Help, don't know what kind of battery to use

[hardrock21]

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.

Make sure you do your research on the motor to make sure it will respond well to varying current loads. I very rarely use rheostats (light dimmer switches) to regulate inertial loads, they work much better for lights. I use exclusively PWM (pulse-width modulation) it is a much more efficient means of voltage regulation. In it's simplest explanation, rheostats typically use resistance to limit voltage and in my experience burn up much faster as it loses a lot of energy to heat. PWM changes the switching frequency of the voltage, basically turning the voltage on/off/on/off extremely fast with the only means of voltage regulation being how long the voltage is applied to the load compared to how long it is off.

Paul

 

[nileshc]

A 48 volt motor

 

[J_Walker]

Make sure you do your research on the motor to make sure it will respond well to varying current loads. I very rarely use rheostats (light dimmer switches) to regulate inertial loads, they work much better for lights. I use exclusively PWM (pulse-width modulation) it is a much more efficient means of voltage regulation. In it's simplest explanation, rheostats typically use resistance to limit voltage and in my experience burn up much faster as it loses a lot of energy to heat. PWM changes the switching frequency of the voltage, basically turning the voltage on/off/on/off extremely fast with the only means of voltage regulation being how long the voltage is applied to the load compared to how long it is off.

Paul

Brah, You just kicked my *** in electrical talk..

I was just giving an example on how I play with electrical motors, not the best way of playing with them..

 

[hardrock21]

A 48 volt motor

Just use the same setup golf karts use. However I really need more information on the motor to properly advice you on regulation. As far as batteries go, Golf Karts are extremely tough on batteries as they see regular deep discharges. Automotive batteries are NOT a good idea to use for your setup for this reason, they do not like frequent deep discharging. A lead acid battery built for golf karts has much 'thicker' plates internally and can take a charge/discharge/charge/discharge and keep on going. Not that it relates, but these same principles apply if you ever plan on building a solar panel array to power a home, which I've experimented with as well. You're best bet will be to run a series of 4 golf cart batteries with high amp/hour ratings. Sams was the cheapest place I found to get these, they were roughly 85ish/ea if I remember right. Look for 150-200ish amp/hour ratings, the higher the better.

Paul

 

[hardrock21]

Brah, You just kicked my *** in electrical talk..

I was just giving an example on how I play with electrical motors, not the best way of playing with them..

Lol..I just like helping people out with as correct of information I can give...I spend a lot of time researching a lot of different things, and enjoy refreshing myself every now and then by explaining them to others. Not trying to kick anyone's a**....

Paul

 

[hardrock21]

Oh, and one more thing since I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread by someone. The idea of trying to replenish the voltage used by a motor by spinning a generator or alternator, which effectively is just a motor being mechanically spun to produce electricity instead of being electrically driven to produce inertia is called perpetual motion and if you, or anyone else figures that out, please let me know before you go public with it..We will be rich! (or perhaps the next jimmy hoffa if the oil industry finds out before we can go public w/ it ) I've spent more time then I care to elaborate on playing around with the idea and if it weren't for that darn energy loss due to friction/heat I would have it nailed! Haha, but really, you can expect some return on current, enough to make a difference, but honestly, I don't think it's worth it for this application as that thing is going to be heavy enough as it is!

Paul

 

[nileshc]

How long do u think it would last?

Here's the link of the battery I was going to get,
http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001XVBCUM/ref=mw_dp_mpd/189-3822532-9730505?pd=1

The other thing that all I know is the motor has 3 horsepower.

 

[hardrock21]

Fix that link, I can't get it to pull up..You double http tagged it, and I can't copy the link excluding it because it's a shortened link.

 

[nileshc]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001XVBCUM
Here it is, if not
Just copy and paste this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001XVBCUM

 

[hardrock21]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001XVBCUM
Here it is, if not
Just copy and paste this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001XVBCUM

12 Amp/hours? Let's do some math. 3 hp motor= approximately 2235 watts. w=a x v or w/v = a so 2235/48 = 46 amps. Typically the amp/hour rating companies use are for a 20 hour period, if that's the case w/ that battery you have 12/20 = .6 amps for an hour of run time. To get a 48v circuit, you need 4 of those in series, which puts you at 2.4a for the series. You would need 48/2.4 = 20 series of those things, so no, I would not run that battery. You would be less then pleased with the results. All of these numbers are approximate btw, there are a lot of variables in there that I didn't account for. Also, the amp/hour rating is the rating the battery can efficiently supply, you can pull more current from it, again, this is just a guideline.

Paul

 

[nileshc]

So what's the ideal number

 

[hardrock21]

So what's the ideal number

Ideally 150-200ish, but you can work with less and as always, more is better. I keep saying golf kart batteries because they are designed for just this, just remember, they are HEAVY, but will supply a lot of current and be reliable for a long time to come. Automotive batteries will save weight but at the sacrifice of current supply and longevity.

Paul

 

[nileshc]

I am not really familiar with using golf cart batteries, but I heard that they are rechargeable and what battery should I get and the charger that comes along with it.

 

[nileshc]

Which Battery should I get

I am not really familiar with using golf cart batteries, but I heard that they are rechargeable and what battery should I get and the charger that comes along with it. I have a 48 volt electric motor with 3 horsepower

 

[DS13]

i dont know the answer but this thread should be in the Electric Projects Section instead of Site announcements and suggestions box.

EDIT: AND you have another thread about this! why start another one???????

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Merged. Please stick to one thread per topic.

 

[nileshc]

I have another question, I decided that I was going to use a altenator as a motor. I
don't know if this would be a good idea. It is from a Ford F350 and it has 12 volts and 130 amps. Here is the link to the sitehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ford-Alternator-3G-F6UU10300FA-GL331-1995-1998-F-Series-F-250-F-350-7768-/271179047975

 

[devino246]

I have another question, I decided that I was going to use a altenator as a motor. I
don't know if this would be a good idea. It is from a Ford F350 and it has 12 volts and 130 amps. Here is the link to the sitehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ford-Alternator-3G-F6UU10300FA-GL331-1995-1998-F-Series-F-250-F-350-7768-/271179047975

Alternators produce 3-phase AC, which is then rectified to output 12V. Backfeeding 12V won't make it spin.

 

[nileshc]

So could I use any altenator? Or are all of them the same

 

[landuse]

Have a look at this thread

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=451&highlight=alternator