Enginer PHEV best battery use to 70% to 80%

You are missing two things. First, 3000W is the maximum output. The average output for me is about 2000W. The second missing item is the efficiency of the converter, which is about 90%. To have an output of 2000W, you need an input of 2200W. The nominal voltage of the pack is 51.2. So...

2200W/51.2V = 41.0A

But a 4kWh kit, you have two strings of 40Ah cells, 80Ah total. With a 70% DoD, you have 56Ah. With a 80% DoD, you have 64Ah to use. So...

64Ah/41A = 1.56h
56Ah/41A = 1.37h

 

Many of us are waiting to hear from you after installation and the real world data you can provide us with. I'm hopeful, but a little skeptical of Enginers claims. I hope to be proved wrong so please keep us informed on the actual ev range that can be expected.
Thanks Gene

 

With only a single converter, I was not able to get more than about 1 1/4 miles in EV mode on a cold engine before dropping out. The fact is, the Enginer pack cannot keep the Prius pack charged quickly enough to run pure EV mode for any distance. Two converters would have a better chance, but I don't have a second one.

The idea of using it as a NEV is a no-go with just one converter.

 

It might be a good idea to look into some of the battery monitor products marketed toward EV builders. Here is one example:

Electric Vehicle e-meter, monitor, volts meter, amps meter, battery monitor

This one is pretty slick looking, but I believe there are simpler ones out there that don't need a screen. They would likely just give you an Ah or Wh reading on an lcd display, but that would give you a much better idea of how much of your battery you have actually used. Here is another one I have always liked the looks of, although from the website I am not 100% sure if they calculate SOC solely based off voltage or it they integrate the current data.

PakTrakr Multi Battery Monitor Battery Pack Monitor

This is one of the areas of concern I do still have with this kit, I don't feel like enough is done to prevent over discharge of the pack which could result in a much shorter than expected lifespan. It doesn't seem like it should be that tricky or expensive to make it better in this regard.

Rob

 

I'm adding a Watt's Up to a 4KWh kit when it gets here...


http://www.powerwerx.com/tools-meter...dc-inline.html

only $59 and will do the integrations....I have one on my e-bike...

 

Sorry but the "Blue window" is a dedicated EV instrumentation and almost a waste to use in an Hybrid vehicle like a Prius
-First it requires and NTSC resolution monitor, like the old type Video display, and really looks cheesy.
-The total voltage readout need to be programed by the factory at time of sale. (Field upgradeable with an extra up loader kit, + $$$)
-For Amp count it need an external "Shunt" in line for Coulomb arithmetics .
This instrument doesn't read CAN information through OBDII connections, so for RPM counting you need to install a Hall effect sensor to a rotating shaft somewhere (is it really necessary on a Prius?) and if you want temperature ??????
The next item of the same shortcut page, the XANTREX X10 (formely E-meter), doesn't work with the Prius neither, I tried it 5 years ago and it's sitting in a shelf somewhere in the work shop.
The Pak-trakr could be adecuated only for battery monitoring factors but you need a display unit for each 48V strings.

and still we are coming back to the beginning of the circle, this equipment is based on a working old design by other pioneers and reflects the "LOWER PRICE" that everyone is expending; that it can be improved and made with more reliable merchandise, 100% correct. But at what cost.............
I bet you that Jack, the Enginer.co rep never had in account the large quantity of failed returned merchandise and the expenses involved to today days.
Of course, it is still in beta testing or...... it is "delta" testing now????

 

I agree, neither of the units I posted are really appropriate. Just trying to come up with a few quick examples of the sort of thing folks might want to look for. The one atsfi posted seems much more appropriate in terms of functionality and cost, not sure if its going to be quite strong enough though. You'd probably want the larger capacity "Doc Wattson" version for starters, as I think the 4kWh kit battery is ~80Ah. Keep in mind that the converter is putting out ~12A @ 240V or about 2.9kW. At ~48V, the pack is having to put out the same amount of power, resulting in ~60A plus a bit for conversion efficiency. These currents may also be sustained, as I believe the 12A output is pretty much constant under load conditions. Of course with more than one converter these currents would be 2-3X higher. The spec sheet says you can use this unit up to 100A, but also notes that the max continuous current is 50A. It seems like the unit must use an internal shunt or current sensor. Thats too bad, if it was external you'd have a decent chance of being able to swap it out with something beefier. It also limits your mounting options. It would be really nice to be able to mount this in the cockpit so you could monitor the pack as you're driving, but you really don't want to have to run your 60A battery current up through the cabin.

This unit may not be quite the thing, but there must be something similar that would do the trick.

 

BTW, same vendor sells a 500A/333A continuous rated shunt, it might be worth talking to them about what you're trying to do to see if there is a way to use the Doc Wattson with the high current external shunt.

Current Shunt Resistors - B Series, 500 Amp max. rated with 100 mV output [CSR-500] - $34.99

 

There doesn't appear to be any problem using an external shunt...that would make it easy to take care of the 50A continuous dissipation limit.

I'm going to stick w/ the 65Ah discharge scale as a "practical" fuel indicator as opposed to the 80Ah full discharge...just for longevity.

The stock shunt is 0.001 ohms (1 milliohm). At 50A continuous, that's only 2.5 watts.....I'll probably use a 10W 0.001 ohm resistor to get a 100A continuous rating.

 

Sounds pretty good, look forward to seeing your results!

 

MJFrog, if you're primarily interested in longer EV-mode distances I would suggest a more powerful conversion like the PluginConversions (pluginconversions . com) 25 mile package. It is a full OEM battery replacement so there is no DC/DC converter at all so it allows for the full 21 kw at all times from the electric motor.

It's more expensive yes, but it's worth it if you just want something that works.

It comes bundled with the Hybrid Energy Manager modification from Ewert Energy (the 70 MPH in EV-mode modification) which would help you avoid running the ICE at higher speeds and it utilizes the electric motor completely before it uses the gasoline engine during normal driving.

Andrew

 

Thanks for your concern, but remember...I'm based in Michigan, not California. Rather long trip for installation (not sure of any closer locations... Plus I don't have the $12500 to spare anyway. The Enginer price fits my budget.

My main desire for EV-mode is for usage as a NEV for about 3-5 miles max round trip. It would save all the hassle associated with short trips on a cold engine.

For my daily commute, the Enginer pack does what it says it is designed to do...assist the engine by charging up the OEM pack. The main issues I've seen are the inability of the Enginer pack to recharge the OEM pack quick enough to stop the ICE from jumping in and doing the recharge itself, and the result that the charge in the Enginer pack isn't fully used...at least in the distance I travel: 38 miles round trip.

 

Hi MJFrog,

The cost is a bit steep for the PICC conversion, but it's worth it for those who can afford it since it just works...They also have installers around the country so you don't need to worry about driving to California for an install.

If all you are looking for is a few miles in EV-mode you may be able to pull that off with the Enginer conversion if you have a very light foot and are OK with accelerating slow (slower than normal EV).

The trick is going to be in the winter when the OEM battery prohibits EV-mode due to cold temperatures. At best, a DC/DC converter based conversion will see around 45 to 60 MPG in the winter (cold midwestern style winter) since you have to run the ICE all the time pretty much.

Andrew