Parallel discharge test after 1 year of plugin charging
As some of you know I have been plugin charging for a year now. I have also had the parallel configuration in place for almost 14 months. Well, today I finally did a discharge test.
I charge about 5 nights a week on average, so that works out to about 52 weeks X 5 charges = 260 charges @ ~10 cents each or $26.00
First off, the batteries had taken about 1.8kW/hrs of charge the night before and had been close to empty at start.
Results:
Start temps: 86F / 82F
End temps: 92F / 86F
Average Discharge: 50 Amps via 2 mima leds, no gas pedal pressure.
Average speed: 35 - 40mph
Distance traveled: 5.5 miles in ~9:20
Calculated Ah: 7.5Ah
Final mpg: 150mpg ++ Final l/100km: .1l/100km (2300mpg)
I also looked at a post I made last year about my first range test, I'll just paste it in. It appears my average speed was slightly higher this time counting for the increased range, but the discharge time was almost identical at 50 amps (2 leds). Looks like last year in 3rd gear I was closer to 25 mph average, and 35 mph in 4th gear this year. regardless usable capacity seems to be in the same ballpark which I suspected. I would also suspect each run to vary as gauging mima leds isn't very accurate.
~25 mph / 3.7 miles, worked out to 9.4 minutes
9.4 minutes is 15.67% of 1 hour
15.67% of 50 amps is about 7.85 aH
Capacity doesn't appear to have changed much and is easily within margin of error. Discharge time was almost identical to last years run. I will most likely do another run just to see if there is much variance.
As some of you know I have been plugin charging for a year now.
BTW, did you see the NiMH sticks being offered in the forum? The guy called me to sell them to me, but they're not the configuration I need, so I suggested that he list them up here. He's got something like 8000 sticks of 6 D cell NiMH rated at 6500 Mah.
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2000 MT #4227 175K miles - Citrus Yellow, BetterBattery
BTW, did you see the NiMH sticks being offered in the forum? The guy called me to sell them to me, but they're not the configuration I need, so I suggested that he list them up here. He's got something like 8000 sticks of 6 D cell NiMH rated at 6500 Mah.
Wow, that's alot of sticks. Are they high current with welded connections and and stainless steel nuts on the end?
If they were, I could use them. But these might make good secondary batteries to slowly dump into the primary.
I was thinking something similar .... use a current limiting circuit between two or more pack in parallel. Limit charging and discharge to ~10 amps per complete pack. In fact two unidirectional circuits could be setup so a car could also recharge them, just at a slower rate than the main pack. The main pack either takes excess charge from the boosters, or feeds the booster power if it has a higher charge. Have you been given a price? For this application I would say the price per 20 subpacks would have to be less than the cost of a used Insight / Civic pack.
Uhtrinity, you mentioned in another thread that you have a temperature probe in your battery packs. What kind of temperatures do you usually see in charge depleting mode? Do you ever repeatedly regen and assist in charge sustaining mode?
I must have missed this thread. Mark you should be able to a more accurate test with be new gauge as current will be pretty accurate. Also the 7.5ah capacity is interesting. I need to watch your video.
I'm sure this questions been asked, but I've done a search and haven't been able to find the answer I'm looking for.
But why couldn't you use an engine generator/alternator to actively charge the battery pack for the IMA system while the cars is accelerating? Logically it sounds like it should work, but I'm brand new to these cars, as in bought my first Hybrid Saturday.
So please be paitent with me and let me catch up on all the education. Thanks!
I'm sure this questions been asked, but I've done a search and haven't been able to find the answer I'm looking for.
But why couldn't you use an engine generator/alternator to actively charge the battery pack for the IMA system while the cars is accelerating? Logically it sounds like it should work, but I'm brand new to these cars, as in bought my first Hybrid Saturday.
So please be paitent with me and let me catch up on all the education. Thanks!
You could, but then you'd be stealing MPG as you accelerate. The energy to charge the IMA system has to come from somewhere, even if that is the mechanical energy that turns the generator. The difference is that the current IMA system takes energy when you don't want it, such as when you are trying to slow down (regenerative braking) or when you are coasting down a hill. It's the same amount of energy, it's just that the source of it is waste energy.
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2000 MT #4227 175K miles - Citrus Yellow, BetterBattery
You could, but then you'd be stealing MPG as you accelerate. The energy to charge the IMA system has to come from somewhere, even if that is the mechanical energy that turns the generator. The difference is that the current IMA system takes energy when you don't want it, such as when you are trying to slow down (regenerative braking) or when you are coasting down a hill. It's the same amount of energy, it's just that the source of it is waste energy.
Would the MPG's that you lose be that significant? Couldn't you run a set of underdrive pullies to make up for the new load on the engine? I must be upfront with you, I'm coming from a world of 600 hp Rotary Engines, so this idea of a 3 cylinder engine with electric motors is like speaking german to an asian. Couldn't you pick up MPG's if you were to run a new belt with the Power Steering out of the way?
You wouldn't believe all the idea I've had on the way home from work to get my MPG's up LOL, and I'm sure they've all been covered.
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Parallel discharge test after 1 year of plugin charging
