On 15 Jun 2013 at 2:47, rustybkts wrote: > I would seriously question the necessity for anyone to supply > electronics which are not safe.
The Manzanita PFC chargers were designed several years ago, with input from members of the EVDL. The design goal was the largest possible current output, highest possible efficiency, and the lowest possible price. Mains isolation was discussed and dismissed as not cost effective for, or interesting to, the intended market of EV hobbyists. As far as I know, no effort has been made to gain regulatory approval (UL, CSA, etc) for the same reason - this is also apparently of little importance to EV hobbyists. As I understand it, the PFC installation manual recommends connecting the charger to a GFI (RCD), but none is supplied with the charger. Russco chargers - also aimed at hobbyists - are also non-isolated, but at least they're fitted with a built-in GFI as standard. I'd guess that most EV hobbyists have been shocked a few times. I sure have! If they get a tingle or a jolt working on their EVs while charging from a PFC, I doubt that they'll make a fuss. They might not even say anything if one of their kids got zapped. I've been called an alarmist, and maybe I am, but I'm still concerned about curious unrelated non-hobbyist-parent neighbor kids wandering over. It would look really bad for the hobbyist EV community if some such child were injured or killed when he touched (or stuck a hand in) a charging EV. A "journalist" checking out a conversion at a show and getting a shock could also be a disaster. Either one could quite understandably - at the very least - lead to legislation that might restrict conversions. Rich has been lucky in this regard for quite a few years now, with no untoward incidents that I know of. Let's hope that his luck continues to hold up. An electrocuted 5-year--old would be a horrible tragedy. If anguish and grief didn't put him out of the charger and controller business, the million dollar lawsuit probably would. David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA EVDL Administrator = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not reach me. To send a private message, please obtain my email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
