|
August 2008
The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2008. 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.
Calendar
August 16 Monthly Meeting
September 20 Monthly Meeting
October 18 Monthly Meeting
October 18 Poker Run EV Road Rally
November 15 Monthly Meeting
December 6 Boulder City Christmas Parade
December 20 Monthly Meeting
LVEVA Board of Directors:
Richard Furniss, President
Lloyd Reece, Vice President
Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer
Al Sawyer, Jan Himber , Al D’Inzillo, Stan Hanel
Newsletter Editors and Contributors:
Richard Furniss, Lloyd Reece, Bill Kuehl, Al Sawyer, P.E.,
Jan Himber, Brent Singleton, Kent Singleton, 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
http://www.lveva.org
Electric Auto Association web site
http://www.eaaev.org
Electric Auto Association
Membership Renewals
323 Los Altos Drive
Aptos, CA 95003-5248
Current EVents contact:
At http://www.eaaev.org/eaaboard.html
Ron Freund
Chairman, CE Publication
Address Correspondence to:
LVEVA
2816 W. El Campo Grande Avenue
No. Las Vegas, NV 89031
Call for Information:
Richard Furniss (702) 453-6196
Jan Himber for Al Sawyer (702) 642-4000
Bill Kuehl (702) 636-0304 Stan Hanel (702) 405-0506
Contents:
-- Swiss Solar Taxi Visits Las Vegas Springs Preserve on August 1st
-- Bill Kuehl’s “Saga of An EV Wannabe” (Part 2)
-- EV Physics
-- Political and Business Leaders Promote 10-Year Plans at UNLV Energy Summit
-- Oil Barge and Tanker Collide on Mississippi River-- Huge Oil Spill and Cleanup Effort
-- Hybrid Diesel Electric School Bus Development in California
-- EV Book Review: Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout by Victor Appleton (1910)
-- LVEVA DVD Reference Library
-- EV Repairs and Service
-- EV Conversion and Fabrication Support
-- EVs and EV Parts for Sale
Swiss Solar Taxi Visits Las Vegas Springs Preserve on August 1st
A Solar Taxi from Switzerland arrived at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve on Friday, August 1st, at 3 PM as part of its marathon “around the world” tour after an overnight stop Thursday in Los Angeles where the driving team was hosted by Jay Leno and Chris Paine, who directed the documentary “Who Killed The Electric Car”. The Solar Taxi was displayed at the Springs Preserve parking lot at 333 South Valley View Boulevard.
Ref. 102.0
Lucerne, July 27, 2008
Media Release (full version)
Solar vehicle goes round the world:
pioneering trip around the planet soon arriving in Canada
Louis Palmer has an ambitious plan to travel around the world in a solar-powered vehicle – the solar taxi. After setting off in his Swiss home town Lucerne on July 3 last year, his journey round the world will bring him to Las Vegas on 1. Aug. He has been travelling through all kinds of different countries, meeting new and interesting people and, some of the time, taking passengers with him. The aim of Palmer's project is to show that solutions to combat global warming are available and that we can be independent from fossil resources.
“I have not paid a single cent for gasoline after driving two thirds around the world so far!” says Louis Palmer, the Swiss adventurer and solar pioneer. On July 3, 2007 he set off with his solar taxi on this pioneering journey in Lucerne, Switzerland. In times of depleting resources, high fuel prices and global warming, Louis Palmer of Lucerne is looking for alternative drive technologies. His vehicle was designed by the four Swiss institutes HTA Lucerne, ETH Zurich, University of Applied Sciences in Aargau and University of Applied Sciences in Berne. His mission: to make people more aware of climate change.
33,000 mi with solar electricity
The solar taxi consists of a solar vehicle and trailer with high-efficiency solar cells from Q-Cells. The vehicle is powered by 100% solar energy on its 33,000 mi-journey around the world. 50% of the energy comes from its own solar cells on the trailer; the other 50% are produced, certified and fed into the power grid on the roof of the Swisscom building in Köniz and accessed via power sockets en route. The solar taxi thus uses electricity from 100% renewable energy and releases no emissions into the atmosphere. On his promotional trip, Palmer wants to demonstrate that sustainable technologies are already perfectly suited to everyday use and that they can even be used to go round the world.
Take a ride in a solar taxi
The solar-powered vehicle has space for an additional person. Palmer makes use of this space to give various passengers a ride along the way – which is why the vehicle is called a taxi. The solar taxi, which travels at a maximum speed of 90 km/h on its three wheels, is equipped with luxurious, leather-covered bucket seats guaranteeing both fun and comfort. The solar taxi has the unique ability to allow either the driver or the passenger to drive the vehicle as the steering slides across horizontally. (This is also helps when driver sides change from right to left.) The solar taxi is being accompanied by German student Thomas Gottschalk, who is traveling in a conventional vehicle. The accompanying vehicle is a necessity as it will carry everything needed for a trip round the world.
Going east – and enjoying 40 countries along the way
Louis Palmer set off eastwards on July 3, 2007 via Germany where he visited his main sponsor, Q-Cells. Via Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East, he will arrive in Vancouver at the end of June. In Vancouver a number of organizations are assisting on the logistics of his trip, including the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. His goal is to cover at least 50,000 km and to visit 50 countries and 5 continents.
If everything works out, this project will set a world record, namely the first motor vehicle not powered by fossil fuel to drive around the world on normal roads. Thanks to state-of-the-art telecommunications technology, Palmer is reporting daily from his pioneering trip in an online diary, which can be followed on www.solartaxi.com
Editors’ Note: Here is his blog entry describing his Las Vegas experience:
”So after leaving Los Angeels we made it into Barstow, California. We stopped at a roadside campground sometime after dark and had just enough time to make it to the swimming pool before it closed for the evening. Unfortunately it was only 5 feet deep, at the deepest level; but we did a few races and enjoyed what we could. It was beautiful to be under such a blanket of stars; in completely juxtaposition from the light pollution in L.A., where you'd be considered lucky if you could gaze on more than ten stars. The group split up for a bit and wandered around this mix of desert climate and Mediterranean terrain. The wind was blowing a soft breeze that carried the hot winds through the trees and made them dance for us. Louis met a guy name Dave (no man - Dave'). All of us slept outside, on lawn chairs, with sounds of crickets and other hymn-sounding insects that crept and crawled all around us.
Even by day break the next morning, the peace remained and I don't believe any of us would have been in a hurry to leave if we didn't have people to meet and things to do. So, needless to say, we packed up and rolled on down the road ... again. Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a unanimous group decision that Louis gave to the rest of the team to decide, so obviously we were all excited to roll through the Vegas strip.
The itinerary was simple: go pay a visit to the Springs Preserve, a 180-acre land site that represents one of the richest and most unique cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada. We met with Jim Johnson, head of Public Relations and Marketing, who gave us a tour around and explained the efforts that went into the complex sustainable buildings that help promote environmentally-conscious desert living. It was rather shocking to see the reality of the area - such an extremely harsh environment and an explosive population growth in 50 years. This Preserve is wonderful, not only visually, but also in its methods is spreading awareness. We hope to see the methods they used in building these sustainable buildings spread throughout the area. Good luck to them!
As for us – well it was time to get out of the heat. We aren't used to dealing with this kind of weather and we just wanted to find a place to rest our heads, cool off, and relax. Louis had a place to stay with Dave and Michelle, so it was Erik, Thomas, Frank, and I left to find a place to buckle down for the evening. The result? The Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas strip! Yee-haw! We had an interesting experience trying to film a short scene in front of this hotel (which didn't end up happening) so in the end we got a room, chilled out, and then we were off to enjoy some of the Vegas nightlife. Of course for Europeans the exchange rate is excellent, so why not try their luck at the tables? They quickly learned Vegas is not the place to go to actually win money. Surprise!
All in all it was a good evening, and a nice short stay in Vegas. Not a day longer for us, though, as the reality factor was lacking and there was no room for the message the Solartaxi brings around the world. Aside from a couple biodiesel busses and propane taxi's, the area doesn't seem to have the attitude in line with ours. Maybe in a few years time there will be an awakening in the area… until then, the taxi rolls on towards Colorado.”
Project partners
Palmer has managed to gain support from all kinds of partners from various industries for his unique project. They include:
- Q-Cells,
United Nations Environment Programme,
Swisscom,
Technopark Lucerne,
Wave communications
Grebien network,
MES-DEA Zebra Battery,
Schindler Apprentice Training,
Kühne + Nagel,
Servax Drives,
Rockwell Automation,
Ruthishauser Car polstery,
Alu Menziken,
Presence Switzerland,
City of Lucerne,
various Swiss universities and many more.
- *******************
Media information
Pictures can be downloaded from: www.solartaxi.com/presse
Continuative links Solartaxi: http://www.solartaxi.com
Swisscom: http://www.bluewin.ch/solartaxi
http://solartaxi.blueblog.ch
Spiegel online: http://www.spiegel.de/solartaxi (in German)
PR office: wave, Kapellgasse 3, 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0)41 410 91 36, pr@wave.ch
The Saga of an EV Wannabe (Part 2)
By Bill Kuehl, LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer
Editor’s Note (Synopsis): This month continues the second of a nine-part series of practical EV conversion tips written by LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer Bill Kuehl, who is also a co-founder and former president of the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association. The series recounts some of his thirty years of experiences as part of a small group of pioneers who believed they could convert gasoline vehicles into roadworthy electric battery-powered vehicles. This series of articles was originally published in the LVEVA “Watts Happening” monthly newsletters during 2003. With the recent rise of gasoline prices during the last few months, Bill’s story of his lifelong commitment to enabling EV conversions continues to hold many insights and helpful hints for the “do-it-yourself” EV builder. Bill Kuehl has converted over 200 gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles during the last thirty years. He also holds records for ¼-mile electric vehicle drag racing and electric vehicle endurance racing.
During the first installment of this series, Bill talked about the OPEC oil crisis that restricted the foreign supply of oil and petroleum during October 1973 as being the motivation for his interest in building electric vehicles. The cost of gasoline jumped from 33 cents per gallon to over $1.50 per gallon during a period of just a few months. Bill’s first attempts to make a full-size electric car for commuting to his work site, that would cover a round trip of 16 miles, resulted in a successful conversion of a 1974 Ford Pinto on a shoestring budget. This successful commuting solution worked for 3 ½ years until Bill’s work site was relocated, forcing him to redesign a vehicle that would have a round trip range of 32 miles.
Bill Kuehl’s saga of EV conversion, experimentation and discovery continues…
I started looking around to find another car that I could convert. I also wanted to find a good motor and transistor controller for my next project. This was in July 1984.
I found a Prestolite motor and a Russco controller that I could get from California. I also found an adaptor plate and a coupling from the same place. The new Prestolite motor would cost $750. The new Russco controller would cost $595. The adaptor plate and coupling would cost $250.
I found a 1973 Honda Civic at a car auction, bid on it for $235, and won. The engine ran but had a rod knocking in it. Fortunately, I did not need the engine for the conversion. I drove it home from the auction and started pulling out all the gas-powered parts.
This car was configured for front wheel drive with a four-speed manual transmission. I called Russco Engineering and ordered the Prestolite motor, adaptor and coupling. That was all I could afford to pay at the time, but also put in an order for the Russco controller to be paid at a later date.
I pulled the whole motor, transmission, and front drove assembly out of the front end of the car.
I then cleaned the body, removing the dirt and grease left out there by the gas engine. I removed the gas tank and cut out the opening in the back where the spare tire was normally stored. I measured for placement of the batteries in the front and found I could only fit four in there. I measured inside the back of the vehicle and found I could fit twelve batteries in that location. I had to take out the back seat in order to make room for all twelve.
I built supports to fit four batteries in the very back where the spare tire and gas tank were located. I built supports for four more across the back seat rest. I had planned on having a 96-volt drive system for the motor. The controller I would be getting would work up to 120 volts. I was thinking that, at a later date, I could increase the voltage from 96 to 120 volts.
I received the Prestolite motor with the adaptor plate and the coupling installed on it. I placed the flywheel and clutch back on the motor coupling, installed the electric motor assembly back on the transaxle, and then reinstalled the whole front end assembly into the car. I had this done by the end of August 1984. I then finished making the front four battery racks, paid for the Russco controller, and received it by September 1984.
During the last two weeks of September 1984, I took vacation from work to complete my project. I took all 16 batteries out of my original commute car, a 1974 Ford Pinto, and installed the batteries in the Honda Civic – four batteries in front and the remaining twelve in back.
I made up new 2/0 cable to be installed on the battery posts and ran 2/0 cable to the back batteries. I installed the controller in front under the hood on the right fender. A potentiometer was installed on the right inside the fender and the cable from the accelerator pedal was connected to it.
I installed a cable from the positive post on battery number 16 (located in the back of the vehicle) to a 500 amp fuse that was installed up front under the hood of the car. A contactor was connected to the fuse and another cable was installed from the contactor to the positive terminal of an amp-meter. The negative terminal of the amp meter was connected to a series shunt rated at 500 Amps and 50 millivolts. The shunt helped protect the amp-meter components from excess current fluctuation.
The other end of the series shunt was cabled through to the B+ connection of the Russco controller and to the S1 stator field winding terminal on the motor. As the original Honda engine ran backwards from engines built in the United States, the electric motor had to run counter-clockwise. A cable was connected from the S2 stator field winding terminal on the electric motor to the A1 armature terminal.
I next installed a cable from the negative post on battery number 1 (located in the front of the vehicle) to the negative battery terminal (B-) on the controller. I installed a cable from the negative motor terminal (M-) on the controller to the A2 armature terminal on the motor.
As noted before, the Honda engine ran in the opposite direction as engines built in the United States, so the wiring on the electric motor had to be installed so the motor would turn in a counter-clockwise direction.
The two armature terminals, A1 and A2, as well as the two stator field winding terminals, S1 and S2, were wired beginning from the negative motor terminal (M-) on the controller to the A2 armature terminal on the electric motor. A cross cable was installed between the S2 field terminal and the A1 armature terminal. The S1 field terminal on the electric motor was connected to the positive terminal of the battery pack that was also connected to the B + connection of the Russco controller. This wiring arrangement allowed the motor to turn counter-clockwise:
|
