Electric conversion

[8ntruck 8,472]

41 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

I'm curious- what will you use to replace the clutching function? 

It is electric and looks like it is brushless.  Seems like some sort of soft start/stop function would be possible.  Possibly through a 'gas' pedal?

[kpinnc 16,521]

57 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

It is electric and looks like it is brushless.  Seems like some sort of soft start/stop function would be possible.  Possibly through a 'gas' pedal?

 

Exactly why I was asking. Paired with the right controller, you could have a "hybrid" foot controller that works similar to a hydro but with different gear box speeds. 

 

Or just stop and go like those electric cars we had when we were little. Either way will be pretty cool! 

[Racinbob 12,503]

Just my  worth. I see no reason for a 'clutch' as such. You don't need to disconnect the motor drive to come to a stop. I'm thinking a soft start might not be best. You want full torque to get her rolling. A variable speed control....yup. Think electric golf cart. 

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

8 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing this build unfold. The idea of a super quiet tractor is pretty awesome!

 

I'm curious- what will you use to replace the clutching function? 

No clutch. Going to be like an electric golf cart, motor only runs when you depress the throttle and I’m going to have a forward/reverse switch so no need to shift gears often

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

8 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

It is electric and looks like it is brushless.  Seems like some sort of soft start/stop function would be possible.  Possibly through a 'gas' pedal?

You are correct, throttle pedal will control the start and stop function 

[953 nut 63,548]

             Houston,  we have a problem!       With the shaft sticking out there won't be room for then gas tank.     Oh never mind, it is .

 

[8ntruck 8,472]

2 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

No clutch. Going to be like an electric golf cart, motor only runs when you depress the throttle and I’m going to have a forward/reverse switch so no need to shift gears often

An electric shuttle shift conversion.  Looks like you will end up with a 16 speed tractor.

[kpinnc 16,521]

3 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

No clutch. Going to be like an electric golf cart, motor only runs when you depress the throttle and I’m going to have a forward/reverse switch so no need to shift gears often

 

Awesome. That's sorta what I figured. Thanks! 

[Handy Don 15,608]

3 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

a forward/reverse switch so no need to shift gears

 

42 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Looks like you will end up with a 16 speed tractor.

 

So pop quiz: With the electric switch in reverse and transmission in low reverse, how fast will Johnny go? For extra credit, in what direction?

 

 

 

 

Answer: He won’t go at all until he presses the pedal. Extra credit: standstill 

  

Edited January 2 by Handy Don

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

Controller, Alltrax AC2, was little bigger than I was expecting but got it mounted

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

Battery showed up today 

[kpinnc 16,521]

34 minutes ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

Battery showed up today 

 

Yeah, that is a bleeping battery! 

 

51V, 65AH... That's a big fella!

Edited Saturday at 04:45 AM by kpinnc

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

53 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

Yeah, that is a bleeping battery! 

 

51V, 65AH... That's a big fella!

I originally was going to use a 105AH and still might in the future but this 65AH was easier to fit and mount 

[kpinnc 16,521]

2 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

originally was going to use a 105AH and still might in the future but this 65AH was easier to fit and mount 

 

Well you certainly have my attention on this build. I'd love to have a quiet machine! 

[SylvanLakeWH 30,136]

6 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

Battery showed up today

Nice!

What did it cost if you don't mind? 

[sqrlgtr 1,785]

and what does that dude weigh?

[WHX?? 53,722]

8 hours ago, kpinnc said:

51V, 65AH... That's a big fella

Does that controller charge too?

You might have it covered already Richard but a thread going  on making battery cables. 

 

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

3 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Nice!

What did it cost if you don't mind? 

Too much $ Lol

[Handy Don 15,608]

8 hours ago, Richard’s 314-8 said:

I originally was going to use a 105AH and still might in the future but this 65AH was easier to fit and mount 

 

I’ve been reading that EVs heat/cool their batteries to maintain optimal charge/discharge performance. Will heat or cold affect your design?

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

2 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

and what does that dude weigh?

I forgot what the weight was and can’t seem to find it online at the moment. It’s heavy but nowhere near the weight of the original kohler

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

17 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

 

I’ve been reading that EVs heat/cool their batteries to maintain optimal charge/discharge performance. Will heat or cold affect your design?

Temperature is a factor. This battery has a heat function for cold weather operation but I need to be mindful during the hot summer months. I’m using this tractor for my garden so not much use during middle of summer when crops are growing. 

[WHX?? 53,722]

4 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Nice!

What did it cost if you don't mind? 

Yah you don't wanna know Sylvia. Curiosity got the best of me and apparently they are used for high end performance golf carts and other apps probably including EVs. When I was told $$$$$.$$ for replacement batteries for her Prius I know why now. 

[Richard’s 314-8 59]

2 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Does that controller charge too?

You might have it covered already Richard but a thread going  on making battery cables. 

 

Thank you for the battery cable link. The controller charges when off the throttle coasting which won’t be much on a tractor. The battery came with a charger you can mount onboard or offboard. 

[JoeM 9,390]

The sky is the limit. Got them all over Amazon 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rhino+lithium+battery+51v&crid=1L76NJXAWZPW5&sprefix=rhino+lithium+battery+51v%2Caps%2C277&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

[wh500special 2,369]

I’m not endorsing them since it’s still somewhat new to me, but I have had great luck with the LiTime batteries in boats.  They are a good value.  
 

Li batteries (regardless of brand) have some quirks.  The internal heaters usually are activated when a charger is connected to preheat the battery before charge current tries to push in.  Once a battery is warmed sufficiently, applying a load to it will keep it warm enough to run things effectively even in cold temperature.   I didn’t look up the specifics of your battery, but most (probably all) of them have built-in functionality in their BMS to shut them down when the interior temperature drops below a threshold.   There seems to be some hysteresis between the off/on temperatures, so if you park that in your yard on a cold day and it shuts down it could take some measurable charging time to get it switched back on. 
 

the other thing I’ve noticed on some other battery applications (at work, not using LiTime batteries) using this battery chemistry is that the ability to push a high rate of current drops off

pretty significantly with temperature.  I think they are much more kinetically limited than a lead battery.  We were testing last week at -25F and my specialty  battery that will easily put out 150A at 32F seems limited to about 15A at -25F.  This probabky won’t matter to you other than the point that when it’s cold and your battery is chilled that you’ll probably have plenty of power to drive around without much noticeable performance loss, but it you try to pull a plow or something you might not be able to do it until the battery warms up.  We are cranking an engine with this battery and have to do a lot of tricks to get it to work when it’s done that cold. 

 

 It’s somewhat counterintuitive, but there is a lot to be gained by wasting some power putting a load on them thing for a while to get the battery warmed up before working it.  Once it’s warm, it stays that way pretty easy. 
 

Another quirk is that estimating the state of charge of the battery from its voltage level is all but a waste of time.  A drop of a fraction of a volt at the top end can represent a big decrease in stored capacity.  At the bottom rend, the voltage can hold relatively steady for a long time right up until the limit where the battery shuts off.
 

If getting an estimation of how much power is left in the thing is useful, you’ll need to measure the current in and out of the thing over time.  There are gizmos that do this for you which aren’t cheap.  if your battery has a Bluetooth connection, it probably takes care of state of charge monitoring.  I initially didn’t see the point in having a connected battery, but see it as a nonnegotiable now.  
 

I’d suggest leaving the charger offboard.  No sense subjecting it to vibration and environmental factors if you can avoid it.  An appropriate Anderson connector makes it easy to hook it up.  
 

This summer I might outfit one of the E-141s with Lithium if LiTime puts their 100A-hr 12 volt batteries back on clearance or has the reconditioned ones available again.  Runtime is amazing and unlike a lead acid, you get to use the whole capacity (almost) instead of just half.  On a usable power basis, these batteries are potentially less expensive than lead acid.  Last fall, they had 100 A-hr 12 volt batteries for right at $100 apiece.  It was a steal.  They weren’t Bluetooth, but at that price it’s not out of the question to improvise something. 
 

I’m enjoying your project!

 

Steve