Prius Gen3 Inverter Hacking

[Kevin Sharpe]

If this first version isn't stable?

Damien hasn't yet driven a car with this inverter and therefore you can expect change in the hardware and/or software. If you're an end user then you should probably wait until some more progress is made and we can offer some support (especially if you're proposing to redesign the PCB). Alternatively, you could just buy some of Damien's time or commission him to build an inverter for you

Obviously, if you're an electronics engineer then you can ignore this advice and hack away without any help

[Aquinax]

If this first version isn't stable?

Damien hasn't yet driven a car with this inverter and therefore you can expect change in the hardware and/or software. If you're an end user then you should probably wait until some more progress is made and we can offer some support (especially if you're proposing to redesign the PCB). Alternatively, you could just buy some of Damien's time or commission him to build an inverter for you

Obviously, if you're an electronics engineer then you can ignore this advice and hack away without any help

Unfortunately I am not an electronics engineer. I know everything little by little that does not prevent to go deep if necessary. time does not allow to follow the changes in the hardware of parallel projects of Damien depending on the version. I'll probably take care of the custom engine and gearbox housing first ...

[johnspark]

JB:, if you want me to download any other stuff on the Prius transaxle, just let me know i have a number of pages i can place here from the Toyota repair manual. Also, or my transaxle i have added a temp sensor for the generator because there was not one before.

[Kevin Sharpe]

if you want me to download any other stuff on the Prius transaxle, just let me know i have a number of pages i can place here from the Toyota repair manual.

Please post any information that you have... the more we share the more we all benefit

Also, or my transaxle i have added a temp sensor for the generator because there was not one before.

Interesting, thanks!

[johnspark]

i have a file but it is 27 meg is size. this program won't let me save it here unfortunately.

[Aquinax]

i have a file but it is 27 meg is size. this program won't let me save it here unfortunately.

use google disk, upload and place shared link here

[johnspark]

i managed to break it up into smaller bits...

more info coming later...

[johnspark]

Attached please find some photos of my Toyota Prius Gen Inverter: (ZVW30R), that i wish to modify as per this site.

I did not realize until today, that you need to prize off the two black plastic covers, -then remove the bolts holding the capacitor to the inverter main assembly. Once I did that, the top came off the inverter assembly easily.

This inverter was in a car that had a front impact. From what i can see, there is no damage whatsoever to the internals. I find this quite impressive.

I got this unit from a wrecker that only wrecks Toyota s.

[johnspark]

I am from Down Under, where the sky is blue most of the time.

Here it is challenging to get hold of Lexus bits and pieces, but quite straight forward to get hold of Prius or Camry Hybrid parts, especially since taxi drivers like them so much.

In fact i have an AVV50R yellow taxi parked on my front lawn which i hope to use parts from for one of my e39 conversions.

So i have pics of a Toyota Camry Hybrid AVV50R inverter. I have compared them with the Prius inverter.

[johnspark]

On a bit of a roll here. I connected up as many jst connectors as i could from a collection of 16, 20 and 24 pin mm connectors I had.

There were two i could not match. One the HV connector, and the second one had a different mating pattern. I solved by pulling out unwanted pins for the HV connector using a pair of narrow nose pliers, and using a sharp chisel to remove the 2 unwanted plastic tracks in my connector, for the connector with different mating patterns.

[Kevin Sharpe]

i managed to break it up into smaller bits...

more info coming later...

Many thanks for your contribution

[Jack Bauer]

Your camry inverter looks just like the is300h inverter I'm using in the E46 touring project. Even down to the missing pin jst connectors. I have a pcb available for that if you want one?

[johnspark]

Yes please Jack. Happy to pay for it.

[johnspark]

actually Jack, i am very happy to pay you to populate the board and test it. If i can get it to work for my Camry motor i will then request buying 3 tested boards from you

[Rouwdy]

Has anyone had a peak in the Ford Escape Hybrid inverters to compare? Ford and Toyota patented very similar systems and rather than fight it out, they just crossliscensed a bunch. The inverters go for quite cheap on fleabay.
The nissan altima hybrid is another one that licensed from toyota.

[arber333]

Hi JB

There is a question from my friends about your Prius V1 board,
They are asking me:
1. If we could use what you made and drive only MG2 inverter to drive whatever motor?
2. While this is operating Aux inverter would supply 12V power
3. After drive we would like to connect 3phase power to MG1 for charging and we dont want to use inverter IGBTs, only its reverse diodes. So could we keep IGBTs closed all the time?
4. While 3phase connected we would use DCDC to buck from 600Vdc down to battery voltage... say 150Vdc to 400Vdc.

Would it be possible to not populate the weaker MG inverter brain and just put IGBTs to off?
What do you use to control DCDC in buck mode? Would we still be forced to use MG1 brain?

tnx

Arber

[Jack Bauer]

You could just populate the mg2 parts as you suggest. The igbt drivers are pulled low by default so nothing to do there. There is an atmega328p on board for controlling the buck/boost function.

[johnspark]

On page22-38 of the Prius Repair manual above, there is a discussion of shims that touch the motor MG.
I actually bought three different thickness ones because i thought i would need them at one stage.

I went to the Toyota dealer, showed him the page in the manual and said i would like to buy three of these shims.

To my surprise, he requested my Toyota Prius 2004 serial no. I happened to own a Prius at the time, so i could provide him with this number.

6 weeks later these items arrived. they were between Aus$5 to Aus$20 each.


PS: if you acquire a Prius transaxle, there should be at least 1 mm play in the splined axle that normally attaches to the petrol motor via the transmission input damper assembly.

[Jack Bauer]

ahh that is good to know.

[johnspark]

I am going to be adding temperature monitoring of the generator winding's, because at present they don't have that.

i put the sensor inside high temp spaghetti, and tied it to the original winding's, then coated it with a special winding's varnish.

[johnspark]

I have also had a special spindle made up for the Prius trans-axle so that MG1 and MG2 always run at the same speed. Unfortunately for this first version, i forgot to add a part to drive the oil pump at the end of the motor. So i am having to make my own oil pump with a 12 volt pump to drive the oil around. Although, that is not such a bad thing, because i can instrument this thing and see how much oil I need to wet the MG1 and MG2 stator winding's and bearings for successful lubrication and removing the heat from the stator.

I will be joining this modified Prius device to a Getrag 260 5 speed gearbox to drive my e39. Yes it probably will be under-powered. This will be my first conversion, and I am happy to learn many things from this.

I will use a dual inverter to drive the MG1 and MG2 windings. I am planning on using a Prius Gen 3 Inverter for this.

PS: the ATF WS oil has amazing electrical properties, it is very good for improving the winding wire electrical insulation properties, much better than air.

PSS: i have had aluminum disks made to interference fit the original transaxle portals no longer required. Will add the photos of this later.

PSSS: the spindle is 25mm in diameter, it is good for over 440Nm, i know this because the 25/50mm friction coupler is good for this. I gave up trying to work out the 25+ parameters for splined shafts...

PSSSS: i have to take the spindle back 5 times to the manufacturer to get a "little bit" honed off the end so i had sufficent play once all the bolts joining MG1 to MG2 were tightened up (Hence the interest in the MG shims discussed above).

[sonachan1]

Previously I'd outlined an idea for an adaptor plate to fit the Prius inverter (and Leaf) to replace the difficult to find connector. Here's what I've got so far:

There's two versions as I developed the horizontal one first, but wasn't happy with the layout in the Prius inverter so decided on the vertical one which is much better.

The connector is a 35 way Ampseal connector which is readily available. JBs Prius board needs 40 ways, but I decided that some connections could be commonised, like the brake switch input for example.

The ribbon cable has a loop in it for assembly reasons. I think it will be possible to pass the ribbon through the hole in the housing, plug it into the adaptor plate, then bolt the plate in place.

I'll sort the files out and put them on my Github site. Next thing is to modify JBs PCB to take the new connector.

[johu]

Nice work! So that would work for the Leaf inverter as well. I have uploaded the design file: https://github.com/jsphuebner/inverter- ... dapter.fpc
It is made with FreePCB (https://www.freepcb.com/)

[Jack Bauer]

Fantastic

[Kevin Sharpe]

very cool!