Geof, I think some of your ponderings are possible.#1 E-Tec motors have very low inductance and need special controllers. Running 2 motors in parallel will half the inductance and might cause premature controller failure. #2 Running a motor on each wheel, while wired in parallel, will cause difficult steering as the slower inside tire/motor will now try and draw more current thus making the turn more difficult.
#3 I believe the motors in series is better. This would add the inductance (more controller friendly) and provide an electrical version of a differential making turning easier than the parallel motor method. Negative of the series arrangement is that you need twice the motors voltage rating...if each motor is rated at 24v then you need a 48v battery supply. At times this arrangement can supply 48v to a 24v motor but with softstart circuits in the controller, the motors should not be damaged (an extreme case would be if one tire was kept from spinning and the other tire was free to rotate then 48v would go to the free spinning motor and might cause its armature to fly appart).
#4 I don't believe the spinning blades would have much of an effect on turning.
All of the above takes into consideration that the front tires have a steering wheel mechanically connected to the front tires. If you were thinking of front caster wheels for steering then you probably need a separate controller for each rear drive motor with the throttles mechanically linked...more power to right motor for left turns, more power to left motor for right turns, and equal power to both motors to go straight.
Hope this helps Tim ThompsonG DFO-MPO GC CA wrote:
Hey guysHere is something to think about. 1) Could two PM motors be run off one controller. (For example could to B&S E-Tek motors be run from on Altrax AXE)? 2) would this make a good rear end for a "new tractor" one motor on theleft and one on the right going opposite directions? 3) which would work better the motors in series or parallel? 4) would the "flywheel effect" that happens in the mowers help or hinder thetractor as it made a turn? Just some things to ponder. Geof Thompson_______________________________________________ Elec-trak mailing list Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak