I gave up on the Comet-Hoffco torque converter (which is in some of the pictures), some of you may have been following progress on evalbum or the EMC site. I may have had better results had I went with a wider belt version, however a lot of the problems with it were the high rpm engagement even with the heaviest weights, no springs. Still would like a two speed trans to improve off the line, not top speed.
So I now have the PMG flipped around to rotate in the factory suggested direction. I am using a jack shaft with gear reduction. Motor gear is 12t 40P, driven is 17t 40P, output of jack shaft is 12t 50P, final is 47t 50P. I put an idler in to take up the slack on the 40P chain. It is a bit messy, slings some oil on the battery faces, no worries. Bike sounds a bit like a turbine up close, I surprise a lot of folks when I am under 10 mph in a parking lot, etc. (excuse me as I drive over your lame ass - uh, I didn't say that did I?). I have managed over 60 mph on the speedometer, I think I am at least 55 mph true which was the goal. Before this last gear ratio change I had managed 21 mile range with a top speed near 50 mph. I will shortly have some idea of range if I can take the bike out on a long loop of my surrounding area, able to limp home or call for a chase vehicle. Still need to build the trailer, sitting in boxes in my garage!! I bought a Raytek Minitemp to measure the motor temps. On my commute of 4 miles I measured 170 degreesF. I know on an extended thrash the other night I measured over 200 degrees. I am trying to be sensitive to acceleration, heat gain so I am coasting where it warrants it, and feathering the go switch. I only have the 300Amp Alltrax so I wouldn't be burning up the world. If I want to go fast my old Beemer is the ticket. I plan on using a low current 12 volt fan to force air into the motor to cool the rotor with a 15 minute timer or thermostatically controlled... the PMG should have been designed like an alternator to include a shaft driven fan to draw air into the motor. Can't think of an application where that would have been prohibitive in cost or efficiency, especially if you are thinking about motor life. And the next project is a solar charger, three salvaged Sharp panels (I have them already, hi-voltage grid-tie units), a solar charge controller, a battery bank, and an inverter adequate to handle the six 6A chargers on the bike. The solar charger is a bit convoluted, ideal would be an 84 volt array and no intermediate batteries or inverter, but charge controllers for 84 volts do not exist, so it is easiest to build a universal 120 volt solar supply. Gathering the other parts may take some time, definitely a bit of money I don't have budgeted yet, hmmm. Later Jeff
