Sparrow Watthours per Mile (was Watts/Mile)

["Thomas Shay" <tshay@ix.netcom.com>]

I've wondered for some time how much power might
be wasted by the drivebelt system at highway speeds.
With any belt system significant power is consumed
at high speeds by the rapid bending and straightening
of the belt.  I've read nothing about how that might
affect the Sparrow.

Another question that might be worth exploring is how
a Sparrow's watthours per mile is affected by speed. It
should be easy enough to measure and calculate at 
various speeds.  Perhaps a considerable improvement
in range might be gained by driving at the speed that uses
the least watthours per mile.  

Tom Shay

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jerry dycus" <jerry5335@yahoo.com>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 4:06 AM
Subject: Re: Watts/Mile


>        Hi John and All,
>          Your w/hr mile seems high for a small EV. 
>        One thing raising it on the Sparrow is the rear
> end body curves. You could drop your high speed aero
> drag, w/hrs by putting a 1/4" high little spoiler
> around the aft body just before it turns to the
> center, looks about a foot forward of the rear from
> the pics. Notice they changed it on the new ones.
>       A good way to test this is to make some thin
> wooden wedges and tape them on in different distances
> from the rear to see where works best.
>       Not only will this cut drag but should help
> handle side gusts, semi's air wakes better.
>       I'd think you should be running 150 w/hr mile or
> less for the size, weight of the Sparrow.
>      Besides the rear aero I wonder where the rest of
> the w/hrs go? Maybe some drag reduction work is what
> you, all Sparrow owners need. 
>       
> --- "John G. Lussmyer" <Cougar@CasaDelGato.Com> wrote:
> > At 03:35 PM 6/29/2002 -0700, Rich Rudman wrote:
> > >The new 15 amp 120 volt outlets on the Tacoma class
> > ferry( Siemans 4.4
> 
> > Not from the 15 amp circuit on the Ferry they
> > haven't.  Remember, Sparrows 
> > have Zivan chargers that suck around 19 amps.
>        Could you turn down your Zivan some?
>       Lee's PFC trick and maybe a surge protector/
> current limiter inline if the PFC isn't enough.
>       Most ships use a minimium size of wire so you
> may be able to just change the outlet to 20 amp/ 120
> vac outlet and the fuse. 
>       Also the second recepticle on the outlet  may be
> the second leg of the 220vac circuit. Go from hot to
> hot with a voltmeter and see. I do this on my outside,
> garage outlets.
>        Another is they make circuit breakers to
> directly replace some regular fuses may help. 
> > 
> > Yeah, but since a Sparrow is a bike, you don't
> > usually bother showing up 
> > early for the boat, so you don't wait more than a
> > couple of minutes in the 
>      Maybe you should? Take your paper, ect and read
> it there while charging. Would double your battery
> life.
> 
> > lot.  Plugging in there would be a waste of time. 
> > On the boat, my I'd 
> > normally have about 20 minutes of possible charging
> > time.  Would drawing 
> > 12A (to be safe) for 20 minutes from a 120V outlet
> > be worth the effort?
>     12 amp at 120 vac is 1440 x 75% eff is about 1100
> watts for about 400 watt/hrs. Not a lot but maybe the
> difference in the winter. I would use it anyway to
> extend the batteries life.
>     Don't forget possible grants/ tax credits that the
> ferry company can get to install EV charging stations
> both on land or ferry. Research that for them, they
> might go for it if handed to them..
> > 
> > >  Also.... the Ranger towing the Fiesta is over 20
> > Ft and exacts a $45
> > >charge. Either one alone costs about 6.50 with a
> > commuter ticket Book.
>      Rich, drive them hitched to the ferry, unhitch
> them and drive them seperately on/ off the ferry
> yourself if possible.
> 
> > 
> 
> > Still cheaper than a car though, AND I don't have to
> > wait in line.
>       Same at Disney World. Motorcycles are directed
> to a parking lot at the main gate. Cars have to park
> up to 2 miles away.  
>                    jerry dycus
> > 
> > --
> > John G. Lussmyer      mailto:Cougar@CasaDelGato.Com
> > Dragons soar and Tigers prowl while I dream.... 
> > http://www.CasaDelGato.com
> > 
> 
> 
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