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Electric Imp Testing Log

April 17, 2003, Thursday - Testing Begins.
April 18, 2003, Friday - It's the batteries, stupid!
April 19, 2003, Saturday - Small Steps.
May 5, 2003, Monday - Keeping the Motor from Braking.
May 6, 2003, Tuesday - Slowing with Regenerative Braking.
May 8, 2003, Thursday - Better Regen.
May 9, 2003, Friday - The first test drive.
May 10, 2003, Saturday - Upping the Amps 1.
May 12, 2003, Monday - Upping the Amps 2.
May 13, 2003, Tuesday - Upping the Amps 3.
May 14, 2003, Wednesday - The pack is put on charge.
May 15, 2003, Thursday- Slow Going.
May 20, 2003, Tuesday - Battery Killing.
June 2, 2003, Monday - Onward.
June 5, 2003, Thursday - Another battery bites the dust.
June 7, 2003, Saturday - Checking the charge.
June 10, 2003, Tuesday - Darwin thins the herd.
June 11, 2003, Wednesday - 10 mile run.
June 13, 2003, Friday - Getting the motors to work together.
June 16, 2003, Monday - Balancing the motor draws.
June 17, 2003, Tuesday - Align the car.
June 21, 2003, Saturday - One step forward, one back.


Junel, 2003 - April, 2004

Continued Testing : With continued testing we have learned much about the limits of our battery pack. Since the pack is old and of mixed batches, these conclusions are not applicable to a new pack of Hawker Cyclons.

We have seen that exercising the pack does seem to bring back some capacity. We have also seen that if you drive the pack while watching one of the lowest batteries and are gentle on the throttle, you will have warning before a cell dies. Which cell is lowest changes with state of charge and perhaps rate of discharge so it is difficult to be sure you are watching the right battery. Most importantly, with the pack freshly charged and under hard acceleration, it is not necessary the lowest capacity battery that fails first, so watching the weaker capacity voltage will not keep you from killing a battery.

It is the last point that makes us decide we have invested enough time in this pack. We had hoped we might be able to try some autocross with this pack but when we try and pull anything over 150 amps from the batteries, a battery dies.

We can do nothing with the car until we decide on a battery pack.


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