Matt is correct, we have used much heavier cable on some of the bikes we built. My current motorcycle that uses a DC motor and an Alltrax 72V 450A controller is using 1/0 cable for the battery, motor and controller connections. The Charger wires are 10ga. The bike draws a constant 100A at 40-45MPH and the 1/0 handles that fine. I think you find 6ga a little on the small side for a constant 100A.
What controller are you using? What is the peak A draw? What motor are you using? Shawn > Yeah, I have a bunch of 6ga welding wire that I also used on the project. > I > was kind of stuck with what came out of the battery pack, so I had it > switch > to 6ga after it came out, going to the motor and the controller. I'm not > sure if I am using the right terminology, I am teaching myself how to do > this stuff as I go. But the power wires coming out of the pack (which I > was > refering to as Lead wires) from which I draw power to go to the motor and > controller, is 10ga. The charging wires, which I plug the charger into, > are > even a smaller ga, it's kind of hard to read it, but I'm guessing it is at > least 12ga. I didn't have the charging wires plugged in to anything while > I > was riding the bike, but it appears that those are the ones that got the > most damage as far as melting inssulation. It was probably just that they > got heated up by the power wires that they were next to. All 4 wires are > coming out of the same hole in the pack. > > I purchased the pack from someone online from a forum. I know, buyer > beware, but he said that he didn't use the pack, he was just going with a > different battery setup. Someone name Gary (I think his last name is > Goodrum) from OC Cali built the pack. I had his info on my laptop, but I > just had my house broken into and they stole my computers and stuff. > > > On 9/16/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> Hi Jeremiah, >> >> First, congratulations on getting the bike together! Sounds like it'll >> be fun when you get it back in better shape. >> >> Along those lines, I would say that you certainly were not being >> paranoid about using 10GA wire. Seriously, 10GA for 100A continuous?? I >> would have used a minimum of 4GA, and if I'm not mistaken, Shawn and I >> used 2GA on our 48V and 24V bikes. Granted, those hit upper limits of >> 850 amps or so, but would cruise near the 100A range. >> >> Re-reading your post, though, it looks like you're talking about the >> charging cables for the pack, not the traction cables. Is that correct? >> You mention "lead wires" later on, so I guess you really are talking >> about the high current conductors that run back to the controller. >> >> May I ask who built the pack and from where you purchased it? >> >> Matt Graham >> Treasurer, Florida EAA >> http://www.jouleinjected.com >> >> >> -------- Original Message -------- >> Subject: [FLEAA] Need help with a BMS >> From: "Jeremiah Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: Tue, September 16, 2008 6:24 am >> To: "FLEAA Mailing List" <[email protected]> >> >> Hi everyone. I finally got my first EV motorcycle running and took it >> for a >> small test ride down the block. I went about half a block to the stop >> sign, >> turned around and started back to my house. I was at about 1/2 throttle, >> just looking down at everything mechanically moving to make sure >> everything >> was good. Then i hear a slight pop, loose power, and some white smoke >> comes >> out of my Lifebatt battery pack. I pushed the bike back to the house and >> pulled out the battery pack. I measured the voltage and still had 52.4 v >> (had 52.5v when I started). I opened up my pack and saw that the two >> charging wires going into the pack had some melting of the insulation >> and >> there were a couple of components on the circuit board that looked >> burnt. I >> think the components MIGHT be able to just be replaced, but I don't >> trust my >> soldering skills to do that. Anyone got skills in this area, or know >> where >> I can get another BMS from? >> >> I think the root of the problem was that the lead wires coming out of >> the >> pack were too small of a ga. I had a whole thread on that on another >> forum >> and I was bassically told that I was being paranoid and that the 10ga >> wire >> would work for my application and to go ahead and run it. The person who >> built the pack and put 10 ga wires coming out of it, said it was good >> for >> 100a continuously. >> _______________________________________________ >> Florida EAA mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.floridaeaa.org >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Florida EAA mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.floridaeaa.org >> > _______________________________________________ > Florida EAA mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.floridaeaa.org > _______________________________________________ Florida EAA mailing list [email protected] http://www.floridaeaa.org
