Comments on: Major Frustration http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:20:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Gordon Glatz http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358&cpage=1#comment-2296 Gordon Glatz Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:47:06 +0000 http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358#comment-2296 Typo in last line, should read, "If either of these are NOT working the contactor will not remain closed." Typo in last line, should read, “If either of these are NOT working the contactor will not remain closed.”

]]> By: Gordon Hamm http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358&cpage=1#comment-2293 Gordon Hamm Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:31:45 +0000 http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358#comment-2293 Have you checked the current draw of the motors under load? Are they drawing the proper current as per their specs? The way you are explaining your controls, the tacho generator is on the output shaft of your drive motors, if you have a bearing problem in one of your motors or if a bearing in your wheel is gone, it is going to affect the rpm of the drive motor which in turn is going to affect the output of the tacho generator. Which in turn the control circuit is going to apply more voltage and more current to compensate. Am I correct? Have you checked the current draw of the motors under load? Are they drawing the proper current as per their specs?
The way you are explaining your controls, the tacho generator is on the output shaft of your drive motors, if you have a bearing problem in one of your motors or if a bearing in your wheel is gone, it is going to affect the rpm of the drive motor which in turn is going to affect the output of the tacho generator. Which in turn the control circuit is going to apply more voltage and more current to compensate. Am I correct?

]]> By: Gordon Glatz http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358&cpage=1#comment-2288 Gordon Glatz Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:32:12 +0000 http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358#comment-2288 Does the contactor use a seperate set of contacts (Part of the contactor)in the coil circuit that closes with the contactor to seal it. If those contacts are dirty, pitted, or burnt where they are not passing current, The Contactor will close but not remain closed. Like wise there must be a normally closed contact in the same coil circuit controled by the what ever opens the contactor to shut it down. If either of these are working the contactor will not remain closed. Does the contactor use a seperate set of contacts (Part of the contactor)in the coil circuit that closes with the contactor to seal it. If those contacts are dirty, pitted, or burnt where they are not passing current, The Contactor will close but not remain closed. Like wise there must be a normally closed contact in the same coil circuit controled by the what ever opens the contactor to shut it down. If either of these are working the contactor will not remain closed.

]]> By: Charles H Schulmann http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358&cpage=1#comment-2285 Charles H Schulmann Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:44:28 +0000 http://www.racinggreenendurance.com/blog/?p=1358#comment-2285 Dear RGET , we really feel for you guys and we certainly wish you the best of luck that you zero on the cause of this infuriating mystery . However , we would be derelict of our support for you if we did not at least suggest some form of half intelligent remedy – half because none of us are physically , there with you and nor were we there when you built the SRzero , neither do we claim to have any answers , so , please do not be irritated if you have already done , what we might suggest . We presume that , the management systems are somehow not receiving the right data feedback as you have to impose an odd set of instructions . Do the outputs ( voltage or current ) from the management system for the relevant set of instructions correspond with the expected values and do the feedback inputs also correspond ? Example: In our case , we have dc drive control cards which control our pumps driven by dc motors and it has happened that the cards for various reasons have had to be recalibrated so that the output of the control card corresponds with the expected speed of the dc motor , while the feedback from the dc motor’s tacho-generator is misinterpreted by the dc control card which results in terrible speed fluctuations . Using this example , we are forced to ISOLATE (time consuming but successful ) each system to test their integrity in terms of INPUT DATA as well as their corresponding OUTPUT DATA and vice versa where input is dependant on output . There are three pumps which have to work in pairs at different ratios at different times which are controlled by a management system whose output ( 1 – 10 volts ) to the respective dc cards have to instruct the cards to provide the correct dc drive output voltages ( 0 –200 volts ) on condition that the tacho-generators are synchronized . Yes , I know it is rather convoluted , but works like a charm when all the different elements of the system are synchronized . Now as it has been reported earlier in another post ,on one occasion the control cards of that system which successfully shut down due to a fire , was nevertheless compromised because the fire had altered the electrical properties of some the power semi conductors and electronic components . While the damage was minimal in terms of the installation , the control had to nevertheless be examined thoroughly in isolation with a number of electronic component changes . We hope that , this may offer a glimpse of a solution and that you discover and repair the problem . We wish you all the best in your endeavours from Ladysmith ( Kwazulu Natal ) in windy South Africa , Charles and friends . Dear RGET ,
we really feel for you guys and we certainly wish
you the best of luck that you zero on the cause
of this infuriating mystery .
However , we would be derelict of our support for you
if we did not at least suggest some form of half intelligent
remedy – half because none of us are physically ,
there with you and nor were we there when you built
the SRzero , neither do we claim to have any answers ,
so , please do not be irritated if you have already done ,
what we might suggest .

We presume that , the management systems are somehow not
receiving the right data feedback as you have to impose
an odd set of instructions .

Do the outputs ( voltage or current ) from the management
system for the relevant set of instructions correspond
with the expected values and do the feedback inputs also
correspond ?
Example: In our case , we have dc drive control cards
which control our pumps driven by dc motors and it has
happened that the cards for various reasons have had to
be recalibrated so that the output of the control card
corresponds with the expected speed of the dc motor ,
while the feedback from the dc motor’s tacho-generator
is misinterpreted by the dc control card which results
in terrible speed fluctuations .

Using this example , we are forced to ISOLATE (time
consuming but successful ) each system to test their
integrity in terms of INPUT DATA as well as their
corresponding OUTPUT DATA and vice versa where input
is dependant on output .
There are three pumps which have to work in pairs at
different ratios at different times which are controlled
by a management system whose output ( 1 – 10 volts ) to
the respective dc cards have to instruct the cards to
provide the correct dc drive output voltages ( 0 –200 volts )
on condition that the tacho-generators are synchronized .
Yes , I know it is rather convoluted , but works like a charm
when all the different elements of the system are synchronized .

Now as it has been reported earlier in another post ,on one
occasion the control cards of that system which successfully
shut down due to a fire , was nevertheless compromised because
the fire had altered the electrical properties of some the power
semi conductors and electronic components .
While the damage was minimal in terms of the installation ,
the control had to nevertheless be examined thoroughly in
isolation with a number of electronic component changes .

We hope that , this may offer a glimpse of a solution and that
you discover and repair the problem .

We wish you all the best in your endeavours from
Ladysmith ( Kwazulu Natal ) in windy South Africa ,
Charles and friends .

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