Ouch... that sounds expensive at that wattage (up to 2.5kw)! Can you explain more (or paste his response)? Lee Hart is an EV guru, but there has to be a better way!
Russco charger... a problem with the GFCI tripping despite
> doing
> > all of the things Russ has told and all of the things the
> guys in my
> > FVEAA group have told me. Russ said you isolated the
> batteries from
> > your battery box with a polyproplene box. Could you explain
> this to
> > me more.
> >
> > As you know, the Russco is a non-isolated charger. There is a
> direct
> > path from the "hot" AC input to the DC output. If there is
> any path
> > from anything in the high voltage wiring to chassis ground
> > (batteries, motor, controller; anything), it will trip the GFCI.
> >
> > I've been building and driving EVs for years. I have found
> that no
> > matter how hard you try, flooded batteries will always develop a
> > conductive acidic film. The carbon dust from brush wear in a
> motor
> > will also form a conductive film. So, ground faults are
> inevitable.
> >
> > I have switched to isolated chargers for this reason. It's
> not hard.
> > You can add an isolation transformer ahead of the Russco, and no
> > more GFCI tripping. But, this is a 20-30 lbs transformer that
> will
> > cost $100 or so. The one I used is a toroid that weighs 23
> lbs and
> > costs $75 (let me know if you want one).
> >
> > The other option is thoroughly insulate the batteries from
> ground.
> > My previous EV had a metal battery box with with flooded golf
> cart
> > batteries. I got some 10 mil polyethylene sheet, and folded it to
> > make a "bathtub" liner for the battery box. By folding up the
> > corners, it would hold water without leaks. That's what you
> want to
> > be sure there are no holes.
> >
> > I installed *two* of these liners (insurance; in case one
> leaked). I
> > punched a hole in the center, and installed a plastic pipe nipple
> > that went through the battery box and out the bottom of the car.
> > This was so I could wash down the batteries, and the water would
> > drain out the bottom without ever touching the metal battery box.
> >
> > Then I lined the battery box with 1/2" thick white "bead board"
> > styrafoam (for insulation, and to take up the extra space so the
> > batteries were tightly wedged in place). These batteries were
> used
> > for 7 years, and never developed any leakage to ground.
> >
> > For my present EV, I had a plastics company make me a 5-sided box
> > out of 1/4" thick polyethylene, plus a lid with a 1" flange
> around
> > the sides. This sits in my battery racks, which are made of
> 1.25" x
> > 1/8" thick angle iron. Again, with flooded batteries I have
> had zero
> > problems with leakage current from the batteries.
> >
> > The motor is another story. It is inevitably grounded, so all you
> > can do is blow it out with compressed air once in a while when it
> > accumulated carbon dust, dirty water from the road, or other
> > contaminants.
> >
> > Hope this helps!
