm length - all for 35.- CHF. I'm going to drill 8mm holes, insert screws with a copper washer and cast it into polyurethane resin - two blocks colored red and two colored black. They will be put into th HV distribution box together with 3 contactors, 1 pre-charge relay and some fuses (see overhauled wiring-diagram).

I'm itchy on getting my motor back with the adapter plate - I need to to get some wheels spinning to boost my motivation.. I'm getting closer, I know, but after one year, I must admit, I'm looking forward to put an end to crawling around under the car. I want to sit in it for once... :)