Electric Horse

[Evguy 556]

I recently purchased a GT1800 with a blown engine with the intent of conversion to electric. 
This is my first Wheel Horse and I have never seen it running. I need a little work on it but it looks sound.

I will not be hacking it up, If this project goes poorly, I would want to bring it back to stock operation with new engine.

 I will be creating a blog at some point to show conversation. 
Budget will be tight, I will be using parts from past projects, but motor will be new permanent magnet DC. 

Voltage will be 48v, as many old lithium batteries that I can fit in. I plan to retain pto clutch.
 

 

[Pullstart 62,807]

Thanks for bringing us along!

[Maxwell-8 4,275]

How many KW is the motor you plan on using?

[SylvanLakeWH 25,501]

Excellent!!!

 

[Evguy 556]

7 hours ago, Maxwell-8 said:

How many KW is the motor you plan on using?

10kw / 21kw peak for 1 minute. 
It’s a little bit of a compromise with cost  power and efficiency.

 

[WHX?? 48,799]

[Maxwell-8 4,275]

1 hour ago, Evguy said:

10kw / 21kw peak for 1 minute. 
It’s a little bit of a compromise with cost  power and efficiency.

 

so a constant of about 14hp, the same as @SylvanLakeWH  E141.

 

[Evguy 556]

Slowly progressing  on my project, the motor was delivered yesterday.

The specs on the motor were not quite as advertised IMO, but I will run with it.

 I started a blog on the build,

charging horse.blogspot.com 

I am prepping things, scraping grease off frame, removing engine etc.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Evguy
Typo

[Snoopy11 5,714]

I won't ruin your thread... but I have to say it...

 

Pepsi guy eh? I'm a Coke man myself... LOL

 

That motor looks like an alternator! Does it have a 3/4 shaft?

 

Don

[Evguy 556]

2 hours ago, Snoopy11 said:

I won't ruin your thread... but I have to say it...

 

Pepsi guy eh? I'm a Coke man myself... LOL

 

That motor looks like an alternator! Does it have a 3/4 shaft?

 

Don

Coke here also, but grocery has none.

shaft is 1 inch by 3

[Evguy 556]

Slowly moving forward on the project, trying to find places for all the batteries, I made some templates but need to mount the motor before finalizing them.

 I’m waiting on a bearing before building the mount for the motor, seems to be delayed.

 I decided to add a thrust bearing for PTO  loading, I don’t know if motor bearings will tolerate the PTO loads, so it can’t hurt to add the bearing.

 

Charginghorse.blogspot.com

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

21 hours ago, Evguy said:

decided to add a thrust bearing for PTO  loading

 

I was gonna ask if the motor could handle the axial load, you beat me to it!

 

Since you're going electric anyway, you could consider an electric clutch, but maybe you don't want the extra current draw.  Don't know your current draw budget.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Evguy 556]

39 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I was gonna ask if the motor could handle the axial load, you beat me to it!

 

Since you're going electric anyway, you could consider an electric clutch, but maybe you don't want the extra current draw.  Don't know your current draw budget.

I considered the electric clutch route, but would need 12 volts at pretty high current. This would add Eclutch and dc/dc converter cost to project.
electric clutch also has high shock when engaging, I like the idea of bringing the blades up with control.

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

6 minutes ago, Evguy said:

I considered the electric clutch route, but would need 12 volts at pretty high current. This would add Eclutch and dc/dc converter cost to project.
electric clutch also has high shock when engaging, I like the idea of bringing the blades up with control.

 

I suspected that.

 

There is a PWM gadget that engages electric clutches 'softly', but if you can't afford the current that's a moot point.

[WHX?? 48,799]

School me on a dc/dc converter?

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

2 hours ago, WHX?? said:

School me on a dc/dc converter?

 

DC going in is converted to high frequency AC, fed through a transformer, and then rectified back to DC at a different voltage and regulated at that voltage.

 

The reason they use high frequency AC is because the transformers can be made MUCH smaller.

 

In electric vehicles the battery voltage is usually higher than the 12V that would be required for something like an electric clutch so it would be necessary to step the battery voltage down to 12 V for the clutch.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[WHX?? 48,799]

Ahhh I see  .... to get 12v to run headlights & accessories guessing. Must be a newfangled EV  thing. I'll take the one out of the Missus's Prius then and play with it! 

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

newfangled

 

Not really, been around for long time actually.  Applications all over the place.

[Snoopy11 5,714]

2 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

been around for long time actually

I can verify this. I have had electric equipment that dated back through the 80's with this very technology.

 

Don

[OoPEZoO 513]

Cool project.  I have been contemplating doing the same for a few years now.  I just don't want to hack up my current tractor and hadn't come across a proper ($free$) doner yet.  Where did you source your electric motor from and have you decided on a motor controller yet?  

[Evguy 556]

7 hours ago, OoPEZoO said:

Cool project.  I have been contemplating doing the same for a few years now.  I just don't want to hack up my current tractor and hadn't come across a proper ($free$) doner yet.  Where did you source your electric motor from and have you decided on a motor controller yet?  

I bought this with dead engine intending to convert. 
I bought the motor from an EV supplier, and I am going to use contactor to turn it on and off. Speed is controlled via hydraulic drive, no need for blade speed adjustment.

[OoPEZoO 513]

I'm confused.......having a contactor to make/break the DC voltage coming from the batteries is a good idea, but what is your plan for a motor controller, or does the motor your using accept straight DC and have the control electronics built in?  If so, I'd love to see a data shoot for it.  I'm assuming your motor is a 3 phase brushless DC motor.  If I'm wrong, please correct me.  Just trying to understand what components you are putting together.

[Evguy 556]

Dc motor with permanent magnet field.

fairly simple compared to current technology 

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

1 hour ago, OoPEZoO said:

assuming your motor is a 3 phase brushless DC motor.  If I'm wrong, please correct me

 

DC can't have 'phases'.  Only AC can have phases.

 

 

[Evguy 556]

9 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

DC can't have 'phases'.  Only AC can have phases.

 

 

They can, but not ac, usually pulse width modulated with feedback from hall sensors.