Mini-QC Rapid-Charger (RC) Project for LEAF QC Port

[valerun]

Joel - I think 2 mods need to be made:
1. The wall of the crimp section is too thick - probably needs to be 2/3rds of what it is now. I haven't tried crimping it yet but looks very formidable now.
2. The length of the crimp section is too short - all the lugs / anderson connector pins of this size have at least 1.5" long crimp sections. I suggest we do the same. Right now, it's only 1/2" or so - this is insufficient for a high-quality crimp I think - and definitely not enough for a double-crimp.
Is it possible for you to make these mods to Shapeways set?

The cable end of the pin was a design copy of what I used for the manually built pins.
I measured with calipers the butt-splice I used. Digikey PN WM2973-ND
The depth and wall thickness should be the same (for one side since it is for a pin, not a splice)
This can be used with 2 kinds of crimpers, one is a proper one, but costs over 3000$, the other is a hammer kind, it is only ~50$

The one thing I wasn't sure about is how hard the silver will be compared to the butt-splice which is made from some kind of tinned copper alloy.

I will update the pins to have a thinner wall and deeper pocket (1.5" deep), but please give me some dimensions on how thick the outer wall should be.
Also, how about making the pin itself a little hollow to save on silver? (Just adding a cone shaped recess about half way down) Of course the wall thickness of the pin will have priority. The conductivity of solid silver is just so overkill.

How about shapeway's tolerance? where they able to get close enough to 9.0mm in diameter?

I'll update the shapeways file to v4.1

Thanks Joel - let's do 3/4th of the thickness we have now and 1.5" long crimp area.

I will crimp these today and will confirm 3/4th number above.

Valery

 

[jclemens]

Ok, I've updated the pins, however the cost jumped a bit, i think it because of the 1.5" splice zone. If that is really required, then we have to live with it.
I made the walls thinner (75%) and hollowed out the pin a little bit.
Pin is available to the public here:
https://www.shapeways.com/model/1651321/9mm-pin-r4-1.html

 

[valerun]

Ok, I've updated the pins, however the cost jumped a bit, i think it because of the 1.5" splice zone. If that is really required, then we have to live with it.
I made the walls thinner (75%) and hollowed out the pin a little bit.
Pin is available to the public here:
https://www.shapeways.com/model/1651321/9mm-pin-r4-1.html

Thanks Joel. Will try this on the next set.

As you can imagine, printing these things in silver is a short-term approach ;-) I would like to move to mass-produced parts as quickly as possible. Will PM you on that separately

 

[TonyWilliams]

Val, those are pretty pins!!! I may use that service for some prototypes that I'm building.

By the way, the price for CHAdeMO membership is about $5000 (500,000 yen), if you care to join. Now CHAdeMO Specification is open as a Technical Specification of JIS. You can purchase it at Japan Standards Association web store for about $150:

http://www.webstore.jsa.or.jp/webstore/Top/indexEn.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The standard number is D0007

 

[garygid]

How are you making the 7 signal pins?

I would have thought that a crimping barrel about 3/4" long
would be sufficient for the power pins?

Microscopically, how good is the "density" of this 3D printed silver?

 

[jclemens]

How are you making the 7 signal pins?

I would have thought that a crimping barrel about 3/4" long
would be sufficient for the power pins?

Microscopically, how good is the "density" of this 3D printed silver?

The silver itself is not 3d printed, it is cast (pouring hot liquid metal).
They 3d print wax, then encase it in plaster, bake it to melt out the wax, and then pour in the silver.

I am also not clear on mass production of the 7 signal pins, I'm sticking to soldering off-the-shelf pins onto brass rod.

 

[valerun]

Val, those are pretty pins!!! I may use that service for some prototypes that I'm building.

By the way, the price for CHAdeMO membership is about $5000 (500,000 yen), if you care to join. Now CHAdeMO Specification is open as a Technical Specification of JIS. You can purchase it at Japan Standards Association web store for about $150:

http://www.webstore.jsa.or.jp/webstore/Top/indexEn.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The standard number is D0007

Thanks Tony. Have you joined? Do they disclose part numbers etc for plugs? (not asking to disclose anything - just evaluating if it makes sense to join)

 

[TonyWilliams]

Val, those are pretty pins!!! I may use that service for some prototypes that I'm building.

By the way, the price for CHAdeMO membership is about $5000 (500,000 yen), if you care to join. Now CHAdeMO Specification is open as a Technical Specification of JIS. You can purchase it at Japan Standards Association web store for about $150:

http://www.webstore.jsa.or.jp/webstore/Top/indexEn.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The standard number is D0007

Thanks Tony. Have you joined? Do they disclose part numbers etc for plugs? (not asking to disclose anything - just evaluating if it makes sense to join)

Haven't joined yet. Thinking about it, though.

 

[valerun]

Video: charging a Leaf from a RAV at 16kW (over CHAdeMO, of course)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIlZ_1FTJrw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[valerun]

Terry Hershner and a few guys from Zero showed up at one of our shops today and confirmed the first successful use of our CHAdeMO-enabled charger to charge of a Zero bike!

 

[valerun]

guys - who knows the best way to directly [electrically] access the Leaf's battery at high current (at least 100A)?

 

[jclemens]

guys - who knows the best way to directly [electrically] access the Leaf's battery at high current (at least 100A)?

I know some folks really detest armchair engineering (suggesting solutions without actually testing), but it is all we have for the moment.
I think that the best place would be at the inverter's input, to add a splice so the inverter still gets power, and you can get something out as well. This also only gets enabled when the car is on and in ready-mode.

Ideally the best way to do this is with the same connectors, but I think the only way you are going to find those connectors is off a scrapped leaf.

 

[davewill]

guys - who knows the best way to directly [electrically] access the Leaf's battery at high current (at least 100A)?

This post in the Brusa thread shows where they did it on the 11/12 LEAFs.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=12323&hilit=Brusa&start=50#p287295" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[JeremyW]

Yup, two huge bus bars! You can put a ring terminal right above the connections that are already there.

 

[Kris1]

Impressive RAV4 to Leaf transfusion. So any plans for an isolated 415v 3 phase Chademo charger?

 

[valerun]

Impressive RAV4 to Leaf transfusion. So any plans for an isolated 415v 3 phase Chademo charger?

this is one of the projects we are working on but no ETA yet.

 

[Kris1]

Well that's something at least Valery. We have the grand total of one (1) Chademo charger here in Sydney Australia & it spends a lot of it's time off line. Sigh.

 

[valerun]

Well that's something at least Valery. We have the grand total of one (1) Chademo charger here in Sydney Australia & it spends a lot of it's time off line. Sigh.

We can get you a 25kW single phase pretty soon... is there anything special about 3-phase?

 

[Kris1]

High current single phase power is rare in Australia but there are plenty of 415v 3 phase outlets about. We're interested in a portable 20kw charger.

 

[SmilingWhenSailing]

High current single phase power is rare in Australia but there are plenty of 415v 3 phase outlets about. We're interested in a portable 20kw charger.

Same is true for Europe. A 3 phase chademo compatible charger would really make live easier. Up North were I live there is 1 Chademo charger at a local Nissan dealer, probably the worlds northernmost chademo so far. However, were it is located it really doesn´t help me. I would need one while traveling and it is quite time consuming to only use 3,6 kW when traveling long distance all the while 3 phase 32 Amp power is available...