ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

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esbro
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:21 pm

ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby esbro » Sat Mar 03, 2018 1:40 pm

Hi Everyone, I was wondering if anyone has used the 12v charger built into the Inverter box of the 90kw Enova controller. Or is this just another item to be discarded ?
The output (marked on the box as +12v) looks to be substantial using a 10mm insulated post. The input goes straight to the IGBT board at 600vdc max.(marked 'charger').
There is also another board marked 8kw inverter with 3 phase output ( this has been isolated on my unit). I'm guessing that this 3 phase is for a chiller unit ??

Thanks in advance...... Steve

stainless
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby stainless » Mon May 21, 2018 7:01 pm

Hi esbro. Just read your post regarding the Enova system. I am contemplating using the DC to DC 12v charging system to keep the existing vehicle battery topped up via the charging system for the EV battery (230v). Will do a test by connecting rectified mains to it and see what power it can provide. My Enova based inverter using the Damien Maguire /Johannes Heubner driver board is just about ready for testing too so fingers crossed for that. All the best. Peter

esbro
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:21 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby esbro » Tue May 22, 2018 9:09 am

Hi Peter, thanks for your reply.
I too have just received the Johannes Heuber kit and will be getting on with it shortly. My current task is making a new heat sink plate, half the length of the original, but using most of the inverter parts.
The 12v charger has an interlock circuit (2 thin white wires) which connect in series to several other bits - current sensors on battery input / inverter output and, as far as I can see, from the motor temp sensor. I have one more on the 3 ph 8kw inverter output socket ( used for a chiller I believe), but because mine was never used, there is a shorting wire in the blanking plug to complete the circuit. From this I think the interlock wires should be connected together at the charger board to make it work. I'm not sure if there is a CAN setup as well.
Good luck with your experiments - it seems a shame to dump this charger, as it looks quite powerful. Will look forward to your next post.
Cheers,,,,,, Steve

stainless
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby stainless » Tue May 22, 2018 3:57 pm

Hi Steve. I am using Damien Maguires driver pcb which has the Johannes Heubner micro board fitted, is that the same way you are working or are you making your own driver board? Damien is selling off bare driver baords cheap now, 50 Euros if I remember, check his website EVBMW. Basically only need the power stuff from the Enova inverter, the rest of the Enova boards are getting closer to the bin :-) I finally settled on an air cooled heatsink due to saving on water cooling parts, pump, hoses, radiator, etc. Plus the Winter weather making it a nervous time seeing if the antifreeze is up to spec. Heatsink is a monster, wasnt too expensive either, hopefully I can attach a pic for you. Was thinking about the 8Kw 3ph inverter too. Again doesnt seem to have been used as my system came with a 3ph plug for it which had never been wired. My first thought was power steering pump ? Would be interesting to know if it was a chiller or otherwise. TTFN. Peter
Attachments
IMG_0352.JPG
3ph Inverter near completion.
IMG_0352.JPG (124.82 KiB) Viewed 30024 times
IMG_0333.JPG
3ph Inverter power stage.
IMG_0333.JPG (140.48 KiB) Viewed 30024 times
IMG_0255.JPG
Damien Maguire / Johannes Heubner driver pcb.
IMG_0255.JPG (161.57 KiB) Viewed 30024 times

esbro
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:21 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby esbro » Tue May 22, 2018 7:50 pm

Hi Peter, thanks for posting photos. Your setup is similar to mine, except that I bought a kit from Johannes. It comprises of a main board, 3 driver boards and sensors for the output cables, together with a wifi gadget for programming. From this I think that I have just got to assemble the boards and with supports, fit them into the box - just like that :D .

I don't think the 8kw inverter is for steering - that's a lot of power - and 3 phase. Steering usually runs 12v dc ?? or mechanically. The fact that mine was never hooked up, but blanked by a blanking plug with interlock wires, seems to point to that it was optional - unlike steering. That would account for size of the 12v dc-dc charger.

I like your approach to the heatsink. Nice job ! I've gone the other way, keeping with the liquid cooling. I'm cutting out waterways and using a cover plate to seal it all up. I've cut the original Enova cover for the electronics down to half of the original. A bit like yours for size.
With this method I can get 6 "tubes" running in the "long side" of the h/sink - maybe overkill, but I want to keep those very expensive electronics as cool as I can. For heating the car I'm looking at auxilliary water heaters together with the h/sink waste.

Work is held up for a month or so while I get my eyes fixed (atm I can't see to solder properly). Old age I'm afraid.

Hopefully we'll both keep every one up to speed with our progress. Cheers for now ....Steve

stainless
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby stainless » Tue May 22, 2018 8:05 pm

Hi Steve. You are welcome to borrow my glasses. Have one pair for reading and another for soldering, now where is my bus pass ? (Thats a clue).
What method of auxiliary heating are you proposing ? I maybe using a couple of 12v demister units that you can purchase from most car accessory shops for £10 or so. Easy to install and easy to change if they fail, plus they can do as intended for those wet days. On a different topic, have you looked at registering with the DVLA yet for change of fuel ? I sent them my registration document with Change of Fuel... ELECTRICITY. I got a letter back with the options for proving as such before they would allow the change. I must take a pic of that letter and put it on the site as it may help others in the UK to make a decision. All the best. Peter

esbro
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:21 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby esbro » Thu May 24, 2018 12:48 pm

Hi Peter, Did you find your bus pass? :D
I'm still using the car atm although the thing died on me in the middle lane of M6 at rush hour - electrics I think - awaiting spares. So no, I haven't sorted with DVLA yet. I would be interested to see what they say.
I said that when the car needed expensive work I'd start the conversion, but I'm using it for a wedding in September. Sometime after then seems to be the time.
The auxilliary heating will be (hopefully) supplied by a Jaguar aux water heater unit. It's got 3 glowplug type heaters in a pipe and should feed the original heater unit, in series with the inverter / motor heat - that is the cold flow will be > inverter > Motor > heater and if necessary a small radiator for use in the summer.
What car have you converted ? Does it use ECU with CAN ? I'm a bit worried that this may throw up a lot of errors in the engine management unit on mine.
Regards ...... Steve

stainless
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby stainless » Thu May 24, 2018 5:42 pm

Hi Steve. Didnt actually apply for bus pass, admit my age.... never, denial I think they call it. However got knocked back today.... letter from Her Majestys Reality Dept, 'How to apply for Winter fuel payment'. Will they ever let me act 19 again !?! So, Jaguar heating, thats a new one on me, glowplugs is a good idea, must remember that. Car I am converting (fighting would be a better word) is a Smart 450 of 2001 vintage. Bought from Ebay for a staggering £300 in A1 condition the ad said. I think they meant its been sat by the side of the A1 for a year or two, Dutch auctions are always a gamble. Anyway some Loctite rust inhibitor and Hammerite paint and its rust free now. Suprisingly spacious little car and feels much bigger when sat inside (wonder if my review will get me a new one free, pretty please ?). Must put all my pics on the right forum category asap. September will be here before you know it, evict spiders from toolbox, dust off the spanners and shine up the technical persuader (hammer to you and me). Chassis ECU on the Smart does use CAN, however it will only come into play for remote locking now as I hate 'black boxes'. If that proves dodgy I will bin it and do my own remote system. Dashboard will be my own LCD display as the original uses CAN. I have purchased a CAN shield for use with my Arduino Nano board so will be working on that to read data from my inverter. I guess I could hook up to the Smart bus too but only as a last resort. Engine/gearbox uses its own ECU too, one day even ashtrays will have a microprocessor, you wait and see! Last but not least I have also removed all the ABS system, shock and horror I hear ! It seems, but dont take my word for it, that if its completely removed its not an MOT fail, hmm, will see. Rang Adrian Flux to ask and they said its ok too, that will be interesting to review once I offer them my £500 for insurance. Reason to remove being I want to be able to fully control regen etc without any interference from the ABS, plus its less to go wrong and saves a few Kg weight and about 8 miles of piping :-) TTFN. Peter

esbro
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:21 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby esbro » Thu May 24, 2018 8:10 pm

Hi Peter, You certainly have gone to town with the "ripping out" of parts. Interesting idea about ABS - are you sure it's not an MOT requirement, as it was in there as original ? I'm going to leave the car as near to standard as I can, without compromising the electric conversion. This is a low-as-I-can budget conversion. The ECU has to stay as it links with ABS, Stability, Airbags an other goodies.
I don't want the 'brain' to control the working of the Inverter / Motor / Regen.... etc. but I'm ok with it switching on warning lights etc.
Starting the EV system up, it's intended to use a similar arrangement to the diesel - with glow plug lamp showing pre-charge and the starter function to fire up the contactors for full system "on". The reason for this is that I'm not the only one likely to drive this car and the easier and more "normal" it is, the less hassle I get :lol: .
Oh yes, the car is a 2008 MB B200 CDI - I bought it as a demonstrator 9 years ago, but diesels are not welcome these days. Apparently the A & B class cars were designed with electric drive in mind. There's quite a bit of space for batteries below the floor. There's a chap in Oz done one - nice job.
Talking of batteries - I've found a large firm in China making Lithium flat pouch module NMC cells - each 3.6v 80Ah., Unfortunately, they don't want to reply to my enquiries, just yet. Pity, as the cells are lighter, more compact and have a slightly higher voltage than LiFePo4, of the same Ah rate. Not a bad price either.
I'll keep you up to date on that.
All the best for now ..... Steve

stainless
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: ENOVA 12v Battery Charger

Postby stainless » Thu May 24, 2018 8:47 pm

Hi Steve. What price are they asking? Just a thought on comparing cost against whats available in the UK. I know a battery company in Yorkshire who refit/repair Hybrid batteries and they sell off the cells that are not up to scratch, cheap too if you buy enough. They do advertise on Ebay but a phone call gave a better price for bulk purchase.
My argument at the moment is about which cell chemistry is the safest, Li-ion or LiFePo4 etc. I did watch a video on Youtube with a chap attacking a Nissan/Renault cell with a screwdriver, a hammer and finally a blowtorch, cell didnt catch fire or explode, well impressed. That was my choice finally. Much has been said about safety but we dont see EV's burnt out all over the place so maybe its been blown out of proportion. Just think, if were contemplating a new venture in 2018 of putting upto 15 gallons of highly flammable liquid in millions of travelling objects all going at high speeds in two directions on the same piece of tarmac, would it happen ! Health and Safety would have a fit :-) :-)
Your idea to keep the precharge/main contactor etc control is best kept away from the cars internal system if you ask me, again the 'black box' worries appear in my mind. Keep in full control at all times is a good policy.
Amazing that a 2008 car was designed with EV in mind, what did they do other than sit on their hands all this time?
Its quite a thought what the government will do for tax revenue when 50% of cars are EV's? However I have a more interesting thought....Every other house owns an EV, all arrive home at tea time and plug them in.... how on earth will the grid cope ! They have to power up fast on-line generators for brew time when TV programmes go to adverts even now. TTFN. Peter


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