jimsgarage

This is the WEEL Deal

Today I dropped by the NCSU (North Carolina State University WEEL labs and watched as the team worked feverously to complete their entry in the 2008 Formula Hybrid  competition that will take place at the New Hampshire International Speedway on May 5.

These students have been working all night and will continue until they have to drive to New Hampshire with their entry.  Their car is a true hybrid using sets of Prius batteries fed by a Honda EU 1000i generator to ultimately provide power to a pair of electric motors that produce a total of 110 pound feet of torque at the optimum motor speed of 5000 rpm.

It is a throttle by wire system using Alltrax motor controllers instead of a mechanical transmission.  Chain drive provides power to the rear wheels via a Torson differential housed in a custom case.

Take a look at this YouTube video as well a the photos that were taken today.

 

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2 responses to “This is the WEEL Deal”

  1. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    That’s an interesting drivetrain solution. Lower cost, weight, complexity, and drivetrain loss. But how will it handle the large, flat, & immediate torque levels of an electric motor? 110 lb-ft is nothing to sneeze at, but then again how much twist does a person create on their bicycle?

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  2. jimsgarage Avatar
    jimsgarage

    The Altrax controllers will provide that function. They are programmable as well as getting their base input from the potentiometers off the accelerator pedal.

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