Lee, Yep they are MOSFETs. I expected to see a TRIAC and was supprised to see 3 devices on a heat sync. I looked up the part number so I'm reasonablly sure. There is a control board but I have done very little to trace out what it does. I does have what looks like a shunt, a bunch of analog stuff and some pots. I've got in touch with someone that may have the schematics so I'll hold off tracing it by hand. What I'm doing right now is watching it to see when (if) it converts from bulk to finish charge.
Thanks for advise on the controllers and the contactors. Steve In a message dated Fri, 27 Sep 2002 2:25:18 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > The charger on the Tropica appears to rectify the AC line into a bank > > of Caps and then switch that with 3 MOSFETS (I checked the part #) to > > produce the charging voltage. > > So far it sounds like a "bad boy" charger; i.e. no transformer, > isolation, or regulation. Is there any kind PC board with enough logic > to actually sense or regulate charging voltage or current? > > > There's also an inductor but I don't remember where it was wired. > > If they really are MOSFETs and not SCRs, and there is an inductor, it > might be wired as a simple buck converter. If that's the case, the > rectified and filtered DC on the filter capacitors will go to a diode > and MOSFETs in series. The junction of the diode and MOSFETs will go to > the batteries being charged. The other side of the batteries will go to > the other side of the MOSFETs. It would work exactly like a PWM > controller, to drop the capacitor voltage to suit the batteries. > > > Will the Curtis controllers tolerate this? My pack is only 72 volts. > > I have been switching off the main breaker any time I'm not driving > > A "72v" Curtis controller really means it will survive any voltage > normally seen on a 72v pack. That could be up to 2.6v/cell or 96v. > > But, it is a good idea to disconnect the controller before changing > anyway. It insures that the car can't be driven away while plugged in. > If your circuit breaker interrupts both sides of the path to the > controller, it also prevents ground faults due to carbon dust in the > motors. > -- > Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring > 814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering > Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything > leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - > Leonard Cohen
