Help choosing a controller that can Regen/Plug break

[voodoocr]

Hi all,

Clubcar DS powerdrive 48V
AMD 7119 (Bad Boy) Series Motor
Curtis 1205-203 350A controller

Recently my controller died and looking at a replacement either Altrax or Navitas 31966 440A. But open to other suggestions.

I need to have some regen/plug braking facility as I live in hilly place and don't trust my brakes 100%. From what I read series motors are not able to regen properly so I guess plug breaking is my only option ?.

On the old Curtis mentioned above I was able to slow the cart down by switching the lever in reverse and applying the accelerator a little to stop.

I wish to upgrade to something a bit more up to date so any suggestions would welcome.

[Sergio]

Plug brake is nice, I love my pedal brake activated Regenerative brake on my Sepex Precedent.

Alltrax has not made Series Controller with plug brake capability since the SPB model and I don't think Navitas supports plug brake either.

If the Controller You are looking at does not have a "A2" terminal, it does not support plug brake.

Maybe You can still find old inventory of the Alltrax SPB for sale which would be the best option.

[simicrintz]

Not to sound too stupid or hijack the thread, but can you give me a quick understanding of what regen/plug braking is? Thank you!!!

[Fairtax4me]

Navitas does make a few Plug brake controllers, but they don't really list them on golf cart sites because they tend to be used more for industrial machine applications. Their CTL series controllers have a similar design and footprint to a Curtis 1204/05 controller. They have easy external adjustments for acceleration rate, as well as plug brake current. 48v and up to 600A. https://www.navitasvs.com/ctlseries


You might consider changing over to a Sepex system as that will open up a whole range of controllers, motors, and can be tailored to exactly the way you want the cart to work.
Or you might also consider getting a Front brake kit.

[Fairtax4me]

Originally Posted by simicrintz

Not to sound too stupid or hijack the thread, but can you give me a quick understanding of what regen/plug braking is? Thank you!!!

Regen and Plug Braking are really two separate things.
Plug Braking is basically forcing current through the motor while it is still spinning in the wrong direction. It only applies to Series motors/controllers and is used to slow down the rotation of the motor when it is given throttle to go the opposite way. So the vehicle is rolling forward, you can apply throttle in reverse to use the motor to slow the vehicle, and in some cases even bring it to a stop. This is normally VERY bad for a controller and motor, because it reverses the current flow through the field windings and the armature in the motor, it creates a very high amount of voltage in the motor and will simply cause the motor to lock up. But it also creates a very high amount of heat in both the motor and controller and if the armature is then held in a stalled position it will fry the motor and or controller in a very short time.
Plug braking redirects some of that energy through a circuit of the controller that is designed to dissipate that energy without causing damage to the motor or controller. Most of it is lost to heat because of the resistance of the circuit. This action actually uses more energy, and None of it is returned to the pack. Plug Braking does not regenerate any energy. Only certain controllers are designed to operate this way.


Regen Braking is done only by Sepex or Shunt wind motors/controllers.
Regen braking applies a small current to the field windings to turn the motor into a generator. While the motor is spinning, sending a small amount of current through the field windings induces an electrical field in the armature that can be used to slow the armature speed down and is used to create energy that is fed back to the battery pack.

[Sergio]

Plug brake is not bad for the motor since the controller is not trying to drive in the opposite direction, it is instead modulating the current around the Armature to keep the voltage from rising (that is why it needs a connection to A2).

More information here:

https://alltraxinc.com/wp-content/up...ug-Braking.pdf

[simicrintz]

I feel like I am now hijacking, so please let me know if I should start another thread (but maybe this will help the OP also?).

In my case I have a Curtis 1268 Sepex controller; does that automatically mean I have Regen braking? I have not installed anything yet (waiting on wiring harness) but interested.

[simicrintz]

Think I found my answer; sorry for any hijack!

[voodoocr]

Sounds like I'm better off buying a replacement 1205M-203 so I can have plug breaking again. They appear hard to find in the USA and I don't want to buy a Chinese shipped one if I can help it.

Problem is I have a (5K-0) pot and I would like to have option to buy any 1204/1205 with an A2 busbar to give me plug breaking such as the 1205M-5603 or 1205M-5605 which is 500A but 0-5K pot !.

Surely it can't be too difficult to change the pedal wiring so that the wiper does 0-5K instead by inverting the endpoints of the pot ? Anybody know if this is doabble ?

[Sergio]

First be careful, Club Car has never made a cart with a 5k-0Ω throttle.

The Club Car throttle that folks commonly refer to as "5k-0Ω" is a 3-wire throttle and Curtis uses the terminology "5k-0Ω" to refer to a 2-wire throttle.

Those throttles, VGlide or Pot box can be easily modified to provide the proper signal as long as You know how the Controller You bought has been pre-programmed.

With that being said, stay away from "BU" as they have no clue how their shipped controllers have been programmed and it usually causes a lot of stress getting it working due to the bad information they provide.

Also, if You get a pre-programmed 1205M "5k-0Ω" throttle, make sure they program the extra terminal for reduced reverse input if you plan on using it since it is tricky to provide reduced throttle signal on a 2-wire 5k-0Ω throttle.