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Gil,<br>
<br>
Actually, every brushed DC motor has regen capabilities. Essentially
all that is needed is a relay<br>
to switch the input to the motor off and then the output of the motor
which is now a generator to the charging ckt.<br>
<br>
marv<br>
<br>
Gil Dawson wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:p0624082dc46a800f6c83@%5B66.134.166.117%5D"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Here's my impression:
Choosing a design with AC vs DC generators is very similar to the
design choice of Alternator vs Generator in an ICE car. An
alternator's AC output is rectified with diodes to drive the charging
buss.
The reason DC motors don't show up with regen very often might be
because the controller for a DC motor is relatively simple, and so
appeals to the individual car builder. The controller for an AC
motor, howevr, is relatively sophisticated yet permits more precise
control of the car's handling. AC controllers, therefore, would
appeal more to designers in a competitive market who can recover
their engineering costs over thousands of units sold.
You could theoretically add regen features to the design of a DC
Controler, but then the controler would cost more, pricing it out of
the homebrew market. Adding regen capability to an AC controller
would presumably add a smaller proportion to the cost, yet produce a
feature that is known to the public and can be used in marketing the
car.
Regen isn't worth a whole lot, anyway. Individuals can build a fine
car without it.
It's interesting how this division between AC and DC favoring
distinct design goals echoes the arguments between Tesla and Edison
between AC and DC for electrical distribution standards. Edison
favored DC, which would have led to an industry of many independent
local power plants each with its own distribution system. Tesla
favored AC, which led to an integrated transmission system, and power
plants could be located practically anyplace. Edison wanted
customers for his products. Tesla wanted to light up the world.
--Gil
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</pre>
</blockquote>
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