S4 E38. We build a custom throttle and road test the gasoline / electric hybrid petroleum battery

[@lynnlandin7561]

Retired electrical engineer here. I observed a Japanese engineer remove a surface mount component by holding two soldering irons like chopsticks with one hand. I was impressed.

[@WolfTheDog]

With hands like that I bet his wife is pretty damn happy.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

Now he needs to become ambidextrous and run quad soldering irons 😂

[@kensmith5694]

I do it with only one iron and a overdose of solder. Big blobs of solder will stay melted long enough that you can go back and forth with the tip and have both melted. The component will stick to the iron when it comes free and then you just need to wipe it away and the get out the solderwick to clean up the pcb ready for the new part. I can do this with parts down to 0603 size. At 0402 a wide tip will bar-b-q the part and melt both ends at once.

[@MostlyInteresting]

@@lynnlandin7561 he is not the only one that does that. I was doing that in the 80s.

[@keepyourbilsteins]

Vietnamese owner of the TV repair place I worked at during college used the same technique. 30+ years later and I'm still using the same method.

[@thaddeustroyer]

As a general rule you can "overvolt" a DC motor 1.5X the rated voltage so a 36V motor could be overvolted to 54V without much of a problem any higher and you run into heat dissipation problem coupled with brush wear anf possibly winding separation and bearing damage, if you plan to keep this tip top then regrease the bearing and that should solve that. The other thing to watch for is possible gearbox destruction, but with your setup, that doesn't look like a problem. You have reduced the weight and have a "soft start" pedal. This is a great build.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@MrOpenGL]

@@robotcantina8957 Another thing you REALLY need to keep in mind is that you're likely going to run into problems with backemf flashing over at the collector, you really need to do field weakening if you want to go fast. Since you have the field accessible, just add a power resistor of a similar resistance as the internal resistance of the field, with a contactor or switch to connect it in parallel to the field when running at high speeds. DO NOT start the cart with the field weakened, it will have very little torque. That's how it's done on electric locomotives with rheostat controls, same as your cart.

[@traviszane5334]

​@MrOpenGL it might be fine seeing as the motor is at 13 to 1 but it will pull more amps to compensate some

[@MrOpenGL]

Yep, but if he wants to push it to go FAST! he needs to deal with that, otherwise he needs to raise the voltage too much which will destroy the collector eventually.

[@anonymusptbo8704]

Also the old varnish and ties on the armature can let go if you over speed it too much, resulting in a catastrophic failure as the centrifugal force rips the winding out of place

[@ChubiChan]

Videos like this just make me more excited for a potential future "Diesel-Electric Series Hybrid RWD Street Legal Road Train" which will end up being some 90s-00s junkyard nugget getting a second lease on life

[@robotcantina8957]

LOL. Thanks for that! Have a good one!

[@napierpaxman]

Google Edison Motors ;)

[@anthonyjulson8840]

​@napierpaxman you beat me to it!!!

[@Maybe-So]

Yes! Edison Motors (on YT) have been working for a while on building "Topsy" - a full sized "Semi" Tractor; they've pulled logs with it, it's able to use regen on hills, they've done amazing work (I don't know if they've gotten a Diesel Electric Train engineer to help or not). Unrelated note, they've uncovered severe corruption in how Canada hands out grants to those working on increasing fuel economy engineering.

[@TheBenjomcmlxxv]

A Wha Wha pedal works exactly like you're expecting with a rotary potentiometer. So do volume pedals. It would be a simple swap to put in a 100k ohm pot, if they don't already have one. Plus, they're smaller and less complex than what you're using.

[@xzerr]

And they are also in fact pedals by nature. Also even cheaper would be to use a guitar volume pedal

[@ehsnils]

I'd worry a bit about moisture though, but that's a common issue regardless of what you do.

[@mikeh2520]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@Dis-Emboweled]

So wait.... You're saying that an electric guitar uses electric components and modifications?!?!! 🤯

[@jhoncho4x4]

Rotary potentiometer knobs are available with long, bendable arms and are run 24/7; varying the motor speed with a "dancer" on wire take-up machines. Wire is taken from a large spool, fed through the dancer and then to a smaller spool at high speeds. X feet of wire is automatically unspoiled onto the smaller spool, without making a mess. The operator just cuts wire and changes spools; after the dancer is set up. Those simple pots last years. Check industrial electronics suppliers. Newark is a good one.

[@mikemaytum6441]

Don't underestimate the value of that cart. There are single parts that are probably worth more than you paid for the whole thing. The rubber shock mounts on the frame to body area, if in good shape, are complete unobtanium and worth several hundred dollars to the right buyer. Great stuff on this build - especially for those of us who know and appreciate the Cushman lineage.

[@robotcantina8957]

I had a look at the rear suspension when the cart was flipped and I have to say I didn't completely understand what was going on. At some point the cart will be retired and hopefully passed on to a Cushman collector.

[@kandkmotorsports]

@@robotcantina8957 I have a cushman golfster very similar to yours I think mine is a 1973?? It has a 10 hp kohler and snowmobile type type clutch to the rear axle. They are tough as nails!! Great video as always!

[@WickedGod-l7x]

The beast UNITED=6 STATES=6 DOLLAR=6 RELYING ON the masters FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE IS THE MARK. RELYing on the beast masters provide MEAT for your TABLE during the 1980 and 90s madcow pandemic exposed billions of consumers to the disease for 20 years and millions are expected to begin dieing from it 30 later. Covid19 is code for cow variant spongiform disease and 19 is the century it saturated consumer markets and the year it materialized in an outbreak in consumers. The disease targed all consumers of processed meat products. The first wave killed over a billion world wide since 2020. The next outbreak is due in late 2025 and expected to fill US cities with unmanageable numbers of corpses through 2016 and each year after until 9 billion people have perish from the disease through 2030. The government isnt concerned about the public problems right now, its hands are full preparing the millitary that will govern the government when the govt shuts down, turns off the lights and allows millions of outdated satilites to fall flamming to earth During the 2026/2030 days of darkness following the shut down. High energy solor ray lasers will burn whats left of cities , towns, highways and infrustructures into ashes before everything is washed out to sea and buried under mud. It will be like nothing existed When it covers over with grass and like nothing ever happened when 2050 gets here for the HUEMENS that left man and THe HUMANs behind in hell to build there kingdom on earth.

[@mdb4879]

Robot Cantina on Turkey Day? What a treat! So much better than a parade.

[@robotcantina8957]

Have a good one!

[@WarrenGarabrandt]

I'm very glad you are considering the safety and durability aspects of the project. Many yt channels only show the broad strokes and totally ignore all the critical safety features required to make a vehicle useful without risk of it becoming a sui-slide machine.

[@robotcantina8957]

Hopefully folks pay attention to the details

[@MostlyInteresting]

Actual drive by wire cars pedals have 3 pot usually one runs in reverse of the other two. This is monitored by the computer and if there is any out of range or other unexpected behavior the car will go into limp mode. A little arduino would do that and also run the throttle. Even a basic throttle operation like dropping to idle when the load goes away.

[@jonathanschubert9052]

Let the record show that Jimbo IS NOT suicidal!

[@pilotoheli]

It's amazing to see a 555 still in use. It was aids to teaching so many kids the basics of electronics, but now it's just a dying art. I'm happy to see it is still made.

[@kensmith5694]

There are even "modern versions" of the 555. It is more than still made

[@tin2001]

555 timers are still in many devices that just need a basic timers. They're still cheaper than a microcontroller, and don't need to be programmed.

[@SockyNoob]

Is 74LS logic used in anything modern either? Lol

[@kensmith5694]

@@SockyNoob 74HC and 74HCT parts are still used. 74LS is rare these days.

[@ElectricBillAlbright]

@@pilotoheli The 741 op amp is also still made. They still make the dual timer 556 also. Both are very versatile chips and the 555 is used in other applications besides timers.

[@jlucasound]

I worked for a guy who had his own construction company in the early 80's. I needed to fix the exhaust on my 1970 Monte Carlo. Instead of jacking the car up and climbing under, as I usually did, my boss flipped my car on its side with the backhoe onto some old carpets (the car was not mint by any stretch of the word) and it was so easy to do the repairs. The exhaust system was right in front of me. So nice. Even at 21, climbing under vehicles sucks. Yes, a lift some day. Yes, I let it set for a few hours before starting it after righting it. You know, fluids and all.

[@robotcantina8957]

First gen Monte Carlos used to be a dime a dozen, Flipping one on its side to do maintenance/repairs seem like an awesome idea..but sadly not may of those cars are left.

[@Bob_Adkins]

There are car rotisseries, used mostly for painting. If I had one that didn't damage my sissy modern car and truck, I would use it often.

[@boxxdrmtb]

I just love everything about this project. The way the alternator doubles as a speed controller is absolutely brilliant.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@johnspagnola4020]

Happy thanks giving jimbo

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks, You too!

[@petroelb]

More applicable to your last video, but another reason that locomotives use the diesel electric system is that electric motors produce maximum torque at zero rpm, which is exactly when a train needs it.

[@robotcantina8957]

Yes of course. Some of the things I say are in response to comments I got from previous videos. There are still a lot of folks saying I'm wrong and this system is efficient.

[@ThatKoukiZ31]

@@robotcantina8957 This system is many things, and I think the biggest is that its entertainment is equal and opposite to its efficency! As in its NOT efficient at ALL, but is VERY entertaining and interesting!

[@nick-leffler]

​@@ThatKoukiZ31how much loss is there in this system?

[@tin2001]

​@@nick-leffler In a home made one, it's probably about 50-60% efficient (so 40-50% loss of energy). But because of the small size, even at 50% loss, it's still more energy efficient than a full size car for short, low speed use.

[@ShinyUmbreon765]

​@@tin2001efficiency of what? Mechanical energy to mechanical? No. Mechanical to electrical? No. Electrical to mechanical? No. Wonder efficiency on free time to fun! But in serious applications: Fuel used to do the same work is where you make up the losses. Most car engines are at 10-20% throttle and revving below peak torque for most driving, most of the time. If you could use the engine at peak efficiency only when its needed, you can get more work done with the same fuel. A prius is an amazing commuter. Electric torque off the line, regen, and direct drive for highway speed. The edison motors prototypes are promising. Even with modern motors, generators and diesel engines, its a lot of losses in the conversion. But that's not the point. The point is reducing operating costs and emissions through the use of less fuel.

[@carwashadamcooper1538]

I think 20 mph is plenty fast on a 3 wheel golf cart! Those things are notoriously unstable in stock form, and I'm sure changing the center of gravity by removing the batteries didn't help at all. Happy thanksgiving, Jimbo.

[@robotcantina8957]

Have a good one!

[@RandyDiesel-se9jo]

Thanks Jimbo, your videos are what we all need to scratch that itch. You rock buddy

[@bobs12andahalf2]

I go see a venereologist when I get the itch

[@MariuszChr]

Agree. This is the stuff I would do on retirement too :D

[@CihaPet]

These "crazy" experiments and tinkering is what I love about this channel. That and that witty commentary.

[@jimbo5728]

Changing the location of the throttle return spring would give you progressive resistance and make it much more ergonomic. The way it is now, resistance to movement is highest at tip-in, then drops as you press farther. This combined with friction in the mechanism, makes it very hard to modulate. Thanks for the thanksgiving treat this morning Jimbo!

[@dave4882]

Also the straighter the cable is, the easier it will slide. You have a couple of tight U bends in it, causing a lot of extra friction.

[@robotcantina8957]

Have a good one!

[@swedebug2889]

555? Nice! :D 555's are useful for cobbling together a intermittent wiper-driving circuit. Also, love the X-files golfcart! 🤣🤣🤣

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, on some wiper motors it can work great. The "park switch" can get in the act to ensure the wipers always stop at the bottom of the sweep. An LM555 is only rated for 18V but you can get a bit clever with a crude voltage regulator to keep its voltage between about 5V and 10V. A big fat MOSFET can power the motor. There is also clever thing where you fly the whole circuit on the positive side of the motor. This can save many parts but it is "a bit troublesome to troubleshoot".

[@davidgilpin5200]

Jimbo, I caught the very apropos "Toyota Pious" joke...🤣 When you were first discussing the challenges of developing the throttle - instead of a cable controlling a linear potentiometer, I guessed you would have deployed a servo between whatever you used for the accelerator sensor and the rotary potentiometer on the PWM power supply. Complicated, yes, but cheap and very much a "Jimbo" solution! Long live the venerable 555 timer!

[@alexanderdaniels9039]

I woke up at 6am this morning looking forward to this episode! Never dissatisfied! Keep your stick on the ice!

[@NotthatNeil]

If the ladies don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!

[@robotcantina8957]

As a former Michigan resident in close proximity to Canada, the Red Green reference made me laugh. Have a good one!

[@gregholloway2656]

Great progress, Jimbo! Your bringing out Forrest Mims book gave me a laugh, as I still have the same book in my library. Learned about 555s as a kid when that book was new. Like you, I’m surprised that power supply doesn’t have a microcontroller in it. 👍

[@robotcantina8957]

As part of my finial exam I built a multi spark ignition system for my Plymouth Horizon with a 555. As I recall I got an A.

[@gregholloway2656]

Cool project, perhaps you could have beat MSD to market. Haha

[@1968CudaGuy]

Time to break out the block Styrofoam, construction adhesive, homebuilt hotwire saw, some sand paper, and some junk latex paint to give this hotrod some aerodynamic street cred... Flat black with 50'ish Hotrod flames..

[@elitecpudoc329]

looks like it's time to pull the governor out the petroleum battery to unleash more angry pixies at the electric motor!

[@srockisinthehouse]

This is great! So many old golf carts near me in junk yard. This looks like a great project for me

[@robotcantina8957]

Go for it!

[@twoeightythreez]

Im stoked to see where this goes. Maybe add regen braking via a capacitor bank, and would theoretically allow smoother starts without bogging down your engine

[@tin2001]

Not really worth it. It wouldn't save fuel with this setup, and the starts could be smoothed using a microcontroller to limit any sudden increases on the alternator input voltage, which would be simpler than doing any regen stuff.

[@reverse_engineered]

@@tin2001 It would save fuel, since the engine is adjusting the throttle maintain the RPM under load. When running idle, there's not a lot of gasoline being used - just enough to keep the engine running against its own losses. When you start putting a load on the alternator, it pushes back against the mechanical motion of the engine which would bring down the RPM, so the engine responds by opening the throttle, letting in more gasoline per revolution. @twoeightythreez But practically, you would hardly notice it. Regen braking on EVs invovles very efficient electric motors with upwards of 95% efficiency as motors and over 60% of efficiency as generators. The combined efficiency of generation and locomotion is high enough that you can restore a significant portion of that kinetic energy. The DC motor in that old golf cart is probably much less than this - possibly 60-70% for locomotion and

[@UCs6ktlulE5BEeb3vBBOu6DQ]

what you call a gasoline battery strangely look like a gasoline to noise converter

[@minnesotatomcat]

It’s a Freedom Battery, completely free of govt BS 👍

[@JoeMalovich]

And most of that energy is converted directly to heat.

[@906MediaProductions]

​@@minnesotatomcatthere was approximately zero government BS in the original cart, they weren't electric for any particular reason beyond convenience.

[@minnesotatomcat]

@ I was talking about the gasoline engine not the cart itself.

[@906MediaProductions]

@@minnesotatomcat so was I, this thing is government free whether it's gas or electric.

[@azfxr1919]

Keep going Petroleum batteries are still new technology that needs to be explored. Thank you.

[@acestapp1884]

Just run 20 drive by wire linkages in series and JB weld an aluminum strip across them all. Bonus: Your gas pedal is a yard wide, making it easy for the driver or passenger to accelerate.

[@robotcantina8957]

LOL, sounds like a plan!

[@gregholloway2656]

You’ve got me laughing out loud with that suggestion. 😂

[@Prerejection]

i roughly know 3% of what's being covered here and i still think these videos are a treat to watch. i'm hoping i can simply absorb some knowledge through osmosis and when the limitless pill comes out i'll be set

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks for the input. Perhaps some of what I say will sink in and at the very least you find entertainment in our goofy experiments. Have a good one!

[@hfvhf987]

Haha that 555 is a blast from the past 😀

[@robotcantina8957]

555 lives on

[@ehsnils]

@@robotcantina8957 Invented in 1971, in production since 1972. 52 years and counting. I bet that it's hitting the average age of the viewers of this channel.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

​@@ehsnils don't underestimate who's here, though. My mom was born in '70

[@ehsnils]

@@goosenotmaverick1156 Then I'm older than her.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

@ehsnils I was just saying, I'm a 91 model and this is like Saturday morning cartoons for me. I was just saying there's even some of us that are younger that are also here. Also my dad is likely closer to your age, he's a 62 model haha

[@darwinskeeper421]

A third advantage to the "Petroleum battery" is that it is less expensive than even a pack of flooded lead acid batteries. If you're a tinkerer recommissioning a golf cart to ride around your estate, this might be the most important advantage of all.

[@robotcantina8957]

Yes, absolutely.

[@jetpackjbd]

When overvolting a brushed motor, the biggest concern as you mentioned is heat. The internal coils eventually melt their insulation and cause shorts. I would recommend rotating the motor and measuring resistance across it to make sure all of the coils read roughly the same amount of ohms. It might seem to be working fine, but I had an old abandoned e-scooter that apparently had a shorted coil. The shorted coil produced even more heat, causing the other coils to fail and the brush card to catch fire.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@59jm24]

The series motor is limited by its watt output rating as is the alternator. Both can operate at higher voltage with reduced current.

[@reverse_engineered]

@@59jm24 How can you get higher voltage at reduced current with a motor whose DC resistance is nearly constant? You would have to rewind the motor which is no small task and runs into a bunch of problems because the armature will be designed for the windings that it currently uses - modifications are likely to make it much less efficient. Edit: Nevermind, I didn't realize this was a series wound motor and not a permanent magnet motor.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

For the record, I had no doubt it'd work. One of the first things I did was the HP / kw conversions and the math checked out. I just think that a system like this has a lot of room left on the table for fun & performance (and I mean acceleration as much as top speed). PS - my dream car is a fully electric drive like a model X, but with a turbine-powered generator for long distance drives. They don't take up much space, run on almost any fuel, and like constant output. So I liked the vibe of this idea from the start. But I still want to see you give that DC motor 400 amps from a standstill 😂

[@irritantno9]

I’m in the middle of deliberations on replacing batteries in a 48v carryall and a 36v cart. It’s very compelling to see how well this works. Batteries are really expensive and replacing them piecemeal is not an option (dumb). Your channel is quickly becoming my favorite.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!, stay tuned, We will explore this subject and see if its a good idea or not. So far it appears to work really well.

[@irritantno9]

@@robotcantina8957 excellent. The stupid-charged diesel was so enjoyable to watch. I have a ford escape hybrid that has a 2 time rebuilt battery that I’m ready to junk. It’s a nice car but the pack is so poorly designed. I’d love to convert it to a full time ice engine or give it to someone who has even more patience than me. The Prius battery is so much better than fords abortion. It cannot operate without the battery

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Yeah Jimbo I will second what someone else has already said about the controls for a wah pedal or a volume pedal. Like for electric guitars. It's essentially a rack and pinion with the rack attached to the pedal, and the gear attached to the shaft on the pot. Pressure is maintained betweem the two with a simple rubber band I think. And the system is literally designed to be stepped on repeatedly. Although.... they are built inside of a strong metal housing. Definitely worth looking at the system, you'd have to modify it but I think it's your simplest solution to the problem. Happy Thanksgiving!!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Also I'm pretty sure some of them are already 100k The parts are cheap, and if you didn't want to buy them, I think you could 3d print them

[@robotcantina8957]

I'm looking into this right now. Its awesome that so many people have great ideas. Thanks and have a good one!

[@georgehooper429]

Yet again another great and entertaining video, it was well worth the wait. Take some time to spend with your family today and relax. At 17:25 did we see a fully electric reverse or what it a fully manual assisted reverse by the camera man? If it was a fully electric reverse I think you are holding out electronic trickery from us. I think 21 mph on a 3 wheeled rolling death cart is more than fast enough. Add in that 4th tire and then experiment with the need for speed. Another gadget I just thought of for your cart is an electronically controlled governor for the little engine. With light current load back off on the petrol throttle. As demand goes up then increase the engine's throttle. The issue will be trying to decode the “need for additional throttle vs just a heavier current load” on the electric motor. Either way just proving the concept of the petrol battery and it actually moving (without releasing the magic smoke) is a great success.

[@robotcantina8957]

No reverse yet. I reckon when I backed off the throttle the cart drifted back slightly. Have a great one!

[@Patrycjusz-qr2rd]

What a nice surprise it is to see you published a video today. Always enjoy them. Thank you

[@tylermyers9372]

We need a tractor, Jimbo!

[@jeremypilot1015]

Love this channel! Totally agree, there is no need for full electric car videos, what you're doing is what most could do in their garage at home given a bit of research. That's what makes it fun to watch, it's all doable by the regular guy.

[@Angel_the_Bunny]

I sort of mentioned it before but I would LOVE to see an "electric NOS". Basically take a large capacitor bank that stores excess energy (from engine, regen braking, etc.) and released with a "NOS button" system that dumps the stored juice to the motor at max current or maybe even overcurrent at a safe level that the motor can stand in short bursts. Having a rechargeable turbo sounds like such a fun idea :D

[@krashanb5767]

Look up electric supercharger. I think there is a company with a similar idea.

[@reverse_engineered]

It's a neat idea, but the alternator can already provide max voltage/current - no need for a capacitor bank. What could be useful is overvoltage, but for a different reason. As the speed of the motor increases, it produces a back EMF - an opposing voltage. This lowers the effective voltage seen by the motor, to the point that the motor reaches maximum no load speed when the back EMF equals the source voltage. The thing that limits motor power is mostly current, not voltage, so applying a progressively higher source voltage while not exceeding a safe voltage can allow you to provide a constant effective voltage, therefore constant current, and therefore constant torque. That's one of the great things about EVs compared to ICEs - you have full torque from 0 up to a relatively high speed, unlike the rising and falling power curve you get from an ICE. That's why we have to use a multi-gear gearbox on an ICE to keep the engine RPM near the middle of that power curve as the speed changes.

[@Angel_the_Bunny]

You have dashed my hopes quite expertly sir, bravo.

[@timrb]

I love that this channel is just a bit of engineering tinkering and fun.

[@CZ350tuner]

The WW2 German Porsche Tiger tank prototype (and later Ferdinand / Elephant tank destroyers) also used a massive Petroleum Battery, driving 4 electric traction motors.

[@brian6739]

Hello sir! Love your videos and miss the gnome! I have had a plan for quite some time to install a small rooftop solar system just large enough to power a heat pump in Michigan. Rather than grid tie it (and pay extra taxes), I wondered if this would work... Install solar 12v parallel connected to a charge controller then to a battery as a medium, but also have a standard high Amp 120v car float charger installed to the battery. The float car charger would kick in to power the heat pump when solar can't keep up. Now for the real question, can it be done without a battery as a medium? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THAT! I started with your first predator videos and love that the golf cart idea, both are right up my alley.

[@tahustvedt]

Typically the first worry about overspeeding an electric motor is the centrifugal force pulling the windings (or magnets) out. I don't know what the max for a motor of this size would typically be but I'd be surprised if 6-8000 was a problem.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@david0858too]

My 4.5hp 110vdc treadmill motor is 6000rpm

[@scorpioslab]

​@@david0858too that's good enough for an electric mini bike, or go kart for a child! Would just need a DC to AC inverter, and an AC controller.

[@kirtmeese7223]

I love your channel - you seem like you have very similar ideas floating around in your head that I do! It’s great to see these concepts/ideas turned into reality. Thanks for the entertainment and I love the fact that you refer to the Toyota Prius as a “Pious”! I 100% agree with it.

[@zyzzyva303]

555 timer and Forrest Mims III. What a throwback. Nice

[@robotcantina8957]

Yes, the 555 lives on in 2024.

[@josuelservin]

Love this channel, full of whimsy and crazy creativity, I have learned quite a few things along the way and thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you do.

[@AdamOpheim]

General rule is you can double the rated volts on most motors. Esp. for short bursts. More volts=more rpm. More amps=more torque. I routinely run 84v peak bats on 48v rated motors with no issues and good service life on little drag mini bikes. And up to 120v on 60 and 72v rated motors at around 250a. 4 second 0-60 times. They are a blast. maybe you could toss on another cheap alternator in parallel? Several companies also have 300a+ alternators. Amazon sells a 300a unit for $260. "power bastards" and mechman also sell performance alternators.

[@PrayingToTheAlien]

This project is both fun and interesting. I had no idea making an accelerator would be so difficult. Great Job Jimbo!

[@C-M-E]

One of 'forever' projects is to do exactly this except with one of my jet engines, hot side composite parts and a few other bits that had to be invented first. Four years later, I can finally start making parts. Definitely recommend the golf cart route. 👍

[@NotthatNeil]

Wait, does that mean you’re going to be making a jet powered golf cart? You have GOT to post videos!

[@C-M-E]

I have something a little spicer in mind, but it will be a ground vehicle eventually. I don't think pumping a MW of electrical power through golf cart tires to be terribly practical, or, ya know, sane. Though as the saying goes, you can try anything once. 😁

[@vancemacd6315]

The ammount of information in this video is incredible. Your one smart cookie and uts incredible watching and listing to you and explain. Fantastic work m, plus the world needs solutions like this.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks, stay tuned, we will try to make this super simple.

[@Darisiabgal7573]

Hey, let’s turn that F150 into a diesel electric vehicle with Batteries and a Kubota diesel. Maybe we can salvage the batteries of some wrecked hybrids, put a camper on back with solar panels to charge it while it’s parked 😎

[@Bigshooterist]

Just the simple term "Petroleum Battery" will definitely make some heads explode. There's also no doubt this term will be used in marketing such a Hybrid in the future. You're way ahead of the majority of the auto industry marketing complex. 😎👍

[@ProfessorMAG]

I hope you are planning to fabricobble a reversing switch into the stator power circuit. Remember, the output from the alternator can be positive or negative depending on the control voltage now that the rectifiers are out of the picture.

[@robotcantina8957]

Reverse is complex on the series wound DC motor we are using. On a DC series wound motor, reversing the polarity to the motor will not reverse the direction the motor spins. In order to reverse the motor, the series field windings need to be reversed. It takes a large high current multi contact switch to do this.

[@w1ndex]

Thank you for your videos, and thank you for releasing this today, this is just a day off work for me at this point in life so it's nice to have something interesting to watch. Gonna have to search for an old golf cart in decent shape for a future project. :)

[@chuchunka]

would be great to add small high amp battery to smooth start current. added arduino could adjust throttle of gas engine depending on load The project is awesome!

[@rjung_ch]

Thanks Jimbo, the proof of concept works. 👍💪✌

[@Beav971]

That petroleum battery is pretty much a 7.3 IDI. They can pull a house down.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

I have a 7.3IDI, factory turbo (non intercooled) in my driveway. Slow? Yes. Pull whatever you hook to it? Definitely. It's no powerstroke, but it does the trick.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

Oh it belongs to my boss. I would have purchased an actual PSD. Parts are easier to find for it. Nobody offers an OEM downpipe for it, I had to buy a banks upper half and beat the snot out of the cab to fit it, and have it welded to a bit of the old one and heavily heat wrapped. It was a pain. That truck is a pain. 😂

[@toyotaguy1984]

Thanks Jimbo! Worth the wait! Happy Thanksgiving 😊

[@ronniedale6040]

Motor mechanic here. (electric) overspeeding a dc would result in accelerated brush wear and in extreme cases mechanical failure of the windings departing the armature at high rotational speeds. Also be careful running that series wound motor unloaded as they do not have the innate throttling a dedicated field circuit provides and can "run away" catastrophically if ran uncoupled. Likely the rear axle is enough drag to prevent this but I would be very careful if any motor out bench testing of the motor is to take place without any motor RPM monitoring and control.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thank you so much!

[@TheGreiner31]

@@robotcantina8957 Old electrician here. Care full running a DC motor unloaded. 4000 rpm seams a lot (to me). They can blow apart at high speed! Some do have a shunt field to control over speeding. Your car alternator may not have the cleanest DC and can cause some motor winding heating. On a car they have a battery to clean up the DC ripple.

[@reverse_engineered]

That's a permanent magnet DC motor, no? Should the back EMF not form an upper limit on the RPM? Edit: I stand corrected, I wasn't familiar with series wound DC motors. Neat!

[@subynut]

This is a cool little experiment! I am really enjoying the build and results of the tests!

[@robotcantina8957]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@rickrandom716]

Jungle site sells the gocart style pedal controller for less than $20 and some of more quality for $60

[@PaulinesPastimes]

So glad that you are not a normal person. Makes your videos and projects much more interesting and mentally stimulating. I love that you have proved a concept and made such a clever little vehicle. I never miss an episode. 😊👍

[@Ultimatebubs]

Without the added weight from the cameraman, I'll bet that this thing can get up to 25.

[@MJorgy5]

A little air in the tires would probably help it, too. 😄

[@IndridCool54]

Thanks Jimbo! Hope you have a great holiday! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks! You too!

[@WarrenGarabrandt]

The faster an electric motor turns, the more back-emf it generates, which means you have to put higher and higher voltage into it to make it go faster. As the motor draws higher and higher currents, the heat it generates will go up, and the motor will overheat, which basically means you melt down the insulation between the coils and turn it into a smoke machine. Even if you don't overheat it, the bushings, windings, etc. are only insulated to withstand a certain max voltage. If you exceed that, you will cause internal arcing, which will turn it into a smoke and lava machine. If you overspeed it by mechanically driving it faster without exceeding the power rating, then you are looking at vibrations and friction overheating and destroying bearings, vibration causing internal damage to the windings, and beyond that, you'll likely just fuse the bearings and turn it into metal filings producing machine. If you try to spin it up like a jet engine, the mechanical structure of the rotor will start creating stress fractures from the internal forces, and eventually the insides with explode outward in metal shards and copper spaghetti, turning it into a noise and surprise claymore machine.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@SLeslie]

Back-emf is voltage. Voltage and current are not the same. As this is a series wound motor, it does not have a maximum rpm per se. The maximum rpm is limited only by mechanical losses and thus it needed to be limited externally. I think there is two main probability of damage in case of exceeding the maximum rpm. One is the mechanical failure of the rotor/bearings, and the other is excessive sparking around (and thus the deterioration) the commutator.

[@MrOpenGL]

@@SLeslie the backEMF flashover can be solved (up to a point) with field weakening, I explained that in another comment

[@tin2001]

In that specific motor, I'd say the highest risk is bearing failure due to age, or the casing failing due to rust and letting parts fall out of place. I would personally plan for a replacement motor simply due to the potential for age related mechanical failure in the original one.

[@SLeslie]

@@MrOpenGL Yes, there are ways to solve these problems. *However* this thing has only 3 wheels furthermore without the batteries it is significantly lighter too (the center of mass is higher), plus if I understand correctly it has brake only on the rear axle. So in the end I would recommend against going much faster with this thing.

[@GregtheAwesomeNinja]

Thankful for you Jimbo! Happy Turkey day to you and yours!

[@robotcantina8957]

Thank you, you have a great one!

[@justjames9775]

I think that we need to see a v-twin, and the highest output alternator that you can come up with. Something that will burn rubber, ya know!

[@robotcantina8957]

Hell yeah!

[@justjames9775]

@@robotcantina8957 Maybe a Delco Remy 55SI would do the trick. But judging by the price, they are pretty proud of those.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

Ford offered some pretty massive alternators for ambulance package 7.3L diesels, that may be more affordable and easier to come by some ones good enough to use for this purpose.

[@GIGABACHI]

Robot Cantina always delivers the goods ! 👌😎👍 Looking forward to next episode !

[@stanleydenning]

It's been quite a while since I moved away but I am from Joplin Missouri. There is a small community just off the edge of Joplin called iron gates. There you will find a small golf course and a shop that repairs old golf carts. Sometimes they will have golf carts out front for sale at very reasonable prices.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks!

[@noyopacific]

Thanks for the video Jimbo !!! Have a happy Turkey Day 😝

[@robotcantina8957]

Have a good one!

[@LamantinoElettronico]

The 555 being inside the PSU was only half a surprise. It is very old, yes, but it really has a million plus one uses, there's a reason they kept on updating it and there are SMD versions available

[@robotcantina8957]

Indeed, If you know electronics, you know of the 555..... and 741

[@LamantinoElettronico]

@@robotcantina8957 Indeed. Also, about the amount of electronics in your projects, on one hand it is a pity that you can't really delve too deep because you'd alienate most of the audience but on the other the fact you find simple solutions like what you've shown here is proof that you very much know what you're doing. It does take skill to make things as simple as they can be

[@Rockport1911]

Cool system, the alternator actually works as a drive controller :) Maybe you could also implement that the throttle of the gas engine gets adjusted when you press the accelerator pedal. The E-Stop should also cut the ignition of the gas engine.

[@Robb403]

If you intend to push you golf cart to the limit, you might want to monitor the temperature of the alternator and the electric motor. Overheating is pretty much what will kill them. You can probably overpower them if you can dissipate the heat.

[@jasons4622]

Love this project, came close to buying a cart yesterday!

[@somethingelsehere8089]

This project could be a drinking game. Do a shot every time you hear PB.

[@robotcantina8957]

LOL Thanks for that.

[@makinbac0n]

You should double up your throttle cable to raise the throttle of the engine when you use the peddle so it idles when you are stopped and throttle up when the demand is needed. Could also use a solenoid to activate the throttle when the peddle is depressed. Would reduce noise as well since gas carts also idle while stopped... Great project!

[@sandwichman8u]

Finally something to sate my boredom.

[@JazzbLu]

What a fun build! Thank you for sharing! I hope you and your loved ones had a Happy Thanksgiving!

[@twocvbloke]

I remember many moons ago dismantling my old 1990s Mad Catz driving setup pedals because they weren't working right, and found they had used standard potentiometers which connected to the pedals through gears (the pedals themselves had the gearing cast into them in an arc shape), and yes, the potentiometers failed, because they weren't really meant for a 15 year old kid stomping on them trying to win races on their Playstation... :P

[@robotcantina8957]

We are looking into this right now. Thanks!

[@mastercricket7626]

right on jimbo ... this was a rad episode ... the only good hybrid lol 😂 😂... I'm curious to see the future on this ... especially with a Arduino .. i run my 400hp turbo Miata off one , so i cant weight to see the outcome then .. but till that point , i truly enjoy learning the in between lol... peace and love brotha , keep it rad , stay safe , and build on ... l8z fam

[@minnesotatomcat]

Love the Freedom Battery!

[@robotcantina8957]

Perhaps that's the new name? I reckon it would piss a lot of people off.... hmmmm

[@tadamb1]

Wow! Surprise Thanksgiving episode. Awesome. I always enjoy watching.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks, Have a good one!

[@AnalogDude_]

Hahaha no french cars. You could remove the 555 timer circuit al together, than use a transistor to translate the system voltage to the Mosfet, because if not the mosfet doesn't open totally and control this transistor with Arduino esp (32 bit) and generate a new PWM signal controlled via a "pot", maybe you need to use a NPN to control a PNP to control the mosfet on the right voltage.

[@davidhammond8049]

Top work Jimbo! I for one couldn't care less about the "efficiency" issues...... this is interesting and original + I think it's relevant to me and a potential project I have "kicking around" (a John Deere e gator with questionable batteries and a very fried "electrical box" that's around £1200 hear in the UK) so for me this is about the best project you have taken on since I found you....... looking forward to the next episode! Kind regards David

[@theupscriber65]

How about engine throttle that reacts to the alternators load, like a generator does.

[@robotcantina8957]

At some point we will look at the engine throttle, but for now we are fine with the way it is.

[@craigerickson6308]

Cool concept and implementation. You'd think a big brand motorcycle company would use drive by wire twist throttles by now. Keep up the good work.

[@hearsejr]

Well.. on the rotary type. You can make a miniture reduction box... a housing with two or three gears that multiplies the rotation degrees, and make a simple push-pull pully with two short cables to the throttle pedal .. like a motorcycle throttle cable set up. It's really simple but hard to explain with a picture.

[@kentalanlee]

Yeah I hate linear pots. They always seem to get these weird sticking points.

[@hearsejr]

@kentalanlee lol what gave me the O'Dea was a friend has one arm and no hands. He got a fella to build a speed controller for his wood working saw speed controller. He had it set up so if he leans against a board on the table it speeds up.. the more he pushed against the board the faster it went. Originally it had a twist type know to control the speed but he needed his one arm and hook to push the boards and stuff through his saw. That was in 1979.

[@DaveTwo08]

What a mid-week treat, thanks Jimbo!

[@mattanderson111]

Hi Jimbo, can't you use the existing pot, and just make some 3d printed gearing to let a small throttle movement rotate the pot knob a full 270 degrees?

[@robotcantina8957]

Yes, that would work, but not everyone has a 3D printer. The other throttles I'm working on use off the shelf parts.

[@connorjones1485]

@@robotcantina8957most of us who aren’t really electronically savvy (like myself) but can do custom mechanical fab like this probably have a source for gears we could make work. I know I have a bolt bucket and a collection of used car parts that occasionally go to a metal recycling yard. Have a dead motorcycle too, could take some gears from the mid gear or stator/starter assembly and probably cobble something.

[@BillyBob-uc9zp]

Well done Mr Jimbo!. Cleverly done sir 😎

[@espenschjelderup426]

As a KZbin certified engine-nerd, you most likely will open a black hole if you overspeed the motor 🥸

[@robotcantina8957]

Lets hope that doesn't happen.... Next question is what happens if I divide by zero.... hmmm

[@espenschjelderup426]

@robotcantina8957 I think that would be to dangerous to try😱

[@2alawabidingcitzen]

Thanks jimbo happy Thanksgiving i still need my video for Sunday 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@robotcantina8957]

Have a good one!

[@billbayer5526]

I haven't watched whole video yet, but why not just make a little lever arm for the existing pot? Connect that with a cable to your throttle pedal? EDIT: Content. Yours is great! Thanks for what you do.

[@mattanderson111]

rotating between min/max is 270 degrees he said. But gearing it down with 3d printed gears on the gas pedal seems like a good solution.

[@ovidiufrasinel3185]

And use a wire instead of cable for a true "drive by wire" experience

[@Sludge73]

Happy Thanksgiving, Jimbo. Thanks for the video drop!

[@antoniovillanueva308]

I wanna fly like an beagle to the sea. Fly like an beagle, let my spirit carry me. I want to fly like an beagle 'til I'm free

[@robotcantina8957]

LOL, I hope that works out for you. Have a good one!

[@kentalanlee]

@@robotcantina8957 I hear that at Thanksgiving, people frequently combine the turkey with alcoholic beverages.

[@TheMamonti1]

Great job...... would pully sizing on the petroleum battery Help? Love the making it simple..... you will resurrect tons of old carts around the world as easy are you WILL make it! Brilliant!!

[@MostlyInteresting]

If you look at the whole power chain, coal mine to battery output. I suspect your set up is twice the efficiency.

[@robotcantina8957]

I reckon you are right!

[@mncrazy]

Waited all morning for video. . . Finally. Mint!

[@robotcantina8957]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@C-Henry]

I appreciate you trying to keep it a little more friendly to the mechanically inclined when digital solutions would be easier, not only does it make the early stages of the project easier to follow but it should provide an interesting comparison when you switch to more modern computer based solutions.

[@sp90009]

Very interesting project Jimbo. I imagine there are quite a few ways to improve it. Ultimately, you need only one throttle: say, you throttle the engine and have your electric transmission to automatically adjust. Or, it can be the other way around. Also, you can add a lithium battery, and make it into a hybrid, where the engine starts and shuts down automatically.