Rob ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 19:09:22 +0000 From: Robert Troll <roberttroll hotmail com> To: "elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu" <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu> Subject: Re: (ET) Zero Turn Electric Mower Conversion Message-ID: <BLU179-W6025EF3FC26C326F379A49BAF60 phx gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"Early Dixon "z-drive" zero turns used a mechanical cone clutch drive. Might be an option if hydraulics is not.
One drive motor on each of the rear wheels, with individual controllers is also another option. Was that how the electric-ox worked? Not sure.
Or you could re-power an existing hydro drive and deck with a mars type pancake motor. A few guys have done that by simply using a double pulley arrangement.
The real issue with any repower of existing equipment is finding room for batteries.
Hi Guys, I've just joined your list, I was directed to your list by the electric boat guys. I blew up the engine on my 15 year old 42" riding mower. I really want a zero turn mower to replace it, but those are expensive.Looking at my old one I could just get a new engine, but for the price of anew 21 hp motor I might as well just buy a new mower. Instead I was thinking of converting my old mower into a zero turn with electric drivemotors. To drive the blades I would get a new 12-15 hp gas motor. Looking at what I have now it looks like I could use the frame and deck from the old mower by turning it around backwards, removing the old rear drive wheels and transmission (which would now be the front) and putting casters there. Then I would mount a new axle/drive wheels driven by electric motors on what wasthe front of the old mower. I looked at some scooter motors available onthe net, but it looks like the biggest ones are about 1 KW. I'm not sure ifthis will be enough drive power, although my yard is level so it might be. I figure the mower with me on it will probably be around 500 lbs. Also, I assume I would need two controllers because each wheel has to be individually controllable, or are there controllers with two channels? Thanks, Jerry Barth -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: <http://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mhonarc/elec-trak/attachments/20131104/1d3b9be5/attachment.html>------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Elec-trak mailing list Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak End of Elec-trak Digest, Vol 11, Issue 188 ******************************************
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------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 14:20:00 -0500 From: "Pieter Litchfield" <pieter_litch yahoo com> To: "'Robert'" <euclid delhitel net>, <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu> Subject: Re: (ET) zero turn Message-ID: <03e201ced992$dbcf4690$936dd3b0$@com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I think the comments about hydraulics using power below are correct. However a combination of variable displacement pumps and motors provides infinite speed and torque control (and reverse). But it takes a lot of HP to run the pumps. Electric (would have to be single mechanical speed) could be done if you used two ET motors (1 on each wheel) with a 200amp controller (like Alltrax for ET) for each wheel. A fairly dumb little controller like an arduino could translate joystick movement into inputs for the controllers on each wheel. This setup would allow the required ability to reverse a wheel to get a zero radius turn. As to mowing power, you could always adapt an old ET front mower deck to work with your zero radius mower. If not wide enough, maybe make a 4 motor version of the same deck? If you must use gas to spin the mower, it would be fun to add an alternator to the setup and recharge your batteries whenever the gas engine was in use, thus providing a hybrid power supply.