Cheap 144v 500amp motor controller, version 2

[jeffpicks]

"There's no room for accelerating" ... so take it out on the highway! Let's see what she can do!

[Thomato80]

Nice! :) Any chance of getting hold of the plans for your controller? It looks great!

- Thomas, over in the UK

[ladedk]

Haha, love the cable tier meters on the dashboard!! cool project.

[unnefer1978]

Can these controllers be modified easily to support more amps and volts? A DIY 240v 1000A controller would be awesome :)

[MPaulHolmes]

Well, the 240v part wouldn't be so bad, but the 1000amp would be a bit trickier if you wanted to keep it cheap, but it could be done without moving to expensive IGBTs.

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes the only controller options for high voltage and capable of supporting 1000A (cont) are the Zilla 1K HV, the new Warp-Drive 260v/1000A and the Solitron 1 - and all of those cost $3K or more - so a DIY controller would definitely be welcomed, even if it used more expensive IGBT :)

How much would you think it a high voltage 1000A DIY controller cost?

[MPaulHolmes]

@unnefer1978 If you went the IGBT route, it would probably be around $1000-$1500. If you would accept around 220v instead of 240, then you could do the mosfet route, and you could probably do 1000 amps, and that controller would cost around $350-400 in parts. In bulk, it would cost more like around $300 in parts. I'm almost done with a 1000amp Synchronous rectification controller, but it's only good to around 156v. It's easy enough to switch out the mosfets for higher voltage ones though.

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes <220v would be ideal for most anyhoo I suspect, as 144v pack voltage is quite common - so 45x lifepo4 cells or 12 12V batteries. But would the mosfet's allow continual 1000A like the Zilla 1K HV?

Basically there are cheaper controllers for <500A but if you want a controller rated at anything higher the price jumps from <$1K to over $3K. It would be great if there was a controller in between for those who want the better EV performance that a 1000A controller can provide.

[MPaulHolmes]

@unnefer1978 The 1000amp controller that I'm almost done with is only about $300 in parts. I don't know how long it will do 1000amp before needing thermal cutback, since it's not using liquid cooling like the Zilla. I'll find out soon enough though. I'll make a video of driving it around. The test will only be at 72v, since that what my car is. I may send it to a friend for harder testing.

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes I'll keep an eye out for it mate. I'm keen to see how it performs :)

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes Thanks for all your replies - they are very informative :)

TBH I'll most likely go with 45x skyenergy 180a cells for 144v-153v nominal (cells are rated at 3.4v, but ppl say to use 3.2v for some reason).

The cells are rated at 4C, which means they are good for 720a continual, so a DIY controller like the one you are working on that supports 156v and 1000a would be perfect. How long would it support 1000a for? How hard is it to add watercooling to extend it to at least 5 minutes?

[MPaulHolmes]

@unnefer1978 The one I'm doing is air cooled, so the 1000amp would probably only be for short bursts. Maybe 10 seconds at a time, but I don't know yet. I don't think water cooled would be that complicated. I have some friends working on that. It would probably be easiest to make a water cooled IGBT controller. You could have a big cold plate, and the igbts bolted right to it. The control board can be the exact same as for the mosfet based controller. (that's been tested too)

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes I did a bit of google searching last night trying to find a diy "kit" for your controller but found several "versions" of it? I have found kits that go all the way to version "D" when yours is version 2? I also found a revision by a "blackpanther" that doesn't use mosfets of igbts, but something else (cant remember now) and it supported 1200a? I assume you are Paul from Paul & Sabrina's DIY controller, if so, I'd rather buy a kit from you to support all your hard work. (cont)

[unnefer1978]

@unnefer1978 (cont). You said the controller you were working on should support up to 1000a - is that the kit that you sell on the Paul & Sabrina website - or is not released? I'm going to build an electric car for time attack racing that needs to handle 1 hot lap around a race track (upto 2min). I doubt it would sit on 1000a, but I assume it would draw quite a bit of current continuously. I need a controller to support this, which is cheap enough so I can have spare controllers ready to go.

[MPaulHolmes]

@unnefer1978 Hi unnefer! If you want it for racing, I would recommend getting water cooling. Right now we just have the 500amp controller kit on the website. Actually, even that's not being sold right now, as I'm trying to make the 2 kits that people just ordered. The control board for the 1000amp controller is done, but I am waiting on having it made.  It's stinking expensive, because I am using free pcb layout software that can only be used at Advanced Circuits.

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes Is the pcb software holding you back on cheaper quotes? What software do you need exactly?

It's great to know you have the 1000a control board ready for production. I'm still a few months away from building my electric race car, and it sounds like you'd have everything ready to go by then :)

How much do you charge for assembly?

[MPaulHolmes]

@unnefer1978 Yes. The place I want to go through is PCB Cart. For example, to do a 4 ounce pcb etched in large quantities, it's $8. To have the same thing in the U.S. is like $100 each. I'm going to buy Eagle as soon as I get $1000. Hey! that's $1 per amp. hahaha. I don't do assembly for people anymore because our insurance guy told us that if the people got in a wreck, that the person they ran into can sue us! Isnt 'that just stupid? OH well.

[unnefer1978]

@MPaulHolmes That is a HUGE savings Paul. On PCB Cart's website they state "As default we accept gerber file RS-274X format." I checked FreePCB's website and they state "Exports extended Gerber files (RS274X) and Excellon drill files". If you export as RS274X in FreePCB, then PCB Cart should accept it?

As for assembly and insurance, don't manufacturers get around that when a customers agrees to terms of sale (with indemnity clause)? How do Zilla, Netgain, Curtis and Solitron get around it?

[anewlow23]

I may be considering one of these because when my logisystem gets hot even when the throttle is at zero the motor still turns so I have to find some way of keeping the controller extra cool. Oh and how is your harbor freight heater working out for you my sux azz.

[definitionofis]

Can this controller do reverse polarity, like a L298M bridge ?

[MPaulHolmes]

If you hook up B+ and B- backwards, it will be really bad. hehe.

[definitionofis]

HeHe.

Ok, seriously I meant the output to the motor, not the input from the batteries.

See motor in figure 6:

vmlabs com/stonline/products/literatu­re/ds/1773/l298.pdf

[MPaulHolmes]

not right now. I just use reverse on the transmission. That would be cool though!

[definitionofis]

erase that space in "literatu re" and add a dot, you know where.

Also, I meant L298N, not L298M.

[lbcitezen]

How much does it cost to make one of those? They are way too expensive online. I need a 144v at 500amp just like yours.

[MPaulHolmes]

check out paulandsabrinasevstuff(dot)com for information on our kits. It's cheaper if you can solder yourself, but we can do that for you too.

[MPaulHolmes]

In answer to your question, it's about $300-$350 in parts, but it could be cheaper in bulk. It's just a lot of work doing the machining (all the precision drilling and soldering, etc...)

[dragonet80]

Really impressive!

Do you have any photos or video inside the car, to show the electric motors attached to the drive system?

[MPaulHolmes]

Yes, it's the "connecting the motor to the transmission" video. I forgot what I called it.

[ffsallnamestaken]

I want a 400volt 1000 amp AC controller with built in regen system!

And ultralightweight superpowerfull batteries to match..

I like AC alot more then DC motors, alot more advanced controls of various things, like torque, speed, easier and better regen etc.

But also way more expensive atm.

well one can dream right? ;)

Will be mainstream eventualy.. only batteries and a fast charging standard halting the evolution.

This controller is nice, keep working on it! :)

[hks72]

looks fine to me , will like get the parts and build one and test it out.

many thanks paul

all hail "OS" controller !

[BenjaminNelson]

Paul,

That controller is looking REALLY good! If people didn't know better, they would think it was commercially manufactured!

[labidus74]

Nice controller

[MPaulHolmes]

Thanks labidus! It has come a long way, but there are already some things I want to do differently in the next version. I'm really excited!

[labidus74]

I want to do my EV too, I got a donor car (land rover discovery) but I dont know if the 500a 144v controller will be enough, the project is not started yet, hopefully your controller will work for my big fat ev one day :)