Hybrid Cars - Electrocution Danger question

Yellow... orange...

Now you know why I'm not an interior decorator!

Here's the skinny:

The original Pruis was 268 volts. The current (er, currently Available, that is..) model is 278.8 volts.

The FUSE from the battery to the distribution system is 150A. That's a pretty good amount of current at 278.8V.

The tech told me that even for service there is a dedicated procedure that has to be followed. On the 2004/2005 models, there is a very, very minor problem with the battery vents that can allow dielectric to leak or water to be induced into the battery. So, they have to remove the battery and perform a minor procedure to repair the vents.

BUT! the battery has to be somehow disconnected before being removed. The guy didn't go into a lot of detail, but you cannot simply dosconnect the Orange wire from the battery...it will arc if removed in this fashion (any of you Prius owners wanting to make your own mods, be forwarned!) And, it will arc bad enough to cause serious burns to the person removing it, and possibly cause an explosion also!

Red is on top...

Yellow is in the middle...

Green is on the bottom...

Don't tell me I have to write YOU up for DWO!!!! ;)

If we did, there would be a lot of people in this county that should be written up for DWOF (Driving while old fart.)

Charles of Kankakee

I'm not color blind, just not color-coordinated.

Thanks Hachi...it certainly isn't a job for the 'bold of heart' for sure...that kinda voltage and current can certainly toast your tootsies...you 'get across that' and you're dead before you hit the ground.

It'd take 41,700 watts to blow that fuse! (that fuse sounds really too big but what do I know...)

OK, OK...

BTW:

Bad Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins

Know what that is?

That's what the Dude who works on these things every day tells me.

Now, you know that the fuse is probably rated a bit higher than the actual current draw to compensate for surges, etc, so i would imagine that the nominal operating current is probably close to 90-100 amps, with the overhead allowing for when you first step on the accelerator and start asking for current. I am also imagining (I don't know) that the regeneration current also flows through this same link, so there is probably some overhead for that also.

*I* still wouldn't want to mess with it! I didn't get a chance to talk to Don today; we were both too busy, and I didn't even take a lunch, which is when I usually talk to him.

We used to know it as

Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly.

We were a bit raunchier back in the 70's.

1 Black 2 Brown 3 Red 4 Orange 5 Yellow 6 Green 7 Blue 8 Violet 9 Grey 0 White

First two are digits on resistors, the third is the power, and I have forgotten how to scale that. I'd have to reach over on the shelf to my Amateur Radio Handbook to refresh the memory.

Charles of Kankakee

Charles of Kankakee

Another:

Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Venture Goes West

B~

LOL! I nver heard that one! I like it...it's well adapted to the task.

Of course, I think we've ALL heard the 'other' one about Violet, eh? ;)

That's when I was studying...*I* wasn't going to say it! (but I had to THINK the one I posted out!!! ;)

uh...oh...

First two are resistance numbers, brown-black is 10, third is the mulitplier: red=200 ohms, etc.

41,700 Watts would equal 56 horsepower. Allowing for inefficiencies, that seems to be in the ball park of what the electric traction motors of the Prius will produce, isn't it?

Merritt

Well I'd like to find Violet

Charles

Thanks for knocking the rust off, it's been a while since I've had to delve into actual electronics. Most of the time I'm trying to get a recalcitrant computer to work properly.

Charles

Ya know, I've wanted to meet her a few times myself...

I believe it's about 50 HP. Very good! Merritt gets the Gold Start for the day!

Sounds right to me...I'm quite used to high voltages and currents, I'm an old time Ham Radio operator and used to build my own equip...you ain't gonna see me futzing around any Prius batteries though...

Does sound about right doesn't it?...BTW, I gathered from another post that I have a year on you (71) ...that right?...