VOR.WORX.EMC.v3.0

[Stevo]

This re-do with the ME1003 and AXE7245 is such a huge improvement that it deserves a v3.0 classification!
It's heavy at 346 lbs, but I geared it for 50 mph and it gets up to that speed quite quickly considering it's weight.
I need to do some more testing to see what kind of range I can get. I probably will get some SM tires... the knobbies suck alot of energy out.
It feels and rides like an XR400. The acceleration is impressive with so much rolling weight, even up hills.
The truly awesome thing about it is that it can only improve with time as batteries get better and lighter.
But as it is now, I can use this bike to commute to and from work!! No more gas stops!!

[nedfunnell]

What motor/controller combination did you come from? I have considered swapping my ME0709 and AXE7234 out for the setup you mention, but didn't think it'd make much of a difference- and also that I'd hate to spend the money on a new motor/controller combo and not have regen. You seem to like it a lot, though!

[Stevo]

v1 and 2 had a ME909 and axe 4834. It would have worked ok for commuting my 4 mile roundtrip to work where I lived at the time of the original build, but I moved and now my roundtrip commute is 10 miles with a steep, maybe 5-6% grade hill. Im not sure what the difference is on the ME0709 vs ME1003. I see that Alltrax makes a new controller for series motors http://www.alltraxinc.com/Products_SR.html

Has anyone tried this new product?

[Stevo]

2017 Update!
I finally tackled the task of getting the bike licensed and legal to commute to work. The CA DMV wanted the engine number on the motor, the federal EP stickers on the bike frame, VIN number stamped to the frame, even though the bike was street legal and plated in Oregon. I had to arrange a meeting with my friendly local CHP officer Chris Adkins. He laughed about the EP sticker because there are no emissions on an electric vehicle. He made me a sticker with the VIN number to put on the motor to make the DMV happy. He said I could stamp the vin number onto my electric motor since there is no number on it anywhere. I figure the sticker will come off after a few heat cycles. I filed the sticker away with my pink slip. Now I can still upgrade my motor for the next version without bothering this busy guy with another inspection.
[IMG][

Since I really didn't know what to expect when I built this, I used a 14 tooth drive sprocket with a 70 tooth chain ring. I was getting good acceleration and a top speed of about 50 mph. The chainring was so big I had no adjustment left in the chain and it would derail at low speeds, like in a parking lot.
I now have a 62 tooth chainring with the 14 drive and an additional chain tensioner. Now I'm getting 56 mph and better acceleration uphills and from a dead stop. It's actually quite fun and fast to ride. I can imagine how much better it's going to be with the next gen batteries
[IMG][/IMG]

These LED headlights from China are the SHIZ!! These things are BRIGHT, consume next to nothing in watts, and look amazingly cool to boot. They have a bright blue halo around each projector lens. Very cool for less than $10 a piece!
[IMG][/IMG]

[Stevo]

Version 3.0 is officially going to have a Motenergy ME1616 paired with a Sevcon Gen4size6....
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I was able to tap the mounting holes provided by Sevcon with a 5/16×18 tap to make the install super easy from the under side.
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I countersunk the mounting/chill plate to attach to the chassis.
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I plan on welding some small heat sinks to the top, then welding an enclosure so that the coolant will flow around the fins of the heat sinks. I ordered some weld on 3/8" hose barb bungs to attach the hoses.
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The hoses will attach to the heat exchanger heat sink here.
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[Nicman]

Congrats! I look forward to seeing your progress. I couldn't decide if I wanted the ME1616 or the AC20. They have very similar performance specs. That SevCon gen 4 size 6 is awesome!

[Stevo]

Congrats! I look forward to seeing your progress. I couldn't decide if I wanted the ME1616 or the AC20. They have very similar performance specs. That SevCon gen 4 size 6 is awesome!

It fits absolutely perfectly, like the frame was intentionally designed for it.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Stevo]

Update!
Why does it always seem to go 2 steps forward, 1 step back???!!
My TIG's argon flow stopped working and now I'm dead in the water until a new argon valve servo comes. If that doesn't fix it, then its probably a bad circuit board, in which case I'll be using my tax return to buy a new TIG... DAMN!!!!LOL

I went to my local computer repair shop in Eureka,CA named Cornerstone Computers and they were happy to give me a bag full of old heat sinks, some with good fans still attached to them. Thanks Guys!!

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I began creating my own watercooled chillplate for the Sevcon by welding 2 heatsinks to the Al mounting plate

chillplate.jpg

That's when things went south

Oh well, par for the course...

Meanwhile, I got my Arduino Uno mounted and wired in a water proofed home junction box

unobox.jpg.

I chopped off the end of a cheapo Harbor Freight free flashlight for the emergency bypass button (nice waterproof o-ring sealed switch) using JB Weld to seal all the wire pass-throughs. I covered the box with faux carbon fiber to help keep the magic blue smoke in !!!

I am using a small 75watt vicor dc-dc to power the Arduino and key switch circuit to keep that separated and isolated from the rest of the bike's electrical system. I thought this way would make it easier to design and add an anti-theft alarm later on down the road. I'm using a dc specific solid state relay because I already had been using it and it worked fine on version 2. Travis suggested not using it because of leakage. If I find there to be a problem with draw down, I'll replace it with a standard coil relay. I have these two components mounted to one of the free heat sinks, drilled and tapped to be mounted to the inside of the ex-fuel tank

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On top of the ex-fuel tank where the cap was, are two gunner type switches, one for forward-reverse, and one for Arduino on-off, with a RGB LED to make sure I know I'm in forward before going full throttle!! I offset the switches to make it more glove friendly

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Inside the ex-fuel tank I also mounted the Sevcon 500watt dc-dc mounted to a big heat sink

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That will be all buttoned up and waterproofed with silicone

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Well, that's where the project sits until I get my TIG problem sorted out. Thanks for viewing!

[Stevo]

UPDATE:

SUCCESS!!!

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I finally got my Arduino Uno working after much struggle and many attempts!! I can now connect my Google Pixel2 cell phone to
Uno via a HC-05 Bluetooth module and turn on the power relay to the KSI circuit to the Sevcon controller. It also monitors the coolant
temps via a DS18B20 temp sensor. This is a HUGE step forward in designing an Android dashboard using a rugged tablet.
I am utilizing an Android app called Virtuino. Thanks Ηλίας Λάμπρου! We need to collaborate and create the next version of Virtuino!

Here is the code if anybody is interested:
https://create.arduino.cc/editor/Ste...db6562/preview

If you are new to microelectronics as I was, and are clueless to programming one, I highly recommend this educational site. Michael makes it interesting and fun. He's an absolutely outstanding teacher! No..... Professor!! https://programmingelectronics.com/a...d=43594&opid=6

[Stevo]

It's been a while since I posted any updates....I enjoy seeing EV Ed's weekly updates on his Juiced drag bike so much, that he inspires me to keep going....
This project is frustrating because everytime I complete a step in the build, I learn a new and better way to complete the step I just finished. It's annoying because then I have to redo my redo!
Case in point... The cooling system.
When I sold my ICE components, I included the radiators with the sale. I believe in helping out my fellow racers, so I gave the guy a great deal. These VOR's are rare enough as it is, so he has a spare everything to continue his racing. The OEM radiators wouldn't have worked for this build anyway. Not enough space for them.
I made an air cooled coolant catch can out of an automotive BMW bolt on oil filter cooler. This catches the coolant from the ME1616 and the Sevcon chillplate that I made. Here is where I have a temp sensor JB Welded in place to monitor the coolant temps.



From here, the coolant will flow through a transmission oil cooler that I modified by welding some 5/8" hose barb bungs onto. Then from here, the coolant is sucked up by the pump, which was bought on eBay for $50 (unused surplus Johnson pump from a fleet of ambulances in the Detroit metro area).



From here, the coolant is pumped to an air cooled 3 way splitter. The 1/4" line goes to the Sevcon chillplate and the 5/8" line goes to the ME1616.





After everything is test fitted, I'm afraid that the front wheel may hit the transmission cooler when the suspension is compressed on big bumps, especially after the full weight of the battery pack is installed. I think I found a solution to that problem and will post an update at that time.

So currently I am building the battbox. It will contain 24 cells situated in 3 groups of 8, charged to 4.1 volts each. I am aiming for 98.6 volts (Ironically, the optimum temp in *F for the human body ) !!!