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Cheap Big Motors & Controllers — Parallax Forums

Cheap Big Motors & Controllers

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2008-07-29 14:47 in Robotics
$4.50 a gallon for gas·encouraged me build an electric commuter bike, which is fabulous and works great. 20+ MPH and a 15-mile range using 36V of cheap 7 Ah SLA batteries.·My search for motors & parts led me to http://tncscooters.com/partsdb.php?type=ES·. They have a wide variety of motors, controllers & chargers at very good prices (ie., controller $20, geared motor $55). 24 and 36 volt systems are available, and I'm sure someone could make a great chain-drive lawnbot or battlebot out of these parts. Motors start at 250 watts and go up, controllers are good for 30+ amps. The controllers·are designed to work with Hall-effect twist throttles, but I'm sure a suitable signal can come out of a Basic Stamp with some circuitry.

Well worth a look for anyone needing high power at an affordable price. They also have an eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/TNC-Scooters

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·"If you build it, they will come."

Post Edited (erco) : 7/26/2008 3:51:27 AM GMT

Comments

  • william chanwilliam chan Posts: 1,326
    edited 2008-07-25 17:35
    Would 4units of 1kW motors be sufficient to move a small car?

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    www.mercedes.com.my
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2008-07-25 20:52
    Certainly, at some speed, depending on weight & power requirements! Of course 4 motors will need 4 transmissions or chain drive setups. To use a DC motor most efficiently, you want to operate it in a narrow RPM range, somewhere around 75% of no load speed, so you may need to shift all 4 transmisisons at once, OUCH. If you make something like this, I'm sure that Chris Rouse at TNC scooters would love to hear all about it, as would we all!

    My own electric bike experience was that the best design (motor, gearing, battery) was customized to me and my particular commute. Everyone's first questions are "how fast & far will it go", but that's less important than "will it get you there efficiently"? I want to carry the smallest battery weight (my SLA batteries are cheap but heavy) to do my commute one way, then recharge at work (on the company's dime, don't tell!) for the trip home, where I recharge again.

    Keep in mind that most car manufacturers are going to brushless motors for better efficiency. This is a brushed, permanent magnet motor. Old school, but simple, cheap, & reliable. Easy to replace the brushes when they wear out.

    Seems like an electric motorcycle would be a good-sized project to learn on, perhaps before you commit to building a full-sized car. It would be a lot of fun, too.

    Some 20 years ago, many DIY vehicle builders were modifying small cars, removing the gas engines and installing 24-36 volt starter motors out of B-29 bombers, and still using the car's original tranny & diff. And installing a dozen or more DieHard car batteries with thick wiring and heavy-duty relays to switch the batteries in various series/parallel arrangements.

    Seems to me that a viable electric vehicle will have to be custom-built from aluminum, more like a small plane than a typical modern car. A Cessna 152 2-seater only weighs 1200 pounds (motor but no fuel). Makes a 2500 pound car look silly just to drive to the bank or get a newspaper.

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • william chanwilliam chan Posts: 1,326
    edited 2008-07-25 22:24
    Why build a scooter when it is so cheap at the tnc website?

    I currently have a electric pocket bike that runs on a 250w brushed motor.
    It gets awfully hot to the touch just after 400m runs.

    Do you think the permanent magnets will be degraded by the heat?

    Why the Chinese don't make brushless motors?

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    www.fd.com.my
    www.mercedes.com.my
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2008-07-25 23:39
    They do, just not nearly as cheap.

    http://www.motionking.com/Products/Brushless_DC_Motors/110BLDC_brushless_motor.htm

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • DJSandbergDJSandberg Posts: 56
    edited 2008-07-27 14:36
    Here is another source (Chinese) for brushless·motors, batteries, controllers, and complete bicycles.· They have quite a variety and some really good prices.·

    Daryl
  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2008-07-27 17:03
    I'll second erco's comments on electric bikes. I've been using a Schwinn i-zip and have been very impressed. The motor is a brushed 450 watt, enclosed geared type driving the rear axle with its own free-wheeling sprocket. Uses two 12 volt SLA's for about 28 km (17 mi) of assisted running. PWM twist grip throttle and motor controller. I'm hoping to do a bit of Stamp data logging just for the fun of it.

    A few years ago (well, more than 20) I built an electric vehicle for a commuter vehicle. The first try used a 3 HP pump motor off a ship. It would push the Datsun 1200 to about 30 mph but had no reserves for hills. Switched to a jet engine starter motor ( about 14 HP ) and that gave really good performance ( up to 50 mph and about 30 miles range but not at the same time!).

    My goal at the time was to get a street legal car on the road without starving to death. Once you begin to build a car from the ground up, there are a million regulations in your way. Its infinitely cheaper to get on the road with a used vehicle, its more like "re-powering" it and it gets through motor vehicle inspections without too much trouble. Note that I did have to hang the exhaust system under the car with haywire so the mechanic could check the box that said "exhaust system checked".

    So, four 1 kw motors would definitely drive a small car. I would gang them in parallel driving the input shaft of the manual transmission.

    Cheers,

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com
    ·
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,566
    edited 2008-07-27 21:02
    Keep your eyes on E-bay also... I recently won a bid for a 24 Volt 270 Watt motor for $5 !! of course shipping was $10 ... but hey! ...for fifteen bucks!

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    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
  • william chanwilliam chan Posts: 1,326
    edited 2008-07-28 04:40
    Stamptrol,

    Did you remove the engine of the Datsun to make it lighter?
    Which workshop can help you mount the electric motor?

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    www.fd.com.my
    www.mercedes.com.my
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2008-07-28 08:08
    Just posted a brief clip to Youtube and found tons of interesting electric bike videos. A lot of experimenting going on out there!

    My little bike:· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYh2JaHsdak

    DeWalt 36V bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKKvP9wWrlY

    $1300 Commuter bike conversion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eNdU9QQZUk&feature=related

    A123 Superbike Monster Crash at Nextfest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfueVHVnkI&feature=related

    Ebike police pursuit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a_Z-ywTc4w&feature=related·· (funny)

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2008-07-28 10:51
    William,

    The engine was removed and the electric motor was mounted to the transmission. The adapter plate and coupling was made locally. Its not too hard.

    Rear seat was removed and a rack was built to hold the deep cycle batteries.

    The rear suspension was slightly strengthened and the controller, fuel burning heater/defroster was mounted in the extra space in the engine compartment.

    If there's any interest, I can post a few pictures.


    Cheers,

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com
    ·
  • Mike CookMike Cook Posts: 829
    edited 2008-07-28 13:59
    Here’s my eTrike I’m working on, soon· to have a Propeller Dashboard! I need to find a NTSC display that is viewable in the sun.
    ·
    Hub motor is from www.electricrider.com, speed controller and assorted electrical from www.tncscooters.com, trike from walmart (it’s a worksman Port-O-Trike), and SLA batteries from www.bgmicro.com
    ·
    Link to photo:
    http://bp0.blogger.com/_tA54Ebd2ceE/SJJyJgzmObI/AAAAAAAAHH0/2AjpYo1A0iE/s1600-h/Jul+13+2008+007_edited-1.jpg
    ·


    Summary of a typical trip from work to home:

    attachment.php?attachmentid=73962

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    Mike

    Post Edited (Mike Cook) : 8/1/2008 11:27:37 AM GMT
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  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2008-07-28 14:05
    Hi Folks,

    I scanned a few photos of the "Wattsun" project and put them on the Sandbox forum.

    Cheers,

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com
    ·
  • DJSandbergDJSandberg Posts: 56
    edited 2008-07-29 14:47
    I didn't put the link in a previous post for Golden Motor. Lots of motor choices and a really interesting battery option.

    Daryl

    http://goldenmotor.com/
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