June 2005
The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2005. Meetings will be held at the Clark County Library on 1401 E. Flamingo Road from 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM. Members will be displaying their own electric cars and answering questions before and after the meeting.
Month Date Activity
June 18 Monthly Meeting July 04th July Parade July 16 Monthly Meeting August 06 EV Workshop—EV Charging Systems August 20 Monthly Meeting September 03 EV Workshop
September 17 Monthly Meeting October 01 EV Workshop October 15 Monthly Meeting November 05 EV Workshop November 19 Monthly Meeting December 03 EV Workshop December 10 Christmas Parade December 17 Monthly Meeting
LVEVA Board of Directors: Richard Furniss, President
Bill Yule, Vice President Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer Al Sawyer Jan Himber Al D'Inzillo Adam Howard
Newsletter Editors and Contributors: Bill Kuehl Richard Furniss Al Sawyer, P.E. Jan Himber Adam Howard Stan Hanel
WATTS HAPPENING is published monthly by the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association,
a chapter of the Electric Auto Association
Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association web site
Electric Auto Association web site
Address Correspondence to: LVEVA
2515 Hightree Street No. Las Vegas, NV 89030
Call for Information: Richard Furniss (702) 453-6196
Bill Kuehl (702) 636-0304 Jan Himber (702) 642-4000
Contents:
1. WaveCrest Laboratories' Hub Motor Technology 2. LVEVA Member Hub Motor Projects: FreeEnergy Store & Adam Howard's "Ebike 1" 3. LVEVA to Participate in 4th
of July "Damboree" Parade in Boulder City 4. Research Institute (DRI) Electric Vehicle Resource Library 5. LVEVA Ongoing EV Projects and EV Workshops 6. EV Parts and EV's For Sale
Wavecrest Laboratories' Hub Motor Technology, Sports Car and TidalForce™ E-bikes
Hubmotors are "inside-out" electric motors constructed so that the stationary stator part of the motor is in the center at the "hub" of the motor generating an electromagnetic field while
the rotating armature is an outer shell that revolves around the stator due to pulsed electromagnetic excitations from a battery source and motor speed controller. Like standard DC motors, hub motors can either use electromagnetic
brushes to excite the rotor/armature or brushless electromagnetic energizing points. The outer rotor can be connected directly to the spokes of the bicycle tire or wheel, unlike other conventions where a gear-driven electric motor
may be clamped onto the outer surface of a bicycle tire to drive it by friction assist. The "direct drive" hub motor has much more efficiency and eliminates the need for a gearbox, although it can be coupled with one for more
torque and performance range if desired. An emerging trend is to use multiple hub motors in an EV, all controlled by a central computer chip. Rick Schaum, a former Chrysler Executive who helped introduce the Chrysler PT
Cruiser, Chrysler minivans, and the Crossfire Sports Car, is now directing pioneering work on a 4-wheel hub-motor Sports Car as Vice President of Automotive Development at WaveCrest Laboratories, headquartered in Dulles, VA. His
research staff of 90 people in Rochester Hills, MI is much smaller than the 9,000 people he directed at Chrysler. WaveCrest Labs also produces the TidalForce ™ Electric Offroad Mountain Bicycle for the military and for
civilian use. The most recent E-bike model available to the general public is the TidalForce M-750, available at distributors throughout the country. "Inside of the hub is a multi-phase, DC brushless motor, arranged so that the
rotor surrounds and rotates around the center-mounted stator. The rotor is made up of a series of independently-controlled electromagnetic coils driven by a proprietary power electronics module. The housing is backed by an iron
plate, a necessary part of any electric motor. The rotor turns on Timken bearings. Electric wheel hub motors attach directly to a vehicle's wheels,
resulting in improved power and handling while eliminating the need for a transmission, engine or drivetrain. The WaveCrest Adaptive Motor System ® consists of the motors, each operated by a microprocessor, and an electric
generator that recaptures power during braking. Another important element of WaveCrest's system is its proprietary battery, called Power Dense, which looks like a hockey puck. Several batteries stacked in a tube together generate
power 50 times greater than the energy consumed. The Achilles heel of the electric vehicle has always been the battery. "If we had a battery that was good enough," says Richard Schaum, vice president and general manager of
vehicle systems for The cells are manufactured in a spiral-wound stack instead of the usual
cylindrical structure. The heart of the technology is a patented current collector that enables power to pass through the body of the wound cell, directly from one cell to the next producing multiple efficiencies and most of all,
reducing resistance. Also, conventional motors waste energy at nearly every
point of their operation. But the WaveCrest Adaptive Motor® dynamically reconfigures itself to be always at peak efficiency. This happens in all environments, at all speeds and in all conditions. The system is equally
efficient at capturing energy when operating as regenerative brakes or as a generator. A prototype of a 4-wheel hub motor Sports Car based on the Chrysler Smart, originally sold as a gasoline-powered sports car in Europe, has
already been created and exhibited at the EVS-20 convention in Long Beach, CA last year using the Adaptive Motor System® technology. Wavecrest has a lot of influence with the military from its Dulles, Virginia Headquarters.
General Wesley Clark is on the Board of Directors of the company, recently taking a leave of absence to run for the Democratic Presidential candidacy during the primaries in 2004. "I believe this technology will make
WaveCrest motors the propulsion of choice for the 21st century, leading to a new generation of vehicles with superior operating characteristics and creating a legacy of environmental responsibility."
General Wesley Clark This information was gatherered from Wavecrest's web site is at:
WaveCrest Laboratories, "we 'd probably all be driving electric cars." WaveCrest has purchased the patents to further develop spiral-wound battery technology. "On all the hybrids I worked on at Chrysler,"
Schaum says, "the battery internal resistance was the bottle-neck. There was plenty more energy that could go in if only the battery would take it."
Schaum says the batteries have shown 92 percent peak efficiency with about 87 percent average efficiency. "The goal," says Schaum, "and I believe we 're going to make it in the next generation, is 90
percent efficiency over 90 percent of its operating range." Increased efficiency extends the range of pure EV vehicles and the lower resistance enables rapid recharging.
and from Wavecrest distributor Electric Cyclery in Laguna Beach, CA: www.greenspeed.us
Pricing on the TidalForce M-750 ranges from $2700 to $3100, depending on
features. Hub motor bicycle conversion kits are available from the company, as well. During Speedweek 2005 at the Utah Bonneville Salt Flats (August 13-19th
in Wendover, Utah), a group of EV designers from Japan are hoping to break the world EV speed record of 250 mph by using a sled with eight hub motors on eight independent wheels to shoot it straight down the track.
LVEVA Members Promote Electric Hub-Motor Bicycle Technology
During the recent Summerlin EarthFaire on April 23. 2005, two groups of LVEVA members exhibited their Electric Hub-Motor Bicycle development efforts at the LVEVA Booth, coincidentally occupying booth space next to the food
refueling station for the "Tour de Summerlin" bicycle race that is held annually during this Earth Day event. Thank you to the booth vendors for their friendliness as well as the free drinks and sandwiches that they shared with us
during lunch! The LVEVA booth displayed a poster board of photographs, brochures, and handouts as well as Al Sawyers' Lectra Centauri Sedan. In addition, the Free Energy Store (two LVEVA members, Russell Lord and Al Greer, work
with the company) displayed two tandem seat electric hub-motor bicycles that the Free Energy Store sells commercially. In addition, LVEVA Board Members Adam Howard, Al Sawyer, and Jan Himber also displayed their "work in progress"
on a 20-inch single seat electric bicycle that they are developing independently, as well. The Free Energy Store The Free Energy Store was formed several years ago from former employees of "Mr. Solar", a local
Residential and Commercial Solar Power installer, whose owner passed away just a few years ago. The Free Energy Store has expanded in multiple Alternate Energy directions since that time, encompassing not only solar power, but wind
power, solar tracked ambient lighting, special thermally efficient paint coatings and a host of other products that are tested in the hot Las Vegas sunshine and windy climate. Their web site is at:
Russell Lord and Al Greer joined the LVEVA last summer and are also working on an electric-powered EV van that will represent their company's Alternative Energy philosophy to the general public. The company also specializes in the creation of special electric hub motor vehicle systems that can be adapted to single seat and tandem bicycles as well as unique three-wheel and four-wheel bicycle carriages reminiscent of the early "turn of the last century" electric-driven buggies. For more information, contact: russ@freeenergystore.com
LVEVA Board Member Adam Howard's Ebike 1 LVEVA Board Member Adam Howard has funded development of a hub motor E-bike with design and installation help from fellow Board Members Al Sawyer
and Jan Himber. Adam has spent many years apprenticing on projects developed by Al Sawyer and Jan Himber in Jan's home workshop, including Al's Lectra Motors' vehicles and Battery Monitoring System. Al Sawyer, P.E. was the
former President and Director of Research and Development at Lectra Motors on South Valley View Blvd here in Las Vegas. The company produced 1,000 Electric Vehicle conversions at the Las Vegas production plant based on Datsun
vehicles during the early 1980's. Before that period, Al was also an Electrical Engineer for EG&G at the Nevada Test Site and worked in California at the Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories. Jan Himber with
support from her husband Mike, has been a long time LVEVA Board of Director, former Secretary/Treasurer, Electric Race Car driver, PC board and project builder, and consistent supporter in all areas of activity for the local LVEVA
chapter efforts. After researching his project for several years and accumulating his own financing, Adam recently test drove some hub-motor bicycles in Southern California, including the WaveCrest TidalForce, the LashOut
bicycle with gear driven motor, and a folding Iacocca E-bike. After returning to Las Vegas, he visited the Free Energy Store on West Utah Street in Las Vegas to test drive a tandem hub-motor bicycle. He then ordered and purchased a
hub-motor kit directly from a Crystalyte ™ distributor to experiment with these special "direct drive motors" that do not need a gearbox. After Adam, Al, and Jan fabricated, wired and tested the Crystalyte ™ hub-motor
drive system on an older bike, Adam then purchased a hefty 20-inch bicycle frame for his first prototype. The three designers then started mounting the system to it. The hub motor wheel assembly was placed at the front of the
bicycle and the front forks of the new bike had to be carefully spread apart to incorporate the extra width of the hub motor. Al and Jan ingeniously came up with a heavy-duty, screw-based spreader mechanism to force the front steel
forks uniformly apart. Adam noted that the hub motor vendors recommended solid steel forks when selecting the bicycle frame and not aluminum forks or compression-type forks that have a tendency to not press down on the hub motor
uniformly.
To initially test the performance of the bike, Adam purchased three 12-volt, 7-Amphour Sealed Lead-Acid Gel Cell batteries that he mounted to a bicycle carry clip over the rear wheel. He had also purchased one
36-volt, 12-Amphour Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack that measured 19 inches long (see picture 1) for about $300 and a fast charging sytem for about $100. Although this pack extended past the end of the
rear wheel when mounted, the weight of the front hub motor offset the added battery weight in the rear end to provide overall stability. The weight of Ebike 1 without a battery pack is 45 pounds. The NiMH battery
pack weighs 20 pounds for a total weight of 65 pounds.
In addition, Adam had purchased a voltmeter and current ammeter from Mouser Electronics that Jan and Al installed with a speedometer over the front handlebars (see picture 2). Jan's unique dashboard design
prototype made used of many of the leftover mounting parts and a prototype box that she artfully fashioned together.
To handle the extra battery and motor weight, he, Jan and Al replaced the standard tubes that came with
the bicycle tires. Instead, the team is using "No-Mor Flats®" brand solid inner tubes made by Cyclo Manufacturing that are available from bicycle retail distributors, including WalMart stores. The price was
about $17 per tire. The web site for this "tubeless" inner tube is at: www.nomorflats.com This modification to the Ebike 1 tires does add some rolling resistance (possibly requiring an extra amp
of current draw while cruising and a range loss of 1 mile each hour) to the bicycle but also gives a smoother ride, less impact on the hub motor wheel spokes, and "peace of mind" with increased safety.
At the most recent LVEVA meeting on Saturday, May 21st, Adam reported the latest performance specifications of Ebike 1 and the hub motor system with the NiMH battery pack and meters mounted to the frame:
Maximum speed to date: 19.9 mph on flat ground Peak current draw: 20 Amps Cruising Speed and current draw: 15 mph at 7 Amps Range of NiMh over varied terrain with some headwind and without pedaling—10.3 miles at 12-14 mph
cruising speed Watt hours consumed per minute---yet to be determined A week later on May 28th, Adam took Ebike 1 on a more thorough test ride: "Distance 12.96 miles.
Adam estimated that his total cost for parts, including NiMH battery pack and charger were about $1200 but the learning experience for Adam, Jan, Al and all the LVEVA members has brought good dividends,
including the display at the Summerlin Earthfaire. Plans for improvement on Ebike 1 include a 36-volt, 12-Amphour Li-Polymer battery from PowerStream company at:
Time in motion 1 hour 6 minutes
Temperature 98 degrees
Average speed while in motion 11.8 mph
Top speed 17.7 mph (not for very long)
Ending battery voltage, right about 36v.
Winds at times to 13 mph.
Today I rode more on main streets such as Carey, Lamb, and Las Vegas Blvd North.
Performance seemed similar to my last ride, but I had more distance to ride
between stops and starts. The bike does not coast very far with the "No-Mor Flats®" (solid inner tubes). However, there was much peace of mind about the tires considering all
the stones and glass and other things I probably ran over.
The yellow "halfway" battery indicator came on at about 10.2 miles. I did
have some long steady grades and I seemed to do all right. I had a few steep
short hills and the bike really slowed down. I did not pedal and I was able
to climb the grades about 9 mph. This was with about 15 amps draw. I am
learning, by feel, how much torque I have, and hopefully I won't burn anything
up.
I really do need something to count amp-hours or watt-hours, so I can
figure out how much battery energy I have left. I am quite impressed at a
hard run for almost 13 miles, and I weight almost 200 lbs, with no pedaling.
I'm looking at another ride tomorrow. I'll probably look at going east on
Lake mead toward Hollywood, and see how well I can climb that long steady
grade.
I have this sinking feeling the bike may not be able to climb a freeway
overpass. But so far the bike has performed way over my expectations.
When I got back home, the motor was quite warm, but not too hot to touch. I know
that EV motors in general get hot, especially during hot weather."
This company creates custom Li-Polymer battery packs in a rugged metal casing by welding together smaller cells in a series-parallel arrangement. After talking with the PowerStream sales engineers, Adam
feels he can have them build a comparable Li-Polymer battery pack for Ebike 1 that will be half the size and weight (about 10 pounds) of the NiMH pack for about $500 plus a fast charger at about $100.
Powerstream quoted a lead time of four weeks to create this custom Li-Polymer battery pack: http://www.powerstream.com/LLpoly.htm
Adam is also considering a dynamic braking system for the Ebike that will help slow the bicycle through the hub motor in addition to the traditional friction brakes and also regenerate current that can be used to
slightly recharge the battery pack while descending a steep grade or coming to a stop. Excess electrical energy from the hub motor could also be passed off to an external resistor array for air-cooled heat dissipation.
Ebike II is already in the planning stages and is a proposed to be a long distance touring bike with the NiMH or Lithium-Polymer battery and a dynamic braking system. It will probably be a 750 watt system.
Plans are to build something that can climb long grades
Other plans may include testing experimenting with 48-volt or 72-volt systems for increased performance. Hats off to the superb team of Adam Howard, Al Sawyer, and Jan Himber for taking cutting edge EV
design into a new research area using minimal funding!
continuously in a touring environment. Adam is considering a Wavecrest Labs kit if it will allow front-wheel
hub motor installation and allow him to use his own battery. The WaveCrest Laboratories kit is more expensive than a Crystalyte ™ hub motor kit, but Adam believes Wavecrest's controller also allows for dynamic braking.
LVEVA to Participate in 4th of July "Damboree" Parade in Boulder City
The LVEVA will once again participate in the annual 4th
of July "Damboree" Parade in Boulder City on Saturday July 2, 2005. LVEVA member John Bullis and his wife, Leti, have generously offered to open
their house for LVEVA members to participate in the EVent. EV's can be staged and charged from their house the night before on Friday or early Saturday morning, then decorated and prepared to run when the
parade begins the next morning. John and Leti traditionally have hosted a "Pastry and Juice" breakfast before the Event and a barbecue after the Parade is over. There is also an annual Pancake breakfast
that is hosted by the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce that morning, as well. Come the join the festivities and, if you do not have an EV, come help decorate and watch the show as
most of Boulder City turns out to greet visitors from neighboring cities, counties and states who trek into town to see a very American celebration. Boulder City's origins began with the builders of Boulder Dam
(renamed Hoover Dam) when the first tin huts were erected to shelter the workers on this massive construction project. A drive over the hill gives a spectacular view of all their hard work and the scope of
this engineering effort. A massively large metal gear from Boulder Dam on the village green next to the gazebo in the town square is a reminder of the "can-do" culture that these Southern Nevadans still exhibit today.
For directions to this celebration, please contact any of the LVEVA officers listed above.
Desert Research Institute EV Library Accessible to the General Public
by Stan Hanel
While organizing the EV part of the UNLV Earth Day celebration on April 22nd I talked with former LVEVA President and founder, Gail Lucas. She has been an employee at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) for
many years. Inside DRI, there is a research library that is accessible to UNLV students and the general public regarding the Institute's research work on geology, climate and energy sources in the Nevada area..
Gail has also reserved space in the library for a collection of documents and newsletters on Electric Vehicles and Alternative Energy Transportation that were gathered and produced during her tenure as
the Electric Automobile Association Chapter President. To access this "stack" of EV publications, visit the main office of the Desert Research Institute between 1 to 5 PM at: 755 E. Flamingo Road Las Vegas, NV 89119
Tel: (702) 862-5400 Visitors will need to sign in and out at the front office with the receptionist and be prepared to show picture ID in the form of a Driver's License, etc.
Gail had already forwarded my request for a visit to the research library to Richard Steele, a librarian at DRI. After signing in, I asked the receptionist to call him and he walked out to meet me within five minutes
as the library is located just around the corner from the receptionist's area in a secured office space. Richard Steele has graciously volunteered to grant access to interested EV researchers between the
hours of 1 to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. He can open the stacks to an interested researcher but the documents and articles still need to remain on the DRI library site, for now. We will try to work out an
equitable "borrowing policy" in the future. There are several tables and chairs in the library room, as well as a copy machine where a person can review individual publications and make individual copies of pages.
Gail's collection is extensive and she will be adding to it in the next few months. Video tapes of EV happenings during the 1980's and 1990's are available (and will hopefully be viewable on site or
available for borrowing on a short term loan), as well as binders of newsletters from other EAA chapters throughout the continental US and Hawaii. Kit car club publications and Alternative Energy information
are also available as well as manufacturer specifications about EV conversion materials and commercial companies, as well. Thank you, Gail, for making these resources available to all future EV researchers in the Southern
Nevada area!
LVEVA Ongoing EV Projects & Workshops
by Richard Furniss, LVEVA President Editor's Note: As mentioned in the lead article, LVEVA President's Message, a decision was made
during the February 19, 2005 monthly meeting of the LVEVA, to schedule regular EV workshops on the first Saturday of every month and add these workshops to the club calendar.
Monthly workshops will be held in addition to the regular general meetings at various locations in town to give members "hands on" EV building experience. The first several workshops have been scheduled at
Richard Furniss' house: The July 2nd meeting for the Boulder City 4thof July "Damboree" Parade will be at the house of LVEVA member John Bullis.
March 5, 2005 Making battery interconnect cables for EV's using Crimp and Solder methods. April 2, 2005 Welding steel and aluminum using gas, stick, MIG and TIG welding techniques.
May 7, 2005 EV Electric Air Condition System Implementation June 4, 2005 (Canceled) July 2, 2005 Boulder City 4th of July "Damboree" Parade Aug 6, 2006 EV Charging Systems
Each workshop will run from 10 AM to 3 PM (with an hour break for lunch) on the first Saturday of each month. For more information, contact Richard at telephone number: (702) 453-6196 or email him at http://lasvegasev.com
Other ongoing club projects are listed on the LVEVA web site at:
EV Parts For Sale
US145 Batteries Available at Factory-Direct Prices---currently $62.10
This "Factory-Direct Price" is available to LVEVA club members if they use a trailer to pick up these batteries while purchasing directly at: US Battery 1675 Sampson Avenue Corona, CA 92879 Contact: Christy Delario
Telephone: (951) 371-8090 For more detailed information, contact LVEVA Vice-President Bill Yule at Telephone No: (702)566-0794 One 8 inch Advanced DC used motor-- asking price $800
One 9 inch Advanced DC used Motor--asking price $1200 Rudman PFC20 CHARGER used 4 times--asking price $1500
Contact William Kuehl, Email: bill2k2000@yahoo.com
4504 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032
Tel: 702-636-0304
For Sale: Chrome "Electric" Emblems for EV's
Mike Chancey - Posted 06/25/00
My URL:http://formmail.to/emblem/order
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Checked: 07/13/03 http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/signs.htmlhttp://www.austinev.org/evalbum/signs.html
Chrome "Electric" car emblems, just like the OEM factory lettering. Okay, so you own a beautiful electric vehicle, but does the world know? Show them with these profession quality "ELECTRIC" emblems. Fabricated from weather resistant thermoplastic, these signs feature a bright chrome like finish on the letter faces with a subtle matte black background. They mount easily with the self adhesive HighTack backing. Simply peel off the protective cover, and press the sign into place. Each sign is approximately 1.25" in height and 7" in length. Only $6.00Each or four for $20.00, plus $1.75 shipping and handling per order. Discounts for larger orders available. Send check or money order to: Mike Chancey, 1700 East 80th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131, or order online at: http://formmail.to/emblem/order
EV's For Sale:
For Sale: 1995 GMC Sonoma Pickup Conversion $6,500.00 .
When new, this vehicle was worth $18,000.00 Asking Price $6,500 or Best Offer William Kuehl Email: bill2k2000@yahoo.com
This pickup was originally converted for Nevada Power Co. from a new purchase. William Kuehl, LVEVA
President, was initially contacted by the Principal of Clark High School for his knowledge of electric vehicle conversions and was asked to help the 12th grade students build an EV project. The students did
the conversion from information given to them by William Kuehl.
After the project was completed, Nevada Power used the pickup in service until June 2002 when it was
auctioned off. William Kuehl bought the truck and towed it home. The mileage was 1,867. He installed twenty new T-145 U.S. Batteries. These batteries have been run for two years now and there are now
8,811 miles on the pickup truck odometer
The truck's 120-volt system drives an 9-inch Advanced DC motor through a newly upgraded Curtis
controller rated at 750 amps. There is an onboard Zivan NG-3 220 volt charger. Tires have been changed to Pirelli P225/60 R 16 with chrome alloy rims.
With new batteries this EV has a range of 53 miles per charge. The currrent two-year (plus) old batteries have a range of about 20 miles. With this upgraded controller the vehicle can be driven in second gear for
most of my "in-town" driving. There is a volt meter for the battery pack voltage and an ampmeter to tell how much current the motor is using. Also a 12-volt guage to show the voltage in the 12-volt accessory battery.
Contact:
Address: 4504 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032
Telephone: 702-636-0304
