Multiple onboard chargers

[valerun]

If you're asking about DC connections, just use the same ones that the current onboard charger uses. Easy.

Thanks Tony.

However, I am looking for high-current access - at least 100A. I have been able to get a reasonable level of access through the inverter lugs but it exposes HV terminals so is not really very safe. I have not yet tried HV junction block or battery access cover, though.

Wondering if anyone has figured this out already...

Thanks,
Valery

 

[TonyWilliams]

If you're asking about DC connections, just use the same ones that the current onboard charger uses. Easy.

Thanks Tony.

However, I am looking for high-current access - at least 100A. I have been able to get a reasonable level of access through the inverter lugs but it exposes HV terminals so is not really very safe. I have not yet tried HV junction block or battery access cover, though.

Wondering if anyone has figured this out already...

Thanks,
Valery

That connection that the charger goes into on the front of the battery will take WAY more than 100 amps !!!!

 

[valerun]

If you're asking about DC connections, just use the same ones that the current onboard charger uses. Easy.

Thanks Tony.

However, I am looking for high-current access - at least 100A. I have been able to get a reasonable level of access through the inverter lugs but it exposes HV terminals so is not really very safe. I have not yet tried HV junction block or battery access cover, though.

Wondering if anyone has figured this out already...

Thanks,
Valery

That connection that the charger goes into on the front of the battery will take WAY more than 100 amps !!!!

That's great to know! I have assumed that the charger connections are appropriately sized for 10kW (25-30A) power level. Do you have any references to diagrams / photos that might be useful?

Thanks!
Valery

 

[TonyWilliams]

... high-current access - at least 100A. I have been able to get a reasonable level of access through the inverter lugs but it exposes HV terminals so is not really very safe. I have not yet tried HV junction block or battery access cover, though.

Wondering if anyone has figured this out already...


That's great to know! I have assumed that the charger connections are appropriately sized for 10kW (25-30A) power level. Do you have any references to diagrams / photos that might be useful?

Thanks!
Valery

Right in the front of the battery. When you take the cover off the fuse holder, you'll note that there is a logic switch that indicates the cover is off.

DONT TRY THIS AT HOME, FOLKS !!! DEADLY DC VOLTAGE OF 300-400 VOLTS. NOT ONLY WILL YOU DIE, IT WILL HURT WHILE YOU'RE DOING IT.

The fuse obviously connects the battery to the two DC output cables on the right, and the onboard 40 amp charger feeds the battery through the left hand cables.

 

[valerun]

Thanks Tony!

We will try this later this week.

In the meantime, a hacked version accessing battery through the inverter and charging RAV4 at ~22kW using one of our QuickCharge-25000 DC Charger units. Was fun to watch miles go up at ~1 / min.

Some pics below. OBVIOUSLY don't try this at home ;-)

V

 

[Kohler Controller]

Valerun,
I assume you have captured the charging algorithm from the on board charger (i.e. max current until XXX Volts before current tapers). Can you tell me what constant voltage the on board charger hits towards the end of charge when set on Standard Charge setting? Is it 428V?
What about the extended charge setting, is it 444V?
Thanks.

 

[valerun]

Valerun,
I assume you have captured the charging algorithm from the on board charger

Not yet. We just set the top voltage to 375V from our charger for this test. This did get us to ~80% according to the mile-o-meter on the RAV

 

[valerun]

today, we cranked it up to 72A * 360V or full 26kW. Again, to 375V or ~80%. We were thermally limited by the wires between the charger and the RAV. Perhaps we can try 30kW tomorrow once the wiring is replaced.

 

[valerun]

and the last update is (what we were actually going for all along) is the first successful charge of our Leaf from our RAV through our CHAdeMO charger!

For now, at ~12kW. ~350V in from the RAV, ~400V out into the Leaf (~75% SoC on the RAV, ~80% SoC on the Leaf).

Will post a video tomorrow.

 

[fooljoe]

Not yet. We just set the top voltage to 375V from our charger for this test. This did get us to ~80% according to the mile-o-meter on the RAV

Valery, if you sign up at RavCharge.com you'll see the actual % SOC (as % of a normal charge.) Unfortunately I can't help you beyond the normal charge level, as Toyota chose not to provide that info to the user for some odd reason.

 

[valerun]

as promised, some videos.

This one is for charging a Leaf from a RAV at 16kW. Next one will be showing charge of a RAV from AC at 25kW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIlZ_1FTJrw

 

[valerun]

one more video - this time RAV4 charging at 22-25kW

http://youtu.be/ggcoQNBhb4U

 

[valerun]

Valerun,
I assume you have captured the charging algorithm from the on board charger (i.e. max current until XXX Volts before current tapers). Can you tell me what constant voltage the on board charger hits towards the end of charge when set on Standard Charge setting? Is it 428V?
What about the extended charge setting, is it 444V?
Thanks.

Kohler -

CV point for Extended charge mode is 381.5V (at least according to my AMPROBE). Charge profile can be seen at http://emotorwerks.com/cgi-bin/JuiceBox/JB_data.pl?ID=28117872904738883433501998325314421251172647325&timeunit=1 (bottom) - report from my JuiceBox

I will post CV point for Standard tomorrow.

Thanks,
Valery.

 

[miimura]

one more video - this time RAV4 charging at 22-25kW

The RAV in this video appeared to be showing an error on the right side of the dashboard, but it was intentionally out of frame in the video. What was it? Adding charge while the car is in READY state is a little odd, so I'm not surprised there would be an error.

Edit: The error could be something as simple as "Door Adjar", so I'm not trying to be alarmist here.

 

[valerun]

one more video - this time RAV4 charging at 22-25kW

The RAV in this video appeared to be showing an error on the right side of the dashboard, but it was intentionally out of frame in the video. What was it? Adding charge while the car is in READY state is a little odd, so I'm not surprised there would be an error.

Edit: The error could be something as simple as "Door Adjar", so I'm not trying to be alarmist here.

wasn't intentional (out of frame). we did not notice any related errors.

 

[fooljoe]

Adding charge while the car is in READY state is a little odd

Not really - same thing happens when you're going downhill!

 

[AvLegends]

one more video - this time RAV4 charging at 22-25kW

http://youtu.be/ggcoQNBhb4U

Just a thought... could this charger be used with a generator in a small trailer for long trips much like the range extender for the original 1st gen Rav4 EV?
http://www.evnut.com/rav_longranger.htm
My guess is it would to need a pretty big generator...

 

[miimura]

Adding charge while the car is in READY state is a little odd

Not really - same thing happens when you're going downhill!

Yes, but in this case the car knows it's not moving! I suppose there's not really a reason to assert an error if the SOC spontaneously changes by small amounts.

 

[valerun]

Adding charge while the car is in READY state is a little odd

Not really - same thing happens when you're going downhill!

Yes, but in this case the car knows it's not moving! I suppose there's not really a reason to assert an error if the SOC spontaneously changes by small amounts.

apparently there are no corresponding interlocks in the software...

 

[TonyWilliams]

Valerun,
I assume you have captured the charging algorithm from the on board charger (i.e. max current until XXX Volts before current tapers). Can you tell me what constant voltage the on board charger hits towards the end of charge when set on Standard Charge setting? Is it 428V?
What about the extended charge setting, is it 444V?
Thanks.

Kohler -

CV point for Extended charge mode is 381.5V (at least according to my AMPROBE). Charge profile can be seen at http://emotorwerks.com/cgi-bin/JuiceBox/JB_data.pl?ID=28117872904738883433501998325314421251172647325&timeunit=1 (bottom) - report from my JuiceBox

I will post CV point for Standard tomorrow.

Thanks,
Valery.

The official number is 386v.