Feasibility of using v3.0 hardware with 120kw enova inverter

[Ken_S]

I currently have a panther 120 enova inverter on my garage bench with the wiring harness from the vehicle it came out of. I am experimenting with the goal of understanding how the inverter is controlled sufficiently to use it without modification, but i haven't had any luck yet and am starting to look at alternatives... Retrofitting it with an openinverter system seems like the best option right now:)

I believe there are some 90kw enova inverters in use, modified with
Damien Maguire's combo board. I see that the bare combo boards are in stock, but I am not at all confident of my ability to populate a pcb myself.

My question is... How feasible would it be to use the standard V2 or V3 openinverter kit, instead of the combo board? There is plenty of room inside the inverter housing for the PCBs, it seems doable to me? Was there any need for the combo board besides being easier to convert the inverter by using the existing board form factor and connectors?

[tom3141]

As far as I’m aware the reasons you mention are the only advantages to using the Combi board. Damien has also developed a board that replaces the original enova control PCB but uses the original enova driver PCB so this could be another option. There’s a guy who did get the enova working using the standard kit before Damien developed the Combi board. This is his YouTube channel - https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCKT7BWe2 ... QBg/videos

[Ken_S]

Since it sounds like the V2 or V3 openinverter system is an option, am I right in thinking the next step is to determine if the current sensors and gate drivers already present in the inverter are compatible with the brain board?

[Ken_S]

The "spoof enova commands" plan is currently stuck until I find a newer version of the enova interface software to interpret a fault the inverter is spitting out, in the meantime I decided to disassemble the power stage and learn what components were used in the construction.

At the core are 6 Mitsubishi CM600DY-12NF IGBTs, two per phase in parallel.

The IGBTs are powered by a pair of stacked plates (busbars?) with insulating plastic molded between them. The plates are mechanically connected by 10x 450v, 330 microfarad capacitors.

Each phase has a pcb that connects the IGBTs together, two of which carry LEM Hall 600-s current sensors. One also acts as a distribution board for HV to other smaller inverters in the assembly. A third Hall 600-s current sensor measures input current on the HV battery minus leg.

The IGBTs are driven by a gate driver board.

I'm going to do some component research tomorrow.

[windydrew]

Subscribed. Have the same Enova and wanting to get the original vehicle running without the Smith board.

[Jack Bauer]

The driver board looks identical to the 90kw as do the current sensors except they are 600amp instead of 400amp on the 90kw. This is the board you would need : http://www.evbmw.com/index.php/evbmw-we ... s/enova-v1
Sadly I cannot offer these populated as there is just not enough demand.

This board lets you retain the original gate drivers and current sensors but does require some electronics and soldering skills.