Finned aluminum heat sink


< prev. photo
(Click image for larger view.)
next photo >

Finned aluminum heat sink

(Inset: controller mounted on the heatsink)

Controllers can get pretty hot when they're worked hard or for a long time. For longevity, it's best to mount them on a heat sink.

I scavenged this aluminum sink from a dead 12 volt electronic cooler. It's half of the cooler's Peltier device.

The base of the controller was smeared with thin layer of thermal conductive grease to ensure good heat transfer between the controller and the heat sink.

My experience after taking the controller's temperature (with my hand) many times after driving: it gets warm, but never hot. (Never so warm that it's uncomfortable to touch.)

View all ForkenSwift galleries > DC motor controller ...

Curtis 1204-412 motor controller
That green box is the controller that's in the car now: a rebuilt Curtis 36-48 volt 400 amp DC motor controller original...
GE EV-1 control panel
Here's the brains of the forklift.

This control panel includes all the circuitry, fuses and contactors (big relays)...
GE EV-1 DC motor controller
The EV-1 SCR (silicon controlled resistance) type of controller actually has decent features: including adjustable accel...
The GE EV-1 controller on the "test bench"
We knew that the EV-1 worked: we had dropped 3 marine batteries in the Baker forklift and moved it under its own power f...
GE EV-1 controller in action (light test)
For testing, instead of controlling a DC motor, the EV-1 was hooked up to one of the 36 volt spotlights from the forklif...
Curtis 1204-410 36-48 volt 225 amp Club Car golf cart controller
Even after getting the EV-1 to work, we decided a "plug and play" golf cart controller would be easier for testing/devel...
Finned aluminum heat sink
(Inset: controller mounted on the heatsink)

Controllers can get pretty hot when they're worked hard or for a long tim...
Precharge resistor
Most controllers have banks of capacitors inside that help to smooth current flow. The capacitors gradually discharge w...
Curtis 1204-412: adjustable features
Note the adjustable current limiting (CL) and acceleration rate (ACC). Plug braking (PLUG) mode isn't used.

For maxi...