will this work?

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MaxPower

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
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Sierra Vista AZ
I'm sure its been suggested (I should do a better forum search) but has anyone tried to run their electric hubs with a generator instead of batters? I've been wanting to try something like this but I'm not sure what it would entail. what would be needed to control the power from the generator to the hub? I think it would be cool to have a dual use generator that you could take off the bike and use in a different application. just "unplug" it from the bike and use it to run a power tool or something.
 

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jdcburg

New Member
Jul 9, 2009
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massachusetts
Professor talked about a gas-electric alternator project here and on other forums last fall. Others have worked on the concept too. Look up hybrid or tribrid. You'll have to get the 110 AC to 24/36 DC (depending on your hub) with enough amps to power the hub. Anything is possible but things get heavy the more complicated you get. I think you could use a standard controller and throttle once you get things to DC - jd
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
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north carolina
Somebody had a trike that had a generator but his might have been hooked into the battery circuit charging the batteries as it went. My memory is a bit foggy on it now.
 

zabac70

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Mar 17, 2010
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Belgrade , Serbia
Yes , it can be done , but it's a waste of energy. Since nothing has efficiency of 100% (perpetuum mobile) , loses will be bigger than standard battery setup with regen , or standard ICU bike with external generator (which will be attached when needed). Yes you can make it, but there is no point. Parallel hybrids (both IC motor and E drive - engaged when needed) are used for extending range (and saving fuel) on a cars (that goes for bicycles too).
Your best bet would be e bike with trailer , with gen set on the trailer (and from it you can recharge batteries).
To put it in another way , your range would be less than pure gasoline bike by far.
 

Cabinfever1977

New Member
Mar 23, 2009
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Upstate,NY
The generator would come in handy to recharge your batteries.
But the added weight will cut your distance in half,but you can just recharge the batterys more often and will need to replace them often too.
Running the electric motor off the generator directly will probally be too many amps and will probally blow a fuse.

You could use a 110v electric motor directly with the generator to move the bike.
But either way check the max amps on your generator output and then check the max amps your motor will draw.
 
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corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
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KCMO
The charging batterys and the batterys running the motor ,,a guy was on here a month or so ago that had it working on a bike in a vidieo
 

MaxPower

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
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Sierra Vista AZ
I was thinking I could hack an old industrial shop fan. It would already have a throttle controller and I could just plug and play the thing into the generator. mount it to a heavy duty bike rack and buy a belt ring to mount to the spokes
 

Cabinfever1977

New Member
Mar 23, 2009
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Upstate,NY
why not just use a gas motor and skip the eletric.
If you want electric just carry extra batteries and bring charger with you.
Charge batteries at home.

Another option would be to connect the shaft of the generator to the sprocket on bike wheel and use that to power the bike, then you can use the eletric from generator just to power lights and stuff.
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
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north carolina
I tried build a generator from a scooter motor and a weed whacker. I got a brand new weed whacker with a broken drive shaft for my efforts. I went back to cabins methods.
 

FreeWheeler

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Jun 22, 2010
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Maryland
I must have a screw loose as I had this idea too. What I imagined was a brushless motor with the stator attached to weedeater shaft, or driving a motorcycle alternator. The brushless motor version would need the output changed to DC and something tells me 6 schottky diode bridge is needed for the 3 phase output. I thought a weedeater engine might last longer with a steady load rather than stop n go and that boosts efficiency of that link.

What batteries can handle simultaneous charge and discharge?