Turquoise Energy Ltd. Catalogue


1. Electric Hubcap Motor Kit
2. Electric Hubcap Motor Parts
3. Turquoise Motor Controller, kit, parts
4. Handy Battery Sticks: Assemble Big nickel-metal hydride batteries the easy way
5. Sodium Sulfate for Lead-Acid Battery Longevity and Renewal
6. LED Lighting Products


To order from this catalog, please send e-mail to:

Craig Carmichael
craig @saers.com

Your purchases from Turquoise Energy support Turquoise Energy R & D!

First Posted: April 29th 2009
Latest Revision: October 20th 2011


1. Motor Kits

Electric Hubcap Motor Kit*: $499

(Electric Weel motor kits are not yet available.)

*The required epoxy resin and supermagnets are not included in the motor kit. Supermagnets can be ordered on line from a number of sources. Epoxy resin is commonly available.

A "complete" kit (epoxy and supermagnets not included), and all the special parts individually, are available below to make building them as simple as:

* epoxy the supermagnets onto the rotor
* wire up the coils (soldering recommended)
* assemble it.

The parts of the Electric Hubcap motor kit
(The black body parts shown, of sturdy polpropylene-epoxy, come predrilled and painted with heat resistant polyurethane. Coils come unwired.)

CAUTION: These motors are designed to run up to 2000 RPM. They can attain a dangerously high RPM with the risk of violent failure. Until this is rectified by a future microprocessor-based motor controller, 36 volts is the maximum supply voltage, and RPM should be carefully monitored.


2. Electric Hubcap, Electric Weel Motor Parts

Brief Specs/Description: 36 volts - 130 amps - 5 KW - axial flux - 0-2000 RPM - shortest (circular) wire winding lengths - high efficiency toroidal iron powder coil cores - BLDC with FeNdB ("NIB") supermagnets - Large flux gap and reinforced magnet coatings prevent magnet degredation over time - Pancake shape 11.5" x 4.5" - 30 pounds

  This type of motor has several names describing it electrically, each of which is applicable but not necessarily complete or appropriate. First, it's a 3-phase synchronous motor (traditional name) or permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM).
  Of course, it is run from DC power via a motor controller that switches the DC on the fly into three phase AC power, "synchronized" only with itself. A permanent magnet "DC" motor does the same mechanically via the brushes on its commutator, so another way of looking at it is that it's a "DC" motor with the controller replacing the brushes. It's best known today as a brushless DC motor or "BLDC".
   It's a simple design wherein there are no electrical connections to the moving rotor with its permanent magnets. Instead of switch/brush connections in the motor, three magnet sensors (one per phase spaced 120¼ apart [electrically]) tell the motor controller where the N and S magnets are in their rotation, indicating which coils to activate with which polarity. In the Electric Hubcap the coils are wound with heavy wire around super high efficiency iron powder cores. (The RPM and switching frequencies are low enough that fine wire would be superfluous.)

Please see the Electric Hubcap Motor Building Manual for more detailed motor & motor operation description.

The Electric Hubcap Motor consists of the following major parts/assemblies:

1) Case Parts:

  The case consists of four parts molded from polypropylene-epoxy composite. This tough, usually overlooked composite is stronger and lighter than fibreglass-epoxy. (Hint: Polypropylene fabric is sold as "landscaping fabric".) Metal parts would cause magnetic drag that would spoil efficiency.
  * Stator outer plate
    - molded polypropylene-epoxy ring, 11.25" diameter.
    - 9 molded "buttons" hold the coils in place.
    - Steel bearing holder "washers" mount to hold bearing centered in 3" center hole.
  * Center Plate & Rotor Outer Cover (molded together)
    - 4" center hole for ventilation air, clearance
    - ring 11.25" diameter with "buttons" to align coils.
      (The two coil mounting plates are the "bread" of the sandwich. The coils are the "filling")
    - Magnet rotor side has channel where magnets sweep around close to stator coils, but the rotor compartment is separated from the stator compartment.
    - Thick outer shell (11.5" O.D.), molded to the center plate, protects people in the area in the event of magnets breaking off the rotor. (usually from over-revving motor - possibly from poor construction)
  * Rotor End Cover
    - Holds rotor end bearing assembly centered
    - Ventilation air exit holes

 2) Stator Parts:

  * 9 electromagnet coils with low-loss toroidal iron powder cores, wired to heavy 3-pin plug
  * Magnet position sensor board wired to 5-pin trailer lights plug
  * motor temperature sensor (AD590 or LM335, 10mV/¼K)

  3) Moving Parts

  * 1" diameter round shaft (or custom shaft)
  * with common 1" trailer wheel bearings, bearing spacers on shaft
  * SDS or SD 1" taper lock shaft bushing with shaft key (holds magnet rotor, spaces bearings)
  * Flat Plate Rotor disk, sintered zinc primed and polyurethane finished (similar to 'powder coating') for maximum corrosion resistance & magnet adhesion
  * rotor has 12 supermagnets, 2" x 1" x .5" (epoxied on; epoxied polypropylene strapping magnet protection/reinforcement)

 
***** Case parts molds have recently been improved for sturdiness and safety - new pictures coming soon. *****


Basic motor layout.
L to R: shaft, rotor compartment, stator compartment.


Stator Parts (Electric Hubcap & Electric Weel motors)

(All motors) Stator Coils: prewound with 21 turns of #11 wire, iron powder cores, coated with paramagnetic ilmenite in sodium silicate - $10 each. Very low losses, 70¼C rated.

Three coils in series per phase gives 63 total turns for 36 volts (nominal) operation.

(All motors) Magnet & Temperature Sensor Assembly - $35

Three magnet sensors and temperature sensor on PCB, with plugs and wires, complete & ready to bolt onto the upper stator ring and plug into the motor controller.

Rotor Parts (Electric Hubcap motor)

Magnet rotor disk zinc anti-corrosion primed, urethane finish - $50
SDS or SD Taper Lock Shaft Bushing to mount rotor on 1" shaft - $30 (Hint: these are locally available most places for about $20. Other shaft sizes are available in 1/16" increments to 2".)
1" HTSR #4140 machine shaft

3. Turquoise Brushless Motor Controllers - 5KW BLDC Motor Controllers for Electric Hubcap, Electric Weel Motors



Controller plate without chassis
(Heat sink fins are visible behind)


   Superior BLDC motor controller based on IR2133 controller/MOS gate driver chip. Specs in Brief:
- Complete unit ready to install with chassis, breaker, terminal blocks...
- Simple controls: minimally, speed control potentiometer and Fwd-Off-Rev switch.
- Hard-wired unit: no microcontroller
- 3 phase control, 6 pin header - motor sensors control, 10 pin header - operator controls and readouts
- 60 V (components abs. max. limit) 42 V (nominal max) 36 V (typical)
- 150 A (limit for larger currents depends on durations, fuse & breaker ratings) 130 A nominal
- Modulation: Current Ramp Modulation ("CRM"), a form of direct torque control
- Cooling: high efficiency for low heat generation, aluminum fins, aluminum chassis, passive. Made to absorb transient heavy loads without rapid component heating

Please see Turquoise Motor Controller Building Manual for detailed description. Microcontroller overcontrol unit TBA.

The controller consists of the following major parts/assemblies:

  1) Motor Controller Plate. This aluminum plate forms one side of the chassis. It can be unscrewed for servicing or replacement without disturbing the remainder of the chassis. It holds:
    * The 2 inner and 2 outer aluminum heatsink bars
    * the heatsink fins (clamped under the outer heatsink bars - aluminum roofing flashing)
    * the 12 power mosfet transistors that drive the motor coils, on the inner heatsink bars.
    * The 'logic' circuit board (connects to operator controls, magnet sensors, mosfets).
       (It bolts onto three of the mosfets.)
    * the heavy wiring terminal blocks & fuses holder assy

  2) The Wiring Box/Chassis (the other five sides of the box). In the box:
    * Circuit Breaker - 40+ VDC, 150 Amps.
    * 'Solenoid' (12 volt contactor relay) to turn system on with car key (car systems)
    * Cable clamps, glands

Turquoise Motor Controller (includes chassis, et al), Assembled and Tested - $450

Kit with all parts (you solder & assemble. Includes chassis, et al) - $260

Motor Controller Aluminum Mounting Plate with Heatsink Bars - $30

This is the mounting unit and heatsink base for the motor controller itself, exclusive of the wiring box.

Motor Controller 'Logic' Circuit Board with parts (you solder) - $50

The circuit board is the low-power circuitry that connects to everything and tells the high power stuff what to do. With International Rectifier IR2133 5KW brushless 3-phase MOS driver/motor controller chip.

Above plus 12 IR3260 MOSFETs (rated 60V 120A), 6 - 270uF/100V line filter capacitors,

Aluminum Chassis Box 6" x 9.5" - $45

Larger size wiring box for where space isn't an issue. Does NOT include motor controller mounting plate side.

Aluminum Chassis Box 4" x 9.5" - $45

Smaller size wiring box for tighter spaces (eg, in cars). Does NOT include motor controller mounting plate side.

Custom sizes - please enquire.


Handy Battery Sticks

1. 26", 12 volt handy battery stick - $95. (12 volts, 10 AH, 30A, 70 CA - 10 NiMH D cells)
2. 14", 6 volt handy battery stick - $49. (6 volts, 10 AH, 30A - 5 NiMH D cells)
3. 7" x 5, Quintos Battery Stick - $100 (12V, 10 AH, 30A, 70 CA - 5 short pipes of 2 NiMH D cells)

[images below]

Nickel-metal hydride batteries are exceptionally long life batteries. After their rated 1000 charge-discharge cycles, they're simply down to 80% of their rated capacity. If lead-acid batteries were rated the same way, they'd be rated for a only few tens of cycles at best. And they're less than 1/2 the weight of lead-acid, and they're green - not environmetally toxic waste even if dumped. Laptop computer users report NiMH batteries also last longer than lithium ion types.

NiMH batteries made GM's EV-1 famous in the documentary movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?", and it appeared the batteries would outlast the cars. Since the cars and the batteries were all crushed, this was never put to the test.

After the cars were crushed, Chevron oil company via its proxy company Cobasys stopped production just before they would likely have hit the box stores to replace lead-acid, and has been permitted to acquire over 100 patents for metal hydrides (see Cobasys on Wikipedia) to prevent anyone, anywhere US "technology death by patent" is "honored", from manufacturing (or importing) this excellent low-cost battery chemistry in sizes much larger than "D" cells. Even the D cells aren't available locally in stores here, tho AA cells are available in D size packages at inflated prices.

As one result, everybody started developing lithium batteries, which are intrinsically much more costly and only somewhat lighter in weight. As another result, NiMH dry cells have become ever better, amazing for their size, and the D cells, tho more costly than the Chevron-banned big liquid filled cells would be, are maintenance free and are commonly used in x100's quantity to make hybrid car batteries. They are still substantially less costly than lithium cells. But they're tiny for automotive, RV, boat, solar and other large battery needs.

So is there some practical way to build up big batteries up from small dry cells? The hybrid car makers have done it one way for inside hybrid batteries, but it's not mechanically solid for external use. Turquoise Energy has the answer: Handy Battery Sticks! 1-1/4" lighter wall PVC irrigation pipes are filled with NiMH D cells to make 6 or 12 volt batteries, and have 1/4" bolts on each end for connecting to the load, or to more battery sticks to assemble large batteries for automotive, solar/wind storage, or other uses.


12V & 6V Handy Battery Sticks



Quintos Battery Sticks - 12V in 5 pipes of two cells each for smaller spaces.


With over 70 cranking amps to -10¼c, three banks of 12V sticks can replace
lead acid car batteries and will probably last 15-25 years.
The 13.8 volts standard car charging system voltage is (by chance)
exactly the ideal voltage for constant voltage NiMH charging
(of 10 cells in series, 12 V).
These six 6V sticks (configured as 3 banks of 12V)
have been in this car since before the Quintos type was designed.


LED Lighting Products

Turquoise Energy (TE) integrated LED lighting fixtures and table lamps are conceived on the principle that building a 120 VAC to low voltage DC power supply into individual low-voltage, low power 'bulbs' is intrinsically a poor way to make LED lights. Instead, since they use little power, a low voltage DC integrated lighting fixture of any desired brightness is conveniently plugged into a separate, commonly available power adapter (included).

An integrated diffuser prevents the sharp point-source glare so common in LED lighting. Altho LED emitters have various colour designations, the light is also conditioned by the diffuser. For example, a yellowish lamp shade will make the light look yellowish. I generally describe the light simply as "very white". Even "cool white" LED emitters have a broader spectral distribution than "cool white" fluorescent lights. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I found it pleasant and after a couple of weeks, I was used to it and didn't notice the colour at all. (But stay tuned to
Turquoise Energy News for future LED color lighting experiments!)

Here are seven commonly cited reasons LED lighting hasn't taken over the market, none of which apply to Turquoise Energy LED lighting except the first:

1. It costs a lot. This is true, but it will pay for itself in as little as a year in reduced costs, depending on electricity rates and usage. At 10 cents per kilowatt hour, a 100 watt bulb uses 88$ of electricity if left on full time for one year, exclusive of replacement bulbs cost. Electricity for a TE 12 watt LED light costs 12.50$, and the light should last 6-12 years of on time (50000-100000 hours), saving around 450-900$ of electricity (and 25-100 lightbulbs) over its lifetime. Where rates are higher, savings are greater. Savings over fluorescent bulbs and tubes are also substantial.

2. Available LED 'bulbs' aren't bright enough for common lighting needs. For brightness comparison, a typical 60 watt tungsten (incandescent) bulb is 800-900 lumens, and 100 W is 1500-1700. Most LED bulbs are 450 lumens or less. TE LED light fixtures are available in brightnesses to replace up to about 150 watt bulbs. The fixtures will seem somewhat brighter than the same lumens figure in a tungsten bulb because they shine more in the desired direction (eg, downwards to horizontal rather than up at the ceilng) rather than equally in all directions,  and because of the whiteness of the color.

3. LED lights normally gradually dim rather than fail, but some become noticably dull dissapointingly soon. This is mostly from running them at too high a power and too hot. The cooler LEDs run, the longer their life and retention of maximum brightness, and at all times LED emitters run brightest when running cool. TE lights' external power supply, efficient LEDs run at 1/3 of full power, robust heatsinks and ventilation holes, ensure cool running LED lights, which stay brightest longest as well as using minimum energy. Under these conditions, according to LED manufacturers projection graphs, they're likely to be lit for 100,000 hours (over 11 years - if never turned off) or more before they're down to 70% brightness. (Of course, more emitters are required to attain the desired brightness. This doesn't help the initial cost, but it reduces the long term cost.)

4. It has also been said that the bulbs often prematurely fail entirely. Evidently this is failure of the 120 VAC to DC power supply rather than the LED emitter(s). TE LED lights avoid this possibility by using external power adapters. Even in the event of failure, these are widely available at low cost.

5. They are too "sharp" - intense or glaring. The tiny pinpoints of bright light leave spots in front of the eyes. Turquoise Energy fixtures incorporate good frosted diffusers to even the light into a nice glow. (The "plastic jar" diffuser lamps should be fitted with a good lampshade.)

6. The bulbs flicker, giving a strobe effect. This is the result of insufficient or missing filter capacitors, which is in turn because there isn't room for a proper power supply inside a light bulb. Having modern switching power adapters, or using battery power, TE lights are completely steady.

7. Someone said they'd heard LED lighting gives off UV light. LED makers say only UV LEDs emit any UV at all, but that the intense blue point source light of blue and white emitters can be harmful to the eyes. TE light fixture diffusers spread this light and render it harmless. (Looking at a bare filament in a 100 watt clear tungsten bulb is probably harmful too.)

1. LED ceiling or wall fixtures, with power adapter




6" Globe Fixtures: approx. 6" diameter, 7" tall


Low Profile Mushroom Fixture: approx. 7.5" diameter, 4" height


Large Mushroom Fixture: approx. diameter 8", height 7"


LED Light Fixture Price Chart. Power adapter is included. All fixtures are white frosted glass or plastic.

Watts and lumens figures are approximate and vary with temperature: the lights start cold a little under power and brightness, increasing approximately to near spec. in around 10 minutes. Lumens figures are based on manufacturer's (Cree) or dealer's (other types) data and general known LED emitter characteristics. Watts are for given supply voltage and are for the light only: they do not include power used internally by the power adapter. (Add about 15%-20% for typical regulated voltage power adapters a CSA/UL approved adapter is included.) All fixtures have an internal fuse (mostly to protect them against higher voltage supplies).

CAUTION: DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHT WITHOUT THE DIFFUSER COVERING IT. Eye damage can result from looking at the bare emitters because the light is so intense. It's like looking at the sun. (Or as one person put it, "They're like little welding arcs!")
Lumens/ Watts/ Emitter
 6" Glass Globe $
 6" Acrylic Globe $
 6" Glass Mushroom $
 7.5" Low Profile Glass Dome Mushroom $
 8" Large Mushroom $
1. 700 / 6 / 2x Cree XM-L, T6 cool white (6v)
 80
 90
 90
 100
 95
2. 900 / 10 / 2x 450 lumen, 12v automotive twist socket bulbs
95
 105
 105
 115
 110
3. 1050 / 9 / 3x Cree XM-L, T6 cool white (9v)
 90
 100
 100
 110
 105
4. 1100 / 14 / 2x generic emitter (12v)
 90
 100
 100
 110
 105
5. 1400 / 12 / 4x Cree XM-L, T6 cool white (12v)
 105
 115
 115
 125
 120
6. 1650 / 21 / 3x generic emitter (12v)
 105
 115
 115
 125
 120
7. 1800 / 20 / 4x450 lumen, 12v
automotive twist socket bulbs


135
 130

LED Light Fixture model number is: LEDLF[line number as shown][globe type]
Globe types: GG6, AG6, GM6, GD7, GM8 - for Glass Globe 6", Acrylic Globe 6", etc. per table

So, for the 1050 lumen, 9 volt unit in a 6" glass globe, model number is: LEDLF3GG6
Quantity
 1
 2-3
 4-7
 8-15
 16+
Discount
 0%
 5%
 8%
 10%
 12%
BC Hydro Rebate
 TBA
 TBA
 TBA
 TBA
 TBA

Prices are subject to change without notice.

This fixture is simply screwed to the ceiling, eg, near the old fixture. It has a power adapter socket on the side. The power adapter (included) can be plugged into the original fixture using a screw-in receptacle, in which case the original light switch is employed. Since the LED emitters point down to horizontal and throw less light at the ceiling, a 1400 lumen unit is at least equvalent to a 100 watt incandescent bulb (1500-1700 lumens). Power is about 12 watts for the light itself, and the power adapter uses about 3 more, total 15 watts. (Can also be powered from 12 volt batteries, such as our Handy Battery Sticks. ) For optimum long-term performance, mount base up (ie, ceiling) to horizontal (ie, wall).

Table Lamps

3" PVC "art deco" plumbing pipe table lamps are also available. With 6" diffusers, add $10 to above prices (first three columns only). With plastic jar diffuser, add $5 to first column. With plastic jar, a lampshade (not included) must be used to further diffuse the bright points of light. Glass diffusers can't be drilled for ventilation or to hold a lampshade, and will run hotter than the other lights. Optional with the plastic globe.

Table lamps have a "bright-off-dim" switch near the bottom of the lamp.



100 Watt incandescent lamp (left) and 9 watt, LED 1000 lumen PVC pipe lamp (right).
The aimed LED emitters throw more light forward and less back towards the wall.

Notes on LED emitters

Efficiency: No emitter is 100% efficient -- all make some heat along with their light, tho much less than other types of lights. (A rough calculation says 100% efficiency might be around 140 lumens/watt.) The ones emitting over 100 lumens of light per watt thus make considerably less heat than those of 50 lumens per watt or less. Choices of emitters bright enough for everyday lighting are so far somewhat limited. The most efficient types tend to cost most, and the electricity savings are great with any good type. Choose the most efficient in particular if they're to be run off batteries or where power is especially limited. Limiting heat production is of little or no concern for building lighting -- unlike with any other type of light. On the power grid, even 10 extra watts generally costs under a dollar a month (eg, 60-90¢ @ 7-10 ¢/KWH) -- and that's if the light is always on.

Rating: Those checking out specs will note that the emitters used are rated for much higher power and lumens than these lights are putting out. That's because the maximum rating and the best use are two different things. The Cree XM-L emitters, for example, are rated 10 watts, 1000 lumens and are being used at 3 watts, around 375 lumens. They are more efficient at lower power and they run cooler. If used at full power the lifespan is much shorter. To attain 25000 to 50000 hours of life as well as highest efficiency, they are generally used at around 1/3 of their rated current.


Please don't hesitate to write with comments or questions. Feedback is important!

Craig Carmichael
Craig @saers.com