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Voltages for Electric-vehicle Batteries

14th August 1942, Page 35
14th August 1942
Page 35
Page 35, 14th August 1942 — Voltages for Electric-vehicle Batteries
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

VOUR leading article referring to the voltage (If I batteries for electric vehicles, in your issue dated June 26, was very interesting. I wonder whether the electric-vehicle manufacturers can give an answer as to why they use these low and varied voltages. I am sure that all users would be interested. Perhaps they have just crept in through usage, and like the variety of amperages, through possibly uneducated, user demands. But as three-year or greater-life batteries make the user lose a possible carrying capacity of 500-1,000 tons per vehicle, I would imagine that the variety of voltages came about through no reason at all.

With regard to voltages used in industry, this is largely on alternating current—the main voltages are between 220-240 and 400-440, but transformation from the higher voltages is easy, the curse here being the difference in frequencies, which I believe has given the Central Electricity Board a lot of trouble.

As to direct current, the main supply voltages are between 200-240 and 400-480, with a few at 110. You have to remember that if you double the voltage and halve the current the power is the same, but the loss is one-quarter, so the higher the voltage the better. In

electric vehicles', however, the cables are so shrill that the benefit does not apply from the distribution point of view. If it be from the point of view of danger to life, you can work at possibly double the voltage on d.c. and still be safer than on a.c.

• You are very generous in saying that battery voltages lie between 60 and 72. We hasie vehicles with 60, 72, 80 and 96 volts—all for 1-ton to 3-ton chassis—and one manufacturer quotes a voltage of 48. The 'main battle to my mind is between 72 and 80. There should be no need for 48 and 96.

It is also of interest to note that The Automobile Engineer " mentions 200 different sizes of cells; and the poor rectifier manufacturers have to make 60 different standard chargers. I doubt whether, at the present rate, standardization will come about until all possibility of obtaining trade has been lost, and yet there is a large potential trade for a mass-produced standard (and therefore cheaper) chassis, and a standard battery (of a lighter construction). DENIS F. PILKINGTON, Transport Officer, For Lancashire Associated Collieries.

Manchester, 2. •

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Organisations: Central Electricity Board
Locations: Manchester

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