Adding Enginer PHEV system.

[ericbecky]

As usual, Jack exceeded my expectations.
The package came on Thursday of last week in while I was out of town. (I thought'd be another few days!) Unfortunately, now the package is locked up at my friend's repair shop until Monday. Dang!

I was considering bench testing this converter first, but I haven't decided exactly what that bench testing would consist of... so I'll probably just install it straight away and do measurement once it's in the car.

[rayholan]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

As usual, Jack exceeded my expectations.
The package came on Thursday of last week in while I was out of town. (I thought'd be another few days!) Unfortunately, now the package is locked up at my friend's repair shop until Monday. Dang!

I was considering bench testing this converter first, but I haven't decided exactly what that bench testing would consist of... so I'll probably just install it straight away and do measurement once it's in the car.

Eric, glad to hear it's at least a bit closer to being installed Keep us posted on this intriguing mod.

[ericbecky]

Got the dc/dc converter installed last night.

This replacement converter is definitely dribbling power a little more slowly and smoothly than the previous converter, which is a good thing.

There is 5-8 amps or so dribbling into the stock pack from the Enginer pack. (The last converter began swinging amps from high to low and shortly after that it died.)

With this lower amperage, the IMA light does not immediately get tripped every time the car goes into Autostop, which is also good. It does still happen occasionally though, but I have not isolated exactly what conditions make it happen. It is surrounding coming in or going out of Autostop, though. When the IMA light gets tripped, the whole IMA system shuts down. To clear the light, for now, I simply key off, and then rekey on the car. (Another way around it would be to put a momentary switch on the appropriate fuse, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.)

Today was very windy and rainy so I couldn't really do any meaningful testing for mpg.

I did cycle the Lithium batteries from charged to discharged. In other words the balancer high alarm went on when I charged them, and then the balancer low alarm went on when I discharged them.

I used MIMA to get full use out of the batteries. I especially used the batteries to go up hills and start off from stop lights.

I'm still trying to decide how this Enginer set up will be able to help non-MIMA owners.

Out of 16 cells, I only have one that is a bit "out of line" compared to the others. The rest seem pretty well matched otherwise.

Plenty of other testing still needs to be done but this should whet your appetite.

[Mike Dabrowski 2000]

5-8A is not a lot of current.
I thought that my 16.5A of boost current was not enough, and would like 20A or more.

That is only a bit over 1KW from a 3KW dc/dc.
I guess for a hypermiler that will still be better than nothing?

[ericbecky]

I've added more photos to my PHEV Insight album on Flickr.
Enginer PHEV in a Honda Insight - a set on Flickr

It shows my current configuration with the batteries near the back of the car and the converter nearer the front of the car.

This allows more airflow under the stock electronics. It also makes for a handy way to add a piece of foam core board on top of the batteries to create a storage shelf.

Currently the whole system is mounted on a 1/2" piece of plywood that is bolted to the car using the spare tire hold down threaded hole. I'm getting a metal plate made to replace the wood, but the wood works for now.

I've been using the pack for the last few weeks and getting the hang of things.
I use the Enginer's panel toggle switch to turn on the Enginer system as well as to turn it off when the balancers low voltage alarm goes off.

I have been using MIMA to
- manually control the amount of assist used
- limit or turn off regen from the Insight's electronics when the pack is low
- turn off the Insight's engine to coast where safe and legal to do so
It is not directly interfacing or controlling the Enginer system in any way.

With that, here's what I've found:
- recharge time for the Enginer pack from the grid (~2.25 hrs)
- recharge time of the stock pack from the Enginer pack when parked with car in accessory mode (~45 min)
- recharge time of stock pack from Enginer pack while driving and not using assist (35 minutes)
- amps into the pack from the Enginer pack.
---- generally ~8 amps or so when battery is low (0 bars- 133 V)
---- generally ~6 amps or so part way through (12 bars -165 V)
---- generally drops an amp or so as each bar is added and voltage moves closer to 170. (in the run I made, the voltage difference in my car between 14 bars and 20 bars is less than a volt.)

Using things in this manner I have been able to run around town using a heavy amount of electric. This allows me to do 2 mile trips to the store and be at ~125 mpg.

I also have done a 19.4 mile run out to the country and back to town on an errand and got 114.2 mpg. I started with a full stock pack and full Enginer pack. I depleted the stock pack and the Enginer pack on this run.

I did a 40 mile run on the highway (55 mph) and got 108 mpg. Again starting with a full Enginer pack and full stock pack, and depleting them both.

Having MIMA available to control the use of the assist and to turn off charging from the Insight's stock programming has been helpful in keeping mpg's high.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or other things you'd like me to give a try.

[IamIan]

In order to compare the results of your given driving route and driving techniques... it might be useful to show the MPG you get with the OEM stock system on the same route and your same driving techniques... and compare that to the results with your PHEV system.

That might help some people ... as different driving routes ... and different driving techniques will get different MPG results.

The % increase in MPG over a ___ Miles distance would be useful.... so those people who get 60MPG from their I1 could get an idea of what they might get for an increase ... and those people who get 80MPG from their I1 could get an idea of what they might get for an increase.

Just a suggestion.

------------

Either way , thanks for keeping us updated ... it is nice stuff to read about.

[ericbecky]

Thanks for the suggestion.
Getting "standard results" is a difficult thing. I don't envy the EPA in creating a reproducible test.

I have quite a few modes to measure/compare:
- stock Insight mode with Enginer sytem off
- stock Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system on
- MIMA Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system off
- MIMA Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system on

That's a lot of time on the road just to try to get some reproducible results.

I'll see what I can do.

[rayholan]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

Thanks for the suggestion.
Getting "standard results" is a difficult thing. I don't envy the EPA in creating a reproducible test.

I have quite a few modes to measure/compare:
- stock Insight mode with Enginer sytem off
- stock Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system on
- MIMA Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system off
- MIMA Insight mode with Enginer PHEV system on

That's a lot of time on the road just to try to get some reproducible results.

I'll see what I can do.

Thanks for this useful info, Eric. So your version of EPA reproducible results would be EEPA (i.e. Eric's Environmental Protection Agency)?

[ericbecky]

With all the extra driving to confirm reproducible results it's more like environmental Eric's Environmental Destruction Agency.

Today's around town running:
- 7.8 miles, 141.9mpg.
- left with a full stock pack, returned with full stock pack (169V).
- all roads under 35 mph.
- MIMA Insight mode with Enginer system on

Took a highway drive:
- 52 miles, 70 mpg
- stock Insight mode with Enginer system off.
- pretty aggressive hypermiling. At times under 50 mph on 55 mph road (4 lane). Engine off coasting.

[IamIan]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

I don't envy the EPA in creating a reproducible test.

It is easier when they have several million dollars to through into a facility , equipment , and personnel budgets.

Don't worry about going crazy with it... I think just a few basic test runs... maybe like using the average of 3 runs in order to weed out some of the real world statistical variations... and if you can schedule out how you can combine the test runs with a set driving route you already do... like your commute... you could combine this testing with a drive you would be doing anyway.... Like Day#1 powered to work and un-powered home from work... Day#2 u n-powered to work and powered home from work... etc.

still no matter what you do or don't do... thanks for keeping us updated