Revision 2 upgrade for Nissan EVSE - Allows full level 2!

[p19mike]

Here's it being tortured at 26.5a. The cover is off so I can watch for smoke! (The thermal image above was taken soon afterwards.) It never smoked or (surprisingly) blew it's on-board fuse.

-Phil

Phil
I thought the built in leaf charger is 3300 watts, how was it able to take 26amps at 240 ?

Thanks

 

[arnolddeleon]

Phil was using his plug-in Prius as one of the loads in order to torture the EVSE.

arnold

 

[mitch672]

Phil was using his plug-in Prius as one of the loads in order to torture the EVSE.

arnold

Yes, Phil made his own "plug in prius", caused quite a stir on PriusChat (among us geekier members of course) and doesn't want to share his plans or make a kit, because of liability issues (can't really blame him though).

I do still hope he does something with it

Mitch

 

[dgpcolorado]

Are there any suggestions for integrating some sort of meter with the L6-20 outlet? I'd like to be able to track usage from the wall while using the EVSE upgrade device.

If there is something simple-minded available, such as a 20A "Kill-a-watt" that accepts an L6-20 plug, I haven't found it.

 

[Volusiano]

Are there any suggestions for integrating some sort of meter with the L6-20 outlet? I'd like to be able to track usage from the wall while using the EVSE upgrade device.

If there is something simple-minded available, such as a 20A "Kill-a-watt" that accepts an L6-20 plug, I haven't found it.

Maybe order one designed for the European market, then build an adapter plug for it.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Are there any suggestions for integrating some sort of meter with the L6-20 outlet? I'd like to be able to track usage from the wall while using the EVSE upgrade device.

If there is something simple-minded available, such as a 20A "Kill-a-watt" that accepts an L6-20 plug, I haven't found it.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/blog.php?u=291&b=92" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[dgpcolorado]

Are there any suggestions for integrating some sort of meter with the L6-20 outlet? I'd like to be able to track usage from the wall while using the EVSE upgrade device.

If there is something simple-minded available, such as a 20A "Kill-a-watt" that accepts an L6-20 plug, I haven't found it.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/blog.php?u=291&b=92" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks! That's just what I need (but I'd have to have the electrician install it unless there is some sort of code against such a thing).

I was thinking about asking my local power co-op if they have extra old-style meters like the one they took out when they put in my digital dual meter for solar net metering. Where did you purchase your meter at such a reasonable price?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

its a pretty easy DIY job. wiring is simple. i had to undo wiring to change plug to L-20 anyway...

got the meter at place in FL http://www.hialeahmeter.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

click on "meters" then remanufactured meters and i got the "ez read"

http://www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

was (and still is ) $17.50 and you will need a mounting plate with it that costs $10.50. the rest is shipping.

but works pretty good for me. i am up to 380 kwh read thru the meter and best part. total cost was about $50 and that includes conduit, wiring (and a few parts i bought but did not need but they were only a few bucks and did not want to make a 2nd trip to hardware store)

 

[tps]

Are there any suggestions for integrating some sort of meter with the L6-20 outlet? I'd like to be able to track usage from the wall while using the EVSE upgrade device.

Here's what I built. This is a separate box from my 120V to 240V box. The meter box has L6-20 pigtails. Here it is plugged in, via a 6-20P to L6-20R adapter cable, to a 240V outlet at the parking garage at the Train Station in Hamilton NJ.

 

[mwalsh]

Here's what I built]

Ooh! I like that!

 

[dgpcolorado]

its a pretty easy DIY job. wiring is simple. i had to undo wiring to change plug to L-20 anyway...

got the meter at place in FL http://www.hialeahmeter.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

click on "meters" then remanufactured meters and i got the "ez read"

http://www.hialeahmeter.com/siphwame.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

was (and still is ) $17.50 and you will need a mounting plate with it that costs $10.50. the rest is shipping.

but works pretty good for me. i am up to 380 kwh read thru the meter and best part. total cost was about $50 and that includes conduit, wiring (and a few parts i bought but did not need but they were only a few bucks and did not want to make a 2nd trip to hardware store)

Thanks for the info, I definitely want to do this to track actual energy use versus what reaches the Leaf battery pack.

Another reason to go with Ingineer's EVSE upgrade and skip the fancy, expensive, devices!

 

[dgpcolorado]

Here's what I built. This is a separate box from my 120V to 240V box. The meter box has L6-20 pigtails. Here it is plugged in, via a 6-20P to L6-20R adapter cable, to a 240V outlet at the parking garage at the Train Station in Hamilton NJ.

Interesting. 16 Amps right on the button!

 

[tps]

Here's what I built. This is a separate box from my 120V to 240V box. The meter box has L6-20 pigtails. Here it is plugged in, via a 6-20P to L6-20R adapter cable, to a 240V outlet at the parking garage at the Train Station in Hamilton NJ.

Interesting. 16 Amps right on the button!

What's interesting is how, when I plug the LEAF in, it ramps smoothly up to 16 amps, rather than just drawing the full 16 amps instantly. I realize I'm probably giving up a little accuracy by using analog meters, but analog meters are much better for seeing things like the current ramp-up. I built this device mainly so I could know what voltage I was getting when I use a plug adapter to plug into a random outlet and whether the voltage drops significantly under load (a bad sign), but I figured what the heck, since I'm going to the trouble of building the box, I might as well put an ammeter on it, also.

 

[Volusiano]

May I ask where you bought the box from and its price? Also the L6-20 R & P pigtails information. I think I'd like to make me one. Such a good idea to observe possible voltage drop under load.

 

[tps]

May I ask where you bought the box from and its price? Also the L6-20 R & P pigtails information. I think I'd like to make me one. Such a good idea to observe possible voltage drop under load.

I had the box lying around; it's a Hoffman box, probably more expensive than I would have sprung for if I had to buy it for this project. The plug and socket are Leviton 2321 (plug) and 2323 (socket) with a couple feet of 12/3 SJOW cable from Home Depot. The meters are some inexpensive, but apparently not too bad, Chinese meters I got from Ebay. I'll post a photo of the interior of the box when I get a chance. Nothing much to the circuit:

 

[Volusiano]

May I ask where you bought the box from and its price? Also the L6-20 R & P pigtails information. I think I'd like to make me one. Such a good idea to observe possible voltage drop under load.

I had the box lying around; it's a Hoffman box, probably more expensive than I would have sprung for if I had to buy it for this project. The plug and socket are Leviton 2321 (plug) and 2323 (socket) with a couple feet of 12/3 SJOW cable from Home Depot. The meters are some inexpensive, but apparently not too bad, Chinese meters I got from Ebay. I'll post a photo of the interior of the box when I get a chance. Nothing much to the circuit:

Oh, I thought the box came as shown with the meters and circuitry already in place and all you'd have to do is slap on the wiring or maybe even just the end plug and receptacle. But if you have to put together everything in the box from scratch, then never mind. I don't think I have the inclination for a DIY project like that. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[planet4ever]

But it doesn't include a kWh meter, which is what started this sub-discussion.

Ray

 

[Volusiano]

But it doesn't include a kWh meter, which is what started this sub-discussion.

Ray

I know. I guess you can call it a sub-discussion of the kWH meter sub-discussion. It doesn't include a kWH counting meter, but it's interesting nevertheless because the voltmeter tells you how good or bad the voltage drop is under load. The ammeter is not as valuable but like TPS said, the slow ramp up is interesting to observe. What can also be useful with the ammeter is to see how it behaves for charging between 80% and 100%, because there's been mention of a slow down of charging in this range. So it'd be nice to observe and confirm whether that's true or not.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

the charge rate does trickle down but i "think" it starts around 90-92%. remember before my move i used 120 volt charging with a Kill a watt. the advantage being the tons of data that little box provided.

i would see that current as low as 2-3 amps

now, guessing the actual SOC was exactly that, a guess but i do know that the charge rate starts to drop about 55-75 minutes before charge is complete @120 volts. now many report the rate of charge starting downward at 30-45 minutes before charge is complete.

 

[tps]

Internal views of my meter box. Not much to it.