Open Source Electric Supercharger

[al3k]

Did the first run test today with no load, its loud AF but everything seems okay so far. I need to make a valve and mount a MAP and MAF sensor to test flow and boost.
Im running a single 6s 5000mah 60c now, but will probably need one more in paralell.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evEQOv2NseY[/ame]

[CY86]

awesome work!

[KroozX]

Good progress! Congrats!
Btw, with no restriction it's rather a full load working mode.

[al3k]

Thanx!

So having that small bearing I inserted was not upto the task, I have destroyed two allready, they lasted about 4-5 runs each. I was able to mount the whole thing without the bearing also by using a the inner "conductor" of the destroyed bearing as a spacer, so then I wont need to rely on the bearing anymore. But I still need to check if its stable.
Another bad thing is that last time the bearing got sheddered it also made the compressor wheel touch the housing so its a bit damaged, but they are "cheap" to replace.

[CY86]

Originally Posted by al3k

Thanx!

So having that small bearing I inserted was not upto the task, I have destroyed two allready, they lasted about 4-5 runs each. I was able to mount the whole thing without the bearing also by using a the inner "conductor" of the destroyed bearing as a spacer, so then I wont need to rely on the bearing anymore. But I still need to check if its stable.
Another bad thing is that last time the bearing got sheddered it also made the compressor wheel touch the housing so its a bit damaged, but they are "cheap" to replace.

what do you think is causing the bearings to fail? too much power? quality of bearing?

[al3k]

Originally Posted by CY86

what do you think is causing the bearings to fail?
too much power? quality of bearing?

Maybe bad quality bearings, or they just not ment to be used for high rpm and in combination with thrust load.
KroozX mention vibrations could be issue at certain rpms.
I hope to be able to run it without bearing or else I will try to get a a bigger size or something simular to what TP power motors use as those seems fine.

[churchx]

Maybe also heat / oiling?

[KroozX]

Originally Posted by churchx

Maybe also heat / oiling?

Motor's internal bearings work in same conditions with factory only oiling. Could probably be a bad quality of this external bearing, however what I'd check first is shaft alignment and vibration level. Only high RPMs should not be an issue on a short run.

[jflogerzi]

Keep up the good work!

[vfrqqq]

I was wondering if someone might be able to offer some help with a Phantom ESC controller box given that the designer/manufacture has closed up shop and is incommunicato and there is no information about the controller beyond what can be derived from pictures.

So what happened? I was recently changing out the dump batteries and accidentally arced the negative terminal of the starter battery across the 24v dump batteries when my wrench dropped out of my hands. When the wrench made the connection across the terminals, there were some sparks and smoke from the ESC controller before I could break the connection. I have since opened up the controller to see if there were any obvious signs of component failures and have so far come up empty. See the links below to pictures I took.

https://imgur.com/cwNaQal
https://imgur.com/7Wdku57

For the next picture, I removed the two left most blade connectors to get the thick black wires out of the way. It appears that the second one from the left melted the plastic housing of the terminal. The insulation on the black wire going across the terminals also appears to be melted a bit.

https://imgur.com/RFmMomv

The other observation I would note is that the sparks that came out of the controller box appeared to come out of the penetrations in the box where the dump battery cables go through. With that in mind, I have been wondering whether replacing the bank of four 35v, 1200 microfarad capacitors at the bottom of the box. It's been so long since I've thought about Kirchoff's rules and circuit theory that I'm not exactly sure what the implications of that are, simply from the stand point of where all the current went. Beyond that, I know nothing about how these voltage controllers work or have any other information about the Phantom ESC controller box.

Also, here's the video of what happens with the ESC controller box now when powered up.

It sounds pretty bad and the voltage display in on the dash fluctuates all over the place and sometimes settles at a steady ~32v or so.

So there you go. An, utterly stupid simple mistake that seems to have made what was an otherwise highly reliable and super fun ESC non-functional. I am open to any thoughts and suggestions on repairing or perhaps even replacing the ESC controller, as has been suggested by some folks on the Phantom ESC build thread.

[CY86]

is it possible to replace the controller box? or in a worst case scenario, just run it at WOT as it was originally made?

[Target70]

Originally Posted by CY86

is it possible to replace the controller box? or in a worst case scenario, just run it at WOT as it was originally made?

The control box for the phantom is also the battery charger. From my understanding, it was designed to shut off the charging function while operating the motor. Operating at WOT is fine but the signal will have to come from somewhere, so if the ESC is replaced, a stand alone battery charger will be required, along with a disable circuit so the alternator doesn't add engine load while the batteries are discharging. I think the phantom also has motor ramp-up for smoother boost engagement, and a polarity brake that acts like a bov for throttle lift-off and shifting. I don't know if any of these are common features for typical off the shelf ESC's.

[CY86]

Originally Posted by Target70

The control box for the phantom is also the battery charger. From my understanding, it was designed to shut off the charging function while operating the motor. Operating at WOT is fine but the signal will have to come from somewhere, so if the ESC is replaced, a stand alone battery charger will be required, along with a disable circuit so the alternator doesn't add engine load while the batteries are discharging. I think the phantom also has motor ramp-up for smoother boost engagement, and a polarity brake that acts like a bov for throttle lift-off and shifting. I don't know if any of these are common features for typical off the shelf ESC's.

then the poster is probably going to have the best of luck by cotnacting @fenton and asking for some help. perhaps he has some contact wtih r@robfett and he can provide him with a new controller.

It's a shame, since rob is not making these any more, that he doesn't give up the "secret sauces" for the ESC so other people can make their own. otehrwise, for the 1000+ bucks he was asking for them, it'd have been nice to be able to cop one. 3500 for the torqamp is a bit steep.

ah.. maybe torqamp can help as well with the controller if rob is unwilling to replace the part.

[vfrqqq]

Originally Posted by CY86

then the poster is probably going to have the best of luck by cotnacting @fenton and asking for some help. perhaps he has some contact wtih r@robfett and he can provide him with a new controller.

It's a shame, since rob is not making these any more, that he doesn't give up the "secret sauces" for the ESC so other people can make their own. otehrwise, for the 1000+ bucks he was asking for them, it'd have been nice to be able to cop one. 3500 for the torqamp is a bit steep.

ah.. maybe torqamp can help as well with the controller if rob is unwilling to replace the part.

Yes, it is a cryin' shame that robftss isn't making or supporting the Phantom ESC anymore. I have been unsuccessful in making contact with either robftss or fenton, which is consistent with a number of others experiences. If I had to guess, it seems the Phantom ESC tech was either purchased by someone or there was perhaps some legal action related to patent infringement. Whatever the case, there has been complete silence regarding my numerous requests for support and/or a replacement part so I am considering that a dead end.

I considered purchasing someone else's entire system just to get the controller box and perhaps have a bin of spares laying around, but the price point for the performance gain with this system was the main driver for my decision to invest the money, faith, and patience in the first place *trying not to cry*. As such, getting a new system sorta defeats the purpose of the low price point.

Anyway, if there isn't some sort of obvious "duh " fix for my error or something that could serve as a drop in replacement for a reasonable amount of money, I will just likely put my system up for sale for anyone interested in tinkering with it. I just wanted to see if there wasn't a relatively simple and straightforward solution before giving up entirely.