I wish I could have done this but I am woefully deficient. In teaching this picture would be an anticipatory set and I borrowed it from Google Images. It's to get your attention.
Possibly now you will follow this story and see the somewhat less attractive but probably more humorous project done by my class.
Possibly now you will follow this story and see the somewhat less attractive but probably more humorous project done by my class.
In the middle of all the hoopla about the major vehicle manufacturers efforts to create hybrid vehicles one person did it years ago. Mother Earth Magazine used to do articles similar to this on a regular basis. I read this article in the early eighties:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-transportation/electric-car-conversion-zmaz79jazraw.aspx#axzz2xyqLxjG4
I was teaching special education at New Caney High School when I got the opportunity to do something similar. I suppose it’s time to say some things that everyone really knows. The first is that not everyone is going to college. The second is that everyone can learn something.
The original special education law demanded individualization and this was the perfect project. All sorts of skill levels were required.
The No Child Left Behind act required paperwork and inclusion. In a practical sense that means put the kids in a regular education class where they are reminded daily that they are different and substandard. My personal feeling at the time was that we had become too expensive. I probably couldn't do this today. Whatever, there were a bunch of skills I was required to teach on many levels. Making a hybrid vehicle allowed me to hit them all. Science and Technology. Ya gotta love it.
I had watched the turnover at the top and decided to ask just before I anticipated the principal would leave for his next job. This oversimplifies the political scene. A better view can be had here. Just cut and paste to your browser:
http://www.grangerlandrfd.com/special-education-classes-cant-do-that.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-transportation/electric-car-conversion-zmaz79jazraw.aspx#axzz2xyqLxjG4
I was teaching special education at New Caney High School when I got the opportunity to do something similar. I suppose it’s time to say some things that everyone really knows. The first is that not everyone is going to college. The second is that everyone can learn something.
The original special education law demanded individualization and this was the perfect project. All sorts of skill levels were required.
The No Child Left Behind act required paperwork and inclusion. In a practical sense that means put the kids in a regular education class where they are reminded daily that they are different and substandard. My personal feeling at the time was that we had become too expensive. I probably couldn't do this today. Whatever, there were a bunch of skills I was required to teach on many levels. Making a hybrid vehicle allowed me to hit them all. Science and Technology. Ya gotta love it.
I had watched the turnover at the top and decided to ask just before I anticipated the principal would leave for his next job. This oversimplifies the political scene. A better view can be had here. Just cut and paste to your browser:
http://www.grangerlandrfd.com/special-education-classes-cant-do-that.html
You can see the top of the air conditioners in this picture. The pavement beside that is where we worked. There was no shop and no funds. I was not by myself. The auto shop teacher and the welding teacher were silent accomplices. It would have been tough doing this without them. Before I was transferred to special ed we were all in Career and Technology Education together.
Anyone who knows me would realize that I am less than capable with some skills. More than capable with others. Just find folks who are capable and it’s just as good.
Anyone who knows me would realize that I am less than capable with some skills. More than capable with others. Just find folks who are capable and it’s just as good.
I found a motor at Burdens Surplus Salvage and talked Sally into buying it for my birthday. That was something that should have been the most expensive part of the project. It was under $100.
A google image that could just as easily have been mine. While totally minding my own business I ran across a derelict VW at a used car lot a short distance from my school. I went inside and spoke to the owner. He was a former Marine that loved kids.
Once a Marine, always a Marine. I had been a Navy Corpsman. The two corps have shared so many wars that one has to be really obnoxious to not get along well with the other. Any grunts or FMFers out there? Semper Fi. For that reason more than my wonderful personality, he gave us the car.
Once a Marine, always a Marine. I had been a Navy Corpsman. The two corps have shared so many wars that one has to be really obnoxious to not get along well with the other. Any grunts or FMFers out there? Semper Fi. For that reason more than my wonderful personality, he gave us the car.
I loved the price and towed it home. Mama was delighted to see that I had managed to further lower the property value by parking a dumpster in the yard. Our daughter called it a BBQ pit. I had thought that would happen and it hastened the availability of funds to get the project moving. I started stripping the derelict a lot at home. I think I might still be stripping if not for the welding class. Amazing how fast a cutting torch works.
Advertisement from Google Images I found an adapter that was pretty cheap from an outfit named Wilderness EV.
Theirs fit between a VW clutch and the motor. That allows the motor to spool up before being engaged. You can do the same thing with electric or centrifugal clutches like those found on automotive AC compressors or go-karts. This cost less than $200 and allowed you to convert a VW to drive like it usually did. We were ready to build an electric car when something even better popped up.
Theirs fit between a VW clutch and the motor. That allows the motor to spool up before being engaged. You can do the same thing with electric or centrifugal clutches like those found on automotive AC compressors or go-karts. This cost less than $200 and allowed you to convert a VW to drive like it usually did. We were ready to build an electric car when something even better popped up.
I thought we were going to wind up with a chassis that looked like this. We had a motor now plus the adapter kit from wilderness EV. Should be a real piece of cake. About the only thing missing was the steering wheel that some kind soul had removed at the car lot. What was left was pretty worn.
One of my friends left the Houston area and went to PA. He couldn’t take a lot of the junk he accumulated and gifted me with a 1978(?) GS1100E. I asked the kids if they wanted to make a car or a trike. The trike was selected almost without dissent. The actual bike is beside my truck a couple pictures up. It really did not look this good. We actually had the bike before we totally stripped the car.
That put us where we needed to be. I had a free car and a free bike to convert into a trike. I had about 20 kids who could hardly contain themselves and I had permission to do the work.
That same principal actually stayed for that year also so I didn’t have to worry about someone else coming in and shutting me down. And that was probably not even the most important thing. I had auto mechanics classes and welding classes who were almost as eager to help. A lot of those kids had taken my technology classes and wanted to show me that they were good workers outside the classroom.
That put us where we needed to be. I had a free car and a free bike to convert into a trike. I had about 20 kids who could hardly contain themselves and I had permission to do the work.
That same principal actually stayed for that year also so I didn’t have to worry about someone else coming in and shutting me down. And that was probably not even the most important thing. I had auto mechanics classes and welding classes who were almost as eager to help. A lot of those kids had taken my technology classes and wanted to show me that they were good workers outside the classroom.
Now some of you may be wondering what engineering house designed the tube frame under this thing. I confess, it was me.
Or else it was a gate from tractor supply that was pressed into service. You choose your version of reality.
The automotive shop pulled the engine and using the adapter kit from Wilderness EV connected the electric motor to the transmission. That meant that it was time to go to work again for my kids and me. You can see that the faces are blurred. That is for the protection of certain guilty “teen engineers”.
Obviously this also partially answered the problem of not having a shop. Jerk the project home at night.
Or else it was a gate from tractor supply that was pressed into service. You choose your version of reality.
The automotive shop pulled the engine and using the adapter kit from Wilderness EV connected the electric motor to the transmission. That meant that it was time to go to work again for my kids and me. You can see that the faces are blurred. That is for the protection of certain guilty “teen engineers”.
Obviously this also partially answered the problem of not having a shop. Jerk the project home at night.
You just cannot travel around much without a seat. I just happened to have a fine swing on my porch. Mama didn’t care and was probably wondering how she managed to get stuck with this loser. She just smiled and asked me questions about my life insurance policy.
As you can see, the head of the trike is mounted in a trailer here instead of the truck.
That’s because life was becoming extremely complicated and confusing. Between teaching full time, doing air conditioning part time, and this project, I needed a cube van to carry all my tools and parts. I did this so I could go home and park the trike-in-a-trailer, take my truck and go on.
That’s because life was becoming extremely complicated and confusing. Between teaching full time, doing air conditioning part time, and this project, I needed a cube van to carry all my tools and parts. I did this so I could go home and park the trike-in-a-trailer, take my truck and go on.
Floorboards. Ya gotta have em. Metal rusts badly when left outside. Wood rots in this climate. We cut the wood and fiberglassed the bottom. Then we installed the floorboard and glassed the top.
Next I did some damage to my Sam’s card by buying two marine batteries and the heaviest battery jumper cables I could find.
Caution - technobabble follows: The motor was rated at 28 volts. We found a generator with the same voltage rating but less power. It was the size that the Mother Earth article had used with a 5hp lawn mower engine for onboard charging. If I stayed at 28 volts my range was limited by how much gas I bought for the 5hp charging engine.
The motor was actually capable of running on 48 volts if I managed the heat. Epoxy and bolts to the motor chassis for heat sinks would accomplish that. Likewise a ducted 12v squirrel cage would keep the air moving. If I recall correctly the squirrel cage was less than $20 and the charging engine less than $100.
Caution - technobabble follows: The motor was rated at 28 volts. We found a generator with the same voltage rating but less power. It was the size that the Mother Earth article had used with a 5hp lawn mower engine for onboard charging. If I stayed at 28 volts my range was limited by how much gas I bought for the 5hp charging engine.
The motor was actually capable of running on 48 volts if I managed the heat. Epoxy and bolts to the motor chassis for heat sinks would accomplish that. Likewise a ducted 12v squirrel cage would keep the air moving. If I recall correctly the squirrel cage was less than $20 and the charging engine less than $100.
My charging generator. For immediate use I avoided the expensive relays and made a connector from the battery charging clamps and beaten copper tubing. It didn’t arc because it started under no load. Because I had a clutch I did not need to turn it off and on nearly so often. Running around a parking lot is also far easier on a vehicle than traffic. Shunt wound motors are also generators. The motors could have changed roles and things would still work.
The double discs on the front of the Suzuki worked more than adequately for brakes. For rear brakes I intended to use the electric motor. If you install a diode in a second circuit the motor becomes a generator when you reverse the flow. All the pro’s call this a regenerative breaking system.
You could easily use the clutch and shift levers from the seat. We built a handlebar that really was more of a tiller like the early cars used. Standard plumbing galvanized pipe is almost the same size as a Japanese handlebar.
You could easily use the clutch and shift levers from the seat. We built a handlebar that really was more of a tiller like the early cars used. Standard plumbing galvanized pipe is almost the same size as a Japanese handlebar.
This young lady managed the class while I managed the project. An essential factor. We worked together for six years and became family.
When we were hooking up the wiring we provided the entertainment for the school television crew.
When we connected the motor to the battery, the wires became hot and it didn’t budge. It had been sitting forever (since WW2?). We tried again and gave it a bump start. It started and ran perfectly from then on. With 3-4 weeks left in the school year we had accomplished most of what we were after. I started leaving it home more than taking it in. I gave my granddaughters rides around the “ranchito”.
When we were hooking up the wiring we provided the entertainment for the school television crew.
When we connected the motor to the battery, the wires became hot and it didn’t budge. It had been sitting forever (since WW2?). We tried again and gave it a bump start. It started and ran perfectly from then on. With 3-4 weeks left in the school year we had accomplished most of what we were after. I started leaving it home more than taking it in. I gave my granddaughters rides around the “ranchito”.
Ran across this very early picture that shows just how cluttered the truck and my mind were during this project. I figured phase I was finished. Phase II which consisted of a body, real seats, lights, and charging system as a minimum. That would wait till next year. It would probably be done mostly at home as it would tend to be much more technical.
I don’t know how many mpg this could have achieved. The Mother Earth article had the Opel GT getting 75. The VW title weight was 1800 pounds. The Opel GT is listed in Wikipedia as 1860 lbs. The trike couldn’t have been much more than half that. I expect the trike could have made 100mpg even with the rough aerodynamics.
But it was not to be. With about 2 weeks remaining I took it in for some minor stuff at the welding shop. When done for the day I went out to drive it home. Now finding neutral was one of our shutdown procedures and we had not forgotten. Someone had put it in second gear in the parking lot. I started home, towing it at 55 mph plus. About 3-4 miles into the trip something went bang. The motor was falling off the transmission. The aluminum adapters were trash. Second gear was gone and others gears made strange noises. Totally avoidable had we been allowed to use one of the available shops.
I don’t know how many mpg this could have achieved. The Mother Earth article had the Opel GT getting 75. The VW title weight was 1800 pounds. The Opel GT is listed in Wikipedia as 1860 lbs. The trike couldn’t have been much more than half that. I expect the trike could have made 100mpg even with the rough aerodynamics.
But it was not to be. With about 2 weeks remaining I took it in for some minor stuff at the welding shop. When done for the day I went out to drive it home. Now finding neutral was one of our shutdown procedures and we had not forgotten. Someone had put it in second gear in the parking lot. I started home, towing it at 55 mph plus. About 3-4 miles into the trip something went bang. The motor was falling off the transmission. The aluminum adapters were trash. Second gear was gone and others gears made strange noises. Totally avoidable had we been allowed to use one of the available shops.
Now you may have come to the belief that yours truly is not too bright. I cannot argue with that opinion. But I wasn’t so dense that I was going to pay to recreate that trike after this. I was devastated. So were the kids. For many of them it was the first thing they had ever taken part in that was successful. A lot of them had anger management problems even without any good reason. They were really hacked off now. It was a tough two weeks waiting for school to end.
The project convinced me that I didn’t want to do another year without some sort of special project. The next year we had an influx of new kids who couldn’t work outside the classroom without fighting. I started doing projects that I could accomplish inside a classroom (hanging gardens/hovercraft/trebuchet/parade float firetruck/homemade solar panels etc). I retired at the end of that year. Both years were magic but they are over.
Part of that project hung around for a while. The rear wheels are on this beautiful Surfer Girl S-10 in Florida. Their job now is to carry the truck over the sand without getting stuck.
The motors are still in my shop and could be resurrected easily. I may leave that to others. The motors are more likely to become used for emergency power if I put a dc pump on my well. Anything that I do now will probably focus on the farm. Electric tractor anyone?
I taught as a civilian for about 20 years but the Electric Trike year will always be special.
The project convinced me that I didn’t want to do another year without some sort of special project. The next year we had an influx of new kids who couldn’t work outside the classroom without fighting. I started doing projects that I could accomplish inside a classroom (hanging gardens/hovercraft/trebuchet/parade float firetruck/homemade solar panels etc). I retired at the end of that year. Both years were magic but they are over.
Part of that project hung around for a while. The rear wheels are on this beautiful Surfer Girl S-10 in Florida. Their job now is to carry the truck over the sand without getting stuck.
The motors are still in my shop and could be resurrected easily. I may leave that to others. The motors are more likely to become used for emergency power if I put a dc pump on my well. Anything that I do now will probably focus on the farm. Electric tractor anyone?
I taught as a civilian for about 20 years but the Electric Trike year will always be special.
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