The Nissan Leaf, their most recent electric vehicle model, employs a DC brushless motor.
In This Article...
Are EVs powered by AC or DC motors?
The north/south or plus/minus polarity of the power changes (alternates) 60 times per second in the alternating current (AC) that is delivered to your home. (That is, in the US and other nations using the 110-volt standard; nations using the 220-volt standard normally use 50-Hz AC.) Every battery’s + and – poles input and output are both direct current (DC). As mentioned earlier, alternating current is needed to make motors spin. Without it, their north and south poles would simply lock together because to the electromagnetic force. The process of repeatedly switching between north and south keeps the motor of an electric vehicle spinning.
Modern electric vehicles are made to manage both AC and DC power internally. Although the battery stores and distributes DC current, the motor also requires AC. With Level 1 and Level 2 charging, the energy enters the onboard charger as AC current, while with Level 3 “fast chargers,” it enters as DC high-voltage current. Power electronics are used to handle the numerous onboard AC/DC conversions while stepping the voltage up and down from 100 to 800 volts of charging power to battery/motor system voltages of 350 to 800 volts to the numerous vehicle lighting, infotainment, and chassis functions that need 12-48-volt DC electricity. We won’t attempt to explain the power electronics in detail here.
What kind of electric drive system does a Nissan Leaf have?
Nissan gave the Leaf a well-known five-door hatchback style in an effort to appeal to average drivers.
[17] The car’s bottom has aerodynamic paneling, and the body is designed in a sharp V shape with big, upward-slanted headlights that divide and divert airflow away from the door mirrors.
[18] By placing the battery, which weighs the most in most electric cars, behind the seats and the footwells in the back, the center of gravity of the car is kept as low as possible, and it has more structural rigidity than a typical five-door hatchback.
[15]
The front wheels of the Leaf are driven by a front-mounted 80 kW (107 hp) and 280 Nm (207 ftlb) electric synchronous motor. The Leaf’s lithium ion battery capacity was initially 24 kWh and then raised to 30 kWh. [19] Automotive Energy Supply Corporation makes the battery. In the USA, it is guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles[20] and for one million kilometers or five years in Europe. [21]
The battery pack only receives passive radiation cooling instead of active cooling.
[22]
Three of the 35,000 Leafs sold in Europe, or 0.01% of units, had a battery failure, according to a 2015 report by Warranty Direct. By comparison, the failure rate for internal combustion engined vehicles is 25 times higher.
[24]
According to Nissan, the 2013 model’s drag coefficient is 0.28 while that of the 2011 model is 0.29. In comparison to hybrid and internal combustion engine vehicles, the Leaf often costs less to operate. [25] Even with government subsidies for plug-in electric vehicles, the Leaf’s higher initial cost means that the fuel savings may not be realized for a longer period of time than with comparable internal combustion vehicles. [26]
The telematics system CarWings was initially installed in some vehicles. This utilized the 2G cellular network from 2011 to 2015. Many regions have switched off 2G, so upgrading the telematic control unit is necessary to use newer networks. [27] It was rebranded NissanConnectEV in 2016 and is offered without charge to owners, depending on the year and model, if equipped. It provides GPS data as of 2017 for navigating and finding charging stations. Additionally, it might have two-way communication with the vehicle, allowing for remote control of the climate control and charging status. [28]
Use of AC motors in all electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles can be powered by AC or DC motors; a DC motor can operate at voltages ranging from 96 to 192 volts. The electric forklift business is a significant source of the DC motors used in electric vehicles.
Why aren’t DC motors used in EVs?
BLDC motors are not frequently employed in EV applications, despite having a reasonably high power density and efficiency, mostly due to their constrained constant power range.
A Tesla battery is it AC or DC?
The motors are used in this situation. Although there are several variants on these themes, there are primarily two types of electric motors utilized in electric vehicles. For instance, Tesla utilizes permanent-magnet direct current (DC) motors in its Model 3 but alternating current (AC) induction motors in its Model S.
Can I use my Nissan LEAF to power my home?
The world will soon have access to Nissan’s “Power to the Home” system. Earlier, the system was made available in the Japanese market. According to the company, the power control system may be made available in Australia in as little as six months.
Nissan provides the example of charging a Nissan LEAF at night when there is more availability of electricity and using that electricity as a household’s daytime power source on the corporate website.
Nissan claims that using the system in this way can reduce the amount of energy used during times of peak demand. Nissan also claims that it can serve as a backup power source in case of an emergency.
Either a 40kWh or 60kWh lithium-ion battery powers the Nissan Leaf. Installing a PCS (Electricity Control System) attached to the home’s distribution board while wired into the Nissan LEAF dc quick charge connector will allow you to supply power from the Nissan Leaf to your home.
A Nissan LEAF vehicle can also be charged from the domestic power supply via the PCS. The images suggest that in addition to the mains power connection, alternative energy sources such as wind and solar, which can charge the Nissan Leaf, may also be used to power homes.
The high-voltage direct current (dc) from the Nissan LEAF battery needs to be converted to 200Vac in order to be used for domestic power.
On the other hand, 200Vac from the mains power supply needs to be converted to dc high-voltage electricity when charging the Nissan LEAF battery. Both times, the PCS is in charge of power supply management and electrical conversion.
The Nissan LEAF EV’s lithium-ion battery, according to Nissan, has a huge capacity and great reliability, which means it can deliver a steady flow of electricity.
According to estimates, a fully charged Nissan Leaf (with a 60kWh battery) can power a normal home for two days. For instance, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the average household there uses 867kWh each month (EIA). This is to 30kWh each day.
Nissan claims that the Power to the Home technology is presently conducting pilot testing for Leaf fleets in Hagen, Germany, and Franklin, Tennessee. Although the corporation admitted plans to import the technology into the United States, the exact release date has not yet been decided.
A Nissan LEAF motor runs at what voltage?
The lithium-ion battery’s direct current (DC) is converted to alternating current via the inverter (AC). The inverter, when combined with the AC synchronous motor, allows for precise motor speed control and is a crucial part of the EV.
Between the lithium-ion battery and the inverter is the DC-DC junction box, which houses the DC-DC converter. As required, it provides high-voltage sources from lithium-ion batteries to electric equipment. Additionally, it changes it to 12V so that the 12V battery may be charged.
Based on the signals from the resolver and current sensor, the inverter boosts the motor efficiency. It weighs 16.8kg, measures 304256.5144.5mm (11.3 liter), and has a DC voltage range of 240–403V. For the coolant, the bottom of the inverter creates a “water jacket” out of cast aluminum. Above the bottom of the inverter is the power module, which houses the IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, a crucial component of the motor control) (not shown).
The motor controller is on the circuit board in the middle, above the flat condensers, and is distinguished by four square terminals (actually there are six terminals for three pairs of flat condensers). Nissan and Calsonic Kansei both produce the inverter at the Zama Works and Kodama factory, respectively (Saitama Prefecture).
Between the inverter and the lithium-ion battery pack under the cabin floor is the DC-DC junction box. although it is actually installed with the left side pointing upward, it is shown in the photo sideways. The DC-DC junction box performs three tasks: it supplies the lithium-ion battery’s high-voltage source to the 12V electric systems, distributes it, and charges the 12V battery.
The DC-DC converter (provided by Denso) is seen in the box on the left, and the relays are visible on the right. The “Panasonic” boxes are the universal EV relays “AEV 14012 M03” that Panasonic Industrial Device Obihiro provided. The relay that supplies source to 12V systems has a maximum permitted contact rating of 120A and a coil voltage rating of 12V DC. Both a quick charging relay and a slow charging relay are located in the junction box.
To the right of the picture is the front of the car. The inverter is located in the upper center of the DC-DC junction box, which is mounted to the left of the frame (cargo side) of the vehicle. The motor and reducer are located beneath the inverter. For safety reasons, the frame is made of a robust structure to withstand a collision with high-voltage electricity.
The battery of a Nissan LEAF has what voltage?
Through the DC/DC converter, the Li-ion battery charges the 12V battery. There is a Li-ion high voltage battery pack within the Nissan LEAF (6). Under the floor of the car is positioned the high-voltage battery pack. At about 360 V DC, the high voltage battery pack stores energy.
Can a Nissan LEAF be plugged into a standard outlet?
The normal 120V charging cable, which may be put into a regular AC outlet for a Level 1 charge, must be purchased by new Nissan LEAF owners. While it isn’t quick, Level 1 charging enables you to extend the range of your Nissan LEAF wherever there is a conventional wall outlet.
What’s better for EVs, AC or DC?
Edison would probably be ecstatic that DC is currently popular again. Due to the constant flow of current, DC power is more stable than AC power, and as technology advances, businesses are becoming better at transferring DC power over distances with even less electrical loss than AC power. When it comes to EV charging stations, DC power is also a speedier type of electricity.
Do EV batteries use AC or DC power?
The location of the AC to DC conversion is the primary distinction between AC and DC charging when it comes to recharging electric vehicles (EVs). The battery of an EV can only store DC energy, regardless of whether it utilizes an AC or DC charging station.
When you use a DC charging station, the AC (from the grid) is converted to DC inside the station, allowing DC power to go straight from the station and into the battery. Larger converters can be utilized to convert AC power from the grid very quickly because the conversion process takes place inside the more roomy charging station and not the EV. As a result, some DC stations can fully charge an EV in 15 minutes while supplying up to 350 kW of electricity.