Badges & Their Meaning

[Bradleybang]

I saw the picture and thought.... Corinthian leather?
I looked up in google and found...
"The nature of harmonic current amplification in current source inverter fed induction motors is studied through a six-pulse current source inverter. An approximate model consisting of the induction motor and the parallel and series capacitors was used to simulate the circuit under the multiple commutation mode. The thyristor currents were treated as the source currents. The analytical result shows that the steady phase harmonic current amplification of the six pulse inverter-fed motor goes from the high frequencies down to the fifth order of the harmonic when the values of the capacitor reactances of the approximate model are reduced. The experimental study showed that the fifth harmonic current amplification was significant under a multiple commutation mode."

If they had used just the initial PCA, would that have been interpreted as "Politically Correct Automobile"?

 

[Grendal]

As long as they don't charge extra.
"And would you like your EV to have PSA for an extra $900?" :biggrin:
"PSA? What's that?"
"Phase Current Amplification!"
"Woah! That sounds good. I'll take it!" :love:

Though I suppose right now it costs an extra $10K....

 

[TEG]

Seems to be a popular place to slap some "special edition" badges...

 

[Eumox]

It is a process to produce 1 point 2 Gigawatts.
schematics

 

[TEG]

Better make that 1.21 or you might be off by a few years...

 

[daniel]

It's just cool.

Techno auto speak for EVs!!

ICE marketers have long been selling us the:

Hemispherical head

Twin turbo

Straight six

Nitrous injection

Double overhead cam

Sixteen valve

etc..

Phase current amplification is EV awesome speak!


'bout time.

Okay, but all those ICE terms actually mean something. I probably know less about engines than most people who post on car forums, yet, except for "double overhead cam" I actually know what all those terms mean.

So what does "phase current amplification" actually mean?

I know what phase means: Two waves are in phase if their peaks and troughs coincide. Laser light is coherent because all the photons are in phase.

And current amplification means increasing the current.

But I can't parse "phase current amplification." Is "phase current" a parameter which can be amplified? And if so, what is it? Or is "phase" a method of current amplification, and if so, what's happening when you phase amplify a current?

Inquiring minds want to know. I'm not satisfied with merely "it sounds cool." "Warp drive" sounds cool too, but it's nothing but fantasy babble. (And it's not nearly as cool as "infinite improbability drive." If I could have a sci-fi space ship, it would definitely be the starship Heart of Gold. So much better than that pathetic Enterprise. Sorry for the digression.)

 

[TEG]

Well, I think "phase" implies multi-phase AC type currents with sinusoidal output.
So, I think they are saying that they are amplifying multiple power "waveforms" in unison.
But, I am not an EE, so I could be butchering the description here.

They probably have some low voltage electronics that generate power waveforms meant to go through motor windings and show up as magnetic flux to make it spin. But that circuit doesn't produce much power, so they have to amplify multiple of these signals in unison to get the massive torque they need to move a big vehicle like the model S. These amplifiers would need to do a huge amount of amplification to high voltages and high amperage. They also would need to be relatively "clean" and "precise" to make sure the motor runs smoothly and predictably. Probably something that few companies know how to do well. I just look at it as shorthand to say that they are proud of the PEM/inverter/motor-control electronics they have designed.

At the other end of the spectrum would be some simple DC motor EV which simply directs pack voltage to a DC motor. No "Phase current amplification" there. (Maybe you had a converted Porsche like that...)

 

[Doug_G]

Let's not try to rationalize this. It doesn't really mean anything. At all. As Bradleybang pointed out, it's another "Corinthian leather".

3-phase current amplification would describe part of what the PEM does. But "Phase Current Amplification" by itself is just a nonsensical fragment.

 

[smoothoperator]

I wonder if Tesla will offer Badge Reduction Amplification as a factory option? I would pay extra for that.

 

[SigGuy]

Had it confirmed that the badging on S1 was particular to the Founders Series. The Signatures that the rest of us get will in fact have "Signature" engraved in the chrome on the back. Not clear on if the P85 stays or not.

 

[Bradleybang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIL3fbGbU2o&feature=player_detailpage

 

[doug]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIL3fbGbU2o&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIYFB7eXrlU

 

[bonnie]

Mod note: Two threads (Badges and Phase Current Amplification) have been merged into this thread, Badges & Their Meaning.

 

[NigelM]

Had it confirmed that the badging on S1 was particular to the Founders Series. The Signatures that the rest of us get will in fact have "Signature" engraved in the chrome on the back. Not clear on if the P85 stays or not.

But now I want the phase current amplification......

 

[Twiddler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIL3fbGbU2o&feature=player_detailpage

Who knew that the Most Interesting Man in the World drove a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba?? Wonder if that's what made him start drinking....

 

[AnOutsider]

Had it confirmed that the badging on S1 was particular to the Founders Series. The Signatures that the rest of us get will in fact have "Signature" engraved in the chrome on the back. Not clear on if the P85 stays or not.

Engraved in the chrome? Above the plate where it says Tesla now? Or did you mean a chrome badge? In the chrome strip would be cool as it would be harder to emulate (like people putting vr6 badges on 2.0 vws)

 

[vfx]

CMA 156

6 Phase Current Amplifier (6 x 25 A, 3 x 50 A, 1 x 150 A)

CMA 156 – 6 Phase Current Amplifier​

The CMA 156 contains six independent current channels, arranged in two isolated groups (A, B). The outputs can be configured in various ways (connected in parallel, in series, etc.). For example, by using four CMA 156 units, 3 x 200 A can be generated. The connection to a CMC test set is made by a control cable at the back of the units.

In conjunction with a CMC test set, the CMA 156 is used for tests requiring:

• more current channels than provided by the CMC test sets
• if used with a CMC 156 EP: higher output currents and higher output power

​

 

[TEG]

Yeah, Google found me that too... I put a link to it before here:
Badges Their Meaning post #55

 

[TEG]

Some other "eco cars" have "85" badges for % of alt fuel... Like E85 for 85% Ethanol, or B85 for 85% Biodiesel...

I bet someone, somewhere does a double take on the Model S and thinks it runs on alt-fuel (not electricity).

 

[vfx]

Yeah, Google found me that too... I put a link to it before here:
Badges Their Meaning post #55

I did it better!

if used with a CMC 156 EP: higher output currents and higher output power​

DOes this mean the Model S has a CMC 156 in it?

Funny Googling that term is now putting this thread at the top of searches.