If I was the owner, what would I do?

[jhautz]

Originally Posted by Five-oh-joe

Patrick, why go to Jamaica when you got that cute little Lotus you can drive all over the place? C'mon....that's GOTTA be a fun little car! (I dare you to throw a supercharger or turbo on it.....)

Just make it brushless.




If I was the owner of CC Id have someone look into the fans on the Monster Max. I have 2 and they both died in a matter of 30 minutes of track time.

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by jhautz

Just make it brushless.




If I was the owner of CC Id have someone look into the fans on the Monster Max. I have 2 and they both died in a matter of 30 minutes of track time.

We are looking into the fans -- they are causing a significant percentage of the failures (they run off the BEC, and some of the fan failures are killing the BEC.)

We're looking to change the fans -- these are having too high a failure rate.

[jhautz]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

We are looking into the fans -- they are causing a significant percentage of the failures (they run off the BEC, and some of the fan failures are killing the BEC.)

We're looking to change the fans -- these are having too high a failure rate.

Sweet. When you get it sorted send a couple my way. I have two Monsters running fanless.




Sorry for the thread jack......

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Well, it's the hardware on the control board that isn't compatible with the car software.

I designed the airplane controllers before the car controllers, and the car controller have some SERIOUS advancements over the airplane controllers in the sensitivity of the back-EMF circuit. (there is a patent on it too -- just got finalized.) http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2007/0029956.html

So the car software just won't work on the airplane hardware -- different type of back-EMF sensing.

To run car software on the airplane power boards, I'd have to design a new control board for them.

But airplane power boards are really designed for airplanes - - not for the types of loads that cars put on a controller -- our car controllers ALSO use very heavy copper (6/6 on the MM, 6/6 + 4/3 on the MMM) but are designed to handle short term overload currents better than the airplane controllers. The MMM has the same number of FETs as the Phx-80, but handles over double the surge current and over double the continuous current. Part of that difference is the fan/heatsink, but the majority is the copper layout and current path copper total. The Phx-80 was designed to be light weight and compact, the MMM was designed to handle serious current surge and power.

Ok so it has to do with the back-EMF mainly and then the amount of copper. So the SHV is the same way? Now what if the intended use for the HV and SHV controllers were to just lower the amount of AMPs used? Could it be possible for just a simple car software?

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Dude, I live in Kansas --- I don't think there is a curvy piece of road to drive my Lotus on in the entire state. It's sad, but I haven't had the Lotus out since March... :*(

We've been looking at the EV market very closely. There is a lot of potential there. :)

I've been planning on building a electric race car for a long time now, but with the economy going the way it is, I'm having trouble finding some heavy hitter investors to jump in as well. I already found the motor, battery and a few chassis to use, but when the numbers came in I was like .

[lutach]

Originally Posted by jhautz

Sorry for the thread jack......

No problem, I do it all the time .

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by lutach

Ok so it has to do with the back-EMF mainly and then the amount of copper. So the SHV is the same way? Now what if the intended use for the HV and SHV controllers were to just lower the amount of AMPs used? Could it be possible for just a simple car software?

Well, the main difference between the airplane and car hardware is the smooth startup under heavy loads, and the ability to change power levels very quickly without upset of the back-EMF detection. Ever notice how most other sensorless controller bog down after cornering under heavy braking (when going from heavy brake to heavy throttle), and the Mamba doesn't? The Mamba has clean smooth starting and excellent "punch" because of the back-EMF design. I'm just not willing to compromise that high performance that the Mamba has.

I know you want a higher voltage Mamba -- I am looking into doing a 12S version, in addition to the 8S version.

[Pdelcast]

Originally Posted by lutach

I've been planning on building a electric race car for a long time now, but with the economy going the way it is, I'm having trouble finding some heavy hitter investors to jump in as well. I already found the motor, battery and a few chassis to use, but when the numbers came in I was like .

Tell me about it... Did a quick SWAG at cost for a 640hp peak, 80hp continuous motor, controller, and Lithium battery (190V, 400AH) for an application -- came up with almost $200K.

The controller was the cheapest part.

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Dude, I live in Kansas --- I don't think there is a curvy piece of road to drive my Lotus on in the entire state. It's sad, but I haven't had the Lotus out since March... :*(

We've been looking at the EV market very closely. There is a lot of potential there. :)

LOL! Same thing here in Florida. When I was driving my '93 LX Mustang (with a few handling/chassis mods) I was ITCHIN' to find some twisty roads. BAH! There's not even a HILL in South Florida... Now where I go to school in Central Florida....there's actually some fun roads.

Ah, so you have been looking at the EV market....you sneaky guy you! That'd be awesome to have a 1/10 RC vehicle powered by Castle, and then a 1:1 ALSO powered by Castle.

Hey, quick question, but are induction motors possible for RC cars (IE- would they be a good option for them?). From what I understand, and induction motor is simply a brushless motor that doesn't have a magnet, but rather a steel or iron rotor that has a current induced in it from one of the surrounding coils. The Tesla uses it IIRC. I also remember that they're a bit tricky to drive from an ESC standpoint, and require some serious programming and start up skills.

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Well, the main difference between the airplane and car hardware is the smooth startup under heavy loads, and the ability to change power levels very quickly without upset of the back-EMF detection. Ever notice how most other sensorless controller bog down after cornering under heavy braking (when going from heavy brake to heavy throttle), and the Mamba doesn't? The Mamba has clean smooth starting and excellent "punch" because of the back-EMF design. I'm just not willing to compromise that high performance that the Mamba has.

I know you want a higher voltage Mamba -- I am looking into doing a 12S version, in addition to the 8S version.

Actually when I had the HV110 in my truggy, it was smooth really smooth on start up. I don't know how the brakes would've worked because it was disabled. If you want, I can send my HV110 in to be a test unit (It smoked on me a while back). I will have a project coming up if I get a 1/8 scale F1 and I'm planning on using 20S A123. I also have designed a extended truggy chassis to handle 20S lipos and it would be nice to also see a SHV car controller. And yes, I'm also waiting for the 12S or 8S Monster .

Originally Posted by jhautz

Just make it brushless.

There's already one like that; it's called the Tesla Roadster- although it's not really a brushless motor, but an induction motor (so yeah, a type of brushless I guess?). Lotus helped to design the car in fact (and that is why it resembles the Elise or Exige to a certain extent). And to top it off, it's powered by A123 cells! The battery pack alone weighs about 900 lbs.

Too bad it's also a 150,000 dollar car....

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Pdelcast

Tell me about it... Did a quick SWAG at cost for a 640hp peak, 80hp continuous motor, controller, and Lithium battery (190V, 400AH) for an application -- came up with almost $200K.

The controller was the cheapest part.

I almost dropped dead after my numbers kept going up. I was going for a 900Vdc, 400Arms, but the motor can go up to 700HP at 20000rpm and each lithium cell can put out 750A cont. and 1100A pulses. When all was said and done if I went ahead I could've almost match Traxxas sells number.

That's one helluva motor Lutach! What diameter was the motor for it to be able to rev that high? That's one helluva battery pack too... Each cell putting out 750 amps continuos is insane. I can only imagine how big each cell is!

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Five-oh-joe

There's already one like that; it's called the Tesla Roadster- although it's not really a brushless motor, but an induction motor (so yeah, a type of brushless I guess?). Lotus helped to design the car in fact (and that is why it resembles the Elise or Exige to a certain extent). And to top it off, it's powered by A123 cells! The battery pack alone weighs about 900 lbs.

Too bad it's also a 150,000 dollar car....

Tesla can't touch the Eliica (Now that is a electric car) and now with all the change in management. The Tesla does not use A123 from what I know.

[lutach]

Originally Posted by Five-oh-joe

That's one helluva motor Lutach! What diameter was the motor for it to be able to rev that high? That's one helluva battery pack too... Each cell putting out 750 amps continuos is insane. I can only imagine how big each cell is!

The motor is not big at all for the amount of power it puts out. The size of the motor is around 20 inches in length and 10 inches in diameter and it weighs only 150lbs. The battery is 35mm in diameter and 165mm high.