We’ve finished tracing the flow of torque from the motor down a very simple path (skipping most of it actually; the driveshaft will have to be one of the last mechanical parts I get for the truck), and now we’ve made it to the wheel hubs. Today’s last cobblestone in that road is actually two parts, the axles.
I’ll be really happy when I get done with this heater, so I can put the dash back together and get on with the rest of the project. The phrase “dollar waiting on a dime” comes to mind. I did make some progress this weekend, and concluded most of the “fiddly” part of the process. The rest of the mounting procedure should be relatively straightforward from here.
Grasping defeat from the jaws of victory. We were so close.
With arguably the most sophisticated, successful and popular production electric vehicle ever made, that most of the country outside California and Arizona has only vaguely heard of (if at all), GM terminated their EV1 program, recalled the vehicles they had leased to the fury and dismay of their devoted customers, destroyed them at significant expense and lied to the public that there was no demand, fighting to discredit those who revealed the waiting list of thousands who never got their cars. And all this, just when the story was getting good, and the battery problems were finally being solved after a century of mediocrity. GM and the other manufacturers gave up, stopped the research, took their ball and went home.
Well, ok I made those two up. But today’s part does have a few names, depending on who you’re talking to. It’s typically called the center section, or third member. Often it’s called the pumpkin due to its similar dimensions, though this term is also used to refer to the entire visible bulge in the axle which contains the differential and gears, including that part of the axle housing.
(As inconsistent as all these names might seem, it’s not even close to the confusing lexicon of computers … ask any computer geek what the word filesystem means, and if you only get one answer, look elsewhere for information in the future.)
When planning the reworking of the truck’s mechanical features, I realized that increasing torque from the powerplant more than tenfold would necessitate a powertrain that’s a little more sturdy than stock. In reality the difference won’t be that severe at first, since while I’m increasing torque from the motor, I’m also ditching the transmission. If/when I do upgrade to a transmission later on however, I’d like the rest of the driveline to be ready for it.
Still even as-is, the motor by itself will be producing more than double the maximum torque of the original engine in first gear, and critically, will be capable of applying that torque instantly. We can’t expect the little stock rear end to handle that kind of shock, so today I’ll introduce to you the first part of its replacement.
Every major electrical system powered from a source capable of starting a fire should have fuses, right? Right. Electric vehicles are no exception. And while a more conservative EV might have a fuse with a barrel the size of a short stack of quarters, the ones I’ll be using are about the same diameter as a soda can.
This is a 700A, 500V Ferraz Shawmut fuse recommended by Cafe Electric for use with the high-voltage, high current system I’ll be running in the Ohmbre. It’s called a “semiconductor fuse” and the element carrying the current is encased in sand, within a fiberglass barrel about five millimeters thick. When a fuse like this blows the sand and fiberglass contain the fairly energetic explosion. Supposedly the sound it makes is something like a shotgun or a grenade. I haven’t heard it, and its an event I hope I never get to experience.
I guess this question is for the ladies (who am I kidding? … meh, whatever): Have you ever had one of those memorable moments when you’re walking along and you trip or stumble, your books scatter all around .. and then as you’re getting up there’s this stranger who stops and helps you, gathering up the pile of books and awkwardly handing them to you … one … at … a …time, and his eyes meet yours in a friendly, warmhearted gaze that makes you want to run and call the police?
Well today folks, I am that guy.
Some really cool news today on the Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (PHEV) front. I mentioned before that the fortuitously-named mayor of Austin Will Wynn has taken the city of Austin to the forefront of energy-efficient personal transportation advocacy in initiating his campaign to gather support in the form of intent-to-buy pledges or “soft orders” for the manufacture of plug-in hybrid vehicles. We first heard about this plan at the 4th EAA chapters conference which we hosted here in Austin in April 2005. Months later in August it was announced to the general public.
Today that plan has gained traction on a large scale, with several cities joining in. The campaign, as of today, has officially gone national.
(Read on …)
My apologies for the lack of new posts for the past few days, as I’ve been working on software upgrades for the website. Those upgrades are now complete, though due to a change in how the image gallery software organizes its files, many image links in the weblog are now broken. I’ll be fixing them in the next day or two.
Some additional layout changes are planned, but at least the major upheaval has ended so I can resume posting to the site. Stay tuned…
As you may have noticed, recently I’ve begun splitting my longer posts, placing the first paragraph or two on the front page, and continuing the rest with a link to the post’s individual page.
Some may find this annoying, but I’ve made the change to benefit folks who don’t read this website often (and since I only usually post every couple days, that’s probably almost everyone), allowing a quick glance down the page to check for any new headlines besides the one at the top. Hopefully it’ be easy to tell if you’ve only missed the latest post, or the last three or five, without too much scrolling.