nileshc
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I am trying to build a electric go kart and I don't know which battery to use. I have a 48volt motor.
Help, don't know what kind of battery to use
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nileshc
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Could I use a rechargeable battery similar to those found on a razor go kart. Also if I were to use automotive batteries how long would they last.
Automotive batteries are rechargeable in a sense. I've always thought if you put an alternator on a battery powered motor, you'd recharge about 70% of your power. that's 70% more power usage and time. so lets say you get 50 miles out of 1 charge. 70% would be 35 extra miles! I'd say that's pretty good.. Just remember, theirs energy lost so 70% is kind of a round about.
Use motorcycle batteries. lithion battery is by far your best bet. Expensive though! also lithion batteries are a lot safer [in a sense] then lead acid batteries.
Doc Sprocket
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How long your batteries last entirely depends on motor draw, and battery capacity. Your motor will have a power consumption rating in either Watts or Amps. Your batteries should have an Amp-hour rating. Simple division from there. Give us some numbers, and we can hash it out.
devino246
Official DIYGK Chem Nerd
Uhh, that won't work. Alternators require mechanical energy input in order to output electrical energy. You can't get more energy out than you put in. They're also inefficient, so you'll get less energy out than you put in. What it boils down to: You'd waste money and reduce the battery life.
Doc Sprocket
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In a sense?
devino246
Official DIYGK Chem Nerd
You can't throw a bunch of power into a normal automotive battery without ruining it. Ever try charging a DC12 leadacid battery with a ton of power? Yeah it kills them pretty fast.. so that's "in a sense" They can be charged, but would need to be trickle charged. to make them last..
I wasn't even talking about Infinite power using an alternator. An alternator from my understanding puts out 70% of what's put in. If you connected an alternator to your drive shaft VIA a belt. It would indeed work.. now sure they are inefficient and there might be a better way of doing it. but my reasoning behind it is the idea, not the full on application.
Let me use another idea vs application here, for better understanding.
Take a small wind turbine motor that generates electricity. Remove the turbine[propeller] Connect that shaft to the live axle/shaft via a belt system. As the turbine spins from the axle moving, it will generate power sending X amount of power to the battery to be re-used. Or Some how, directly back into the engine. That would take some serious electronics though.
nileshc
Member
How about using rechargeable batteries
Rechargeable batteries will work. as long as you have enough power output with them.
Sorry, didn't mean to thread jack, just an idea I had.
nileshc
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Then what would some ways to control the flow of electricity? To make it go faster or slower.
Well with what time I have playing with vacuum motors. and little tool motors. Best way I find of controlling speed of an electric motor is Controlling the electricity with one of those light dimmers.. I guess it works the same way just need a really big light dimmer, an a pretty strong spring. another way is using circuits. but I know very little about that application.
nileshc
Member
Another question, I don't have any welding machines that I could use to make the frame, any suggestions on how to build the frame
devino246
Official DIYGK Chem Nerd
Any device to turn mechanical energy into electricity will require more mechanical energy. Adding an alternator to a go kart will rob power. You can't get energy out of thin air. (ok, I suppose you can, speaking literally, but I'm speaking figuratively).
Take two 120W, 12V motors and a 12V battery that can continuously supply 10A. The first motor is powered by the battery and drives the second motor. What do you get out? The same you put in, minus the losses from friction, etc.
Now, put an external load (like wheels) on the same system. What are you going to get out of the second motor? A heck of a lot less than you put in.
It doesn't take a degree in physics to grasp the concept of the Theory of Conservation of Energy and Mass...
nileshc
Member
Then how fast do you think a electric go-kart would go?
I don't want to fight/argue about this.
But you can get a windmill generator to spin with a light "breeze" and create some power. Why can't you have that same exact method? Instead of using the breeze of the wind, you can use the breeze of the axle. It would put as much load on the motor as adding your pet dog along for the ride..
Depends on what motor you're using?
devino246
Official DIYGK Chem Nerd
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