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Semi takes its first business trip

Discussion in 'Semi' started by domenick, Mar 7, 2018.

  1. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    May also be torque ripple?
     
  2. George S. Bower

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    Our model agrees fairly well with ur numbers. we predict 1.8 mi/kwh. 55 mph flat road, 80,000 # GVWR.
    500 mile range truck=900 kwh's. 586kwh's to donner summit
     
    • Informative x 1
  3. Electroman

    Electroman Supporting Member

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    Hmm.. I am wondering if the batteries inside the trailer that are being hauled as cargo is actually being tapped for any reserve energy? After all those 50 odd M3 batteries cumulatively are carrying over 500 kWh worth of energy or even more. Why not tap them??

    :)
     
  4. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    Nah, that would be a pain to connect and balance. Plus GF will have the panels to charge them all soon.
    56 pack at 75kWh (don't recall exact capacity) = 4.2 MWh. (about 5 times the semi itself).:)
     
  5. scaesare

    scaesare Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm... as in causing the motor casings themselves to vibrate and make noise, or causing some drive train chatter in the gearing?

    Or something else I'm completely not following?
     
  6. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    Both. The casing can flex based on the rotating magnetic field, and the drive signals many not produce a DC level of torque. The torque variation could come though the drive train audibly, as well at the case flexing. It should not be so much as to unload the gear teeth entirely. Torque at final gear in the axle is huge and that, along with tire, will flex slightly due to ripple.

    Coudd just be the variation from the teeth meshing under load too.
     
    • Like x 1
  7. Blup85

    Blup85 Member

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    I can add a little more. I did get a good eye on the connector. Looked like a futuristic laser gun, with a handle on the back and a wide flate double connector that plugged in to the truck. One truck paired a set of superchargers and the other was running off one supercharger, so whatever that means. The connector that plugged into the truck looked like it could only handle two Supercharger cables from what I could see.
    I originally thought they would run at 800v, but maybe that's not the case, since the silver truck was just charging off one supercharger.
     
    • Informative x 2
  8. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the information.
    I just remembered that the semi itself has to have the contactors for the charge ports built in. So with power on all 8 pins, it can choose which sub pack to charge (if it is set up that way, it could just be one huge pack).
     
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  9. scaesare

    scaesare Well-Known Member

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    OK thanks... that description of the plug head matches what I'd expect from KMan's video:



    From your description here it sounds like the connector that plugged in to the truck could host the supercharger cable connections directly... earlier I thought you said there was something that looked like a EVSE box as well. I had assumed the latter is what contained the recptacles for the supercharger cables.

    Would you mind expanding a bit?

    Thanks.
     
  10. iwannam3

    iwannam3 Member

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    Are there truck scales where they enter California? Be interesting to tag along and see what the scale sign shows. Or they could be "weigh in motion" so there is probably no way of getting that. Are there Tesla chase cars monitoring the trips? Not just Tesla fanbois following the semis....

    This site needs a semi forum.
     
    • Like x 1
  11. Blup85

    Blup85 Member

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    Each supercharger plugged in to a see thru open evse looking box, then a long extension cord to another box that looked a little less "concept", from that box a single cord to the gigantic galactic charger gun. The charger gun was setup to except two cables, the silver truck was being charged by a single cable, (1) supercharger). The black truck had two inputs cables on the back of the gun excepting two Superchargers. I didn't get a video of the black one plugged in to two chargers so my memory is a little sketchy.
     
    • Informative x 2
  12. Big Earl

    Big Earl bnkwupt

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    TMC has a Semi forum and you’re posting in it. :confused:
     
    • Funny x 1
  13. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    @iwannam3
    May be a navigation issue. Initial pull down doesn't list only has a few sub forums. You need to just click forums to get the full list.
     
  14. scaesare

    scaesare Well-Known Member

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    Interesting. Thanks @Blup85
     
  15. wipster

    wipster Gold Member

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    I think the cables were a fake out and they actually changed them up with a phaser, which Spock gave to a young tos_phaser-1.jpg Elon when they came back to save the whales.
     
    • Funny x 5
  16. Ulmo

    Ulmo Active Member

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    I’m randomly parked at Tesla Fremont and I see many of these trailers strewn about:
    image.jpg
    None match the above, but they obviously drop off trailers and connect (“get under”) other trailers.

    Docked are three trailers with three tractors. One of the tractors is a yard dog. That means they switch out the docked trailers with parked trailers.
     
  17. SMAlset

    SMAlset Well-Known Member

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    I think a great many large corporations with multiple trailers have their truckers switch out trailers by dropping off one and picking up another. I know from waiting for an order from Home Depot that sometimes it takes them days to unload a docked trailer depending on their staffing. No conspiracy in seeing the different trailer numbers. Actually helps verify that there were two different delivery "caravans" shuttling between Gigafactory and Factory.
     
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  18. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    Just realized that just like us S3X drivers, they will safely be able to ignore those “Turn off A/C” signs on the big climbs.
    I certainly enjoyed that when visiting Death Valley.

    But also, the Semi drivers will also ignore these:
    [​IMG]

    Am also assuming that regen will make long downhills safer, as the mechanical brakes are less likely to overheat.
     
    • Like x 1
  19. wipster

    wipster Gold Member

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    I think you're right, that's why I wonder if Tesla will either make trailers or figure out a way to reconfigure existing trailers with regen brakes. Considerable benefits to be had in electricity generation and also trailer control in slippery situations I would think.
     
  20. Cloxxki

    Cloxxki Active Member

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    The battery can only take so much charge. And the mass only has so much inetic energy to give up. The tractor alone may be able to make the most of it. It will charge at around 1MW, right? Sure there will be instances where regen would relievve the brakes on the trailer, but with a 4-motor tractor in front, that's already the case and maximum mass is not changed by the more potent tractor.
     

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