Constant Electric Regen

[BigBlue]

Found the perfect solution to your problem:
http://motorbicycling.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58701&stc=1&d=1366431055

Theoretically, it takes approximately 745 Watts to produce 1 horsepower or 1 horsepower to produce 745 Watts. Watts = Amps X Volts. You need 25 Amps at 12 volts which equals 300 Watts. So, theoretically, you'd need a more than a 1/2 horsepower to produce your 300 Watts. You also have to figure inefficiencies of converting the 12 volts to 48 volts, drag, tire resistance, etc.

How do you plan to get an additional 1/2 to 1 horsepower? To create energy, you have to expend energy - be it peddling or gas engine. I doubt you'd be able to sustain pedaling enough to generate 1/2 to 1 horsepower of energy. Just bolting a alternator onto your bike isn't going to do the job - it's just going to create resistance and deplete the batteries - nothing comes free.

Start-up is the killer of batteries and uses the most power. You could increase your range by pedal starting or using the gas engine and then when reaching cruising speed, use the electric motor.

Or you could use the gas motor to assist the electric motor to get an extended range. Another possibility would be to buy a 48 Volt hub motor for the front wheel to generate electricity, but would have to use the gas engine to generate the 1/2 to 1 horsepower, necessary to charge the batteries. Yes, hub motors generate electricity - just search YouTube or the Internet. It has to be a non-geared hub motor.

Good Luck,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue

 

[miked826]

Found the perfect solution to your problem:
http://motorbicycling.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58701&stc=1&d=1366431055

Theoretically, it takes approximately 745 Watts to produce 1 horsepower or 1 horsepower to produce 745 Watts. Watts = Amps X Volts. You need 25 Amps at 12 volts which equals 300 Watts. So, theoretically, you'd need a more than a 1/2 horsepower to produce your 300 Watts. You also have to figure inefficiencies of converting the 12 volts to 48 volts, drag, tire resistance, etc.

How do you plan to get an additional 1/2 to 1 horsepower? To create energy, you have to expend energy - be it peddling or gas engine. I doubt you'd be able to sustain pedaling enough to generate 1/2 to 1 horsepower of energy. Just bolting a alternator onto your bike isn't going to do the job - it's just going to create resistance and deplete the batteries - nothing comes free.

Start-up is the killer of batteries and uses the most power. You could increase your range by pedal starting or using the gas engine and then when reaching cruising speed, use the electric motor.

Or you could use the gas motor to assist the electric motor to get an extended range. Another possibility would be to buy a 48 Volt hub motor for the front wheel to generate electricity, but would have to use the gas engine to generate the 1/2 to 1 horsepower, necessary to charge the batteries. Yes, hub motors generate electricity - just search YouTube or the Internet. It has to be a non-geared hub motor.

Good Luck,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue

My 49cc Huasheng is getting tossed out soon and will be replaced with a 98cc Lifan with gobs of extra torque. My direct drive hub will be used in addition to the gas motor for hills and pulling away from a dead stop to 20mph, then it's all on the Lifan from 20mph until I reach maximum speed of 45 to 50 mph on level terrain and no headwind. The Lifan is almost 3 HP of ferociousness. LOL

You're right though, nothing comes for free, and I'm under no illusions as to what I'm up against.

 

[miked826]

Found the perfect solution to your problem:
http://motorbicycling.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58701&stc=1&d=1366431055

Theoretically, it takes approximately 745 Watts to produce 1 horsepower or 1 horsepower to produce 745 Watts. Watts = Amps X Volts. You need 25 Amps at 12 volts which equals 300 Watts. So, theoretically, you'd need a more than a 1/2 horsepower to produce your 300 Watts. You also have to figure inefficiencies of converting the 12 volts to 48 volts, drag, tire resistance, etc.

How do you plan to get an additional 1/2 to 1 horsepower? To create energy, you have to expend energy - be it peddling or gas engine. I doubt you'd be able to sustain pedaling enough to generate 1/2 to 1 horsepower of energy. Just bolting a alternator onto your bike isn't going to do the job - it's just going to create resistance and deplete the batteries - nothing comes free.

Start-up is the killer of batteries and uses the most power. You could increase your range by pedal starting or using the gas engine and then when reaching cruising speed, use the electric motor.

Or you could use the gas motor to assist the electric motor to get an extended range. Another possibility would be to buy a 48 Volt hub motor for the front wheel to generate electricity, but would have to use the gas engine to generate the 1/2 to 1 horsepower, necessary to charge the batteries. Yes, hub motors generate electricity - just search YouTube or the Internet. It has to be a non-geared hub motor.

Good Luck,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue

LOL The generator idea already rolled in one ear and right out the other. Those things weigh a ton and they're huge. I just can't go that route even though it would work, it's just not for me. It's just too much and my bike already weighs between 100 and 120 lbs.

 

[WightBoy]

I am going to be keeping an eye on this! I would really like to see if this works!

 

[nightcruiser]

As another poster pointed out, perpetual motion isn't possible with today's technology, if it was we would have electric cars running around that fully charge themselves already. The alternator is going to rob energy to spin and generate electricity and you will never get out more than it consumes. If you want it to charge your battery you will have to drive it with a force other than the battery, be it pedal power or a gas engine. If you ran on battery until it was low and then powered up a gas motor you could burn the gas to charge the battery, but you can't really burn the battery to charge the battery, you are always going to come up short on energy in that scenario...

 

[miked826]

As another poster pointed out, perpetual motion isn't possible with today's technology, if it was we would have electric cars running around that fully charge themselves already. The alternator is going to rob energy to spin and generate electricity and you will never get out more than it consumes. If you want it to charge your battery you will have to drive it with a force other than the battery, be it pedal power or a gas engine. If you ran on battery until it was low and then powered up a gas motor you could burn the gas to charge the battery, but you can't really burn the battery to charge the battery, you are always going to come up short on energy in that scenario...

You're are correct. I will never achieve perpetual motion no matter how hard I try. The force driving the alternator will eventually be a 3HP 98cc Lifan. I will lose a some top end speed, and a few MPG, but I can afford to with that Lifan.

The whole purpose of this experiment is to try to extend a single 8 lb. battery pack so it will last as long as multiple battery packs weighing more than twice as much as a single battery pack and costing roughly 10x as much as an alternator costs.

Weighing your bike down with Lithium will put you in the poor house real fast. It makes no sense. Gas engines, gas and alternators are dirt cheap in comparison. I seriously doubt the range of a bike weighed down to its limit with the most advanced, highest density Lithium batteries could ever equal a simple gas/electric setup running an alternator. The all electric bike would weigh as much as a full blown motorcycle if it could match the range and it would cost a fortune to build.

 

[miked826]

I am going to be keeping an eye on this! I would really like to see if this works!

Oh it's gonna work. How well it's gonna work will be a whole other question though. LOL

First I'm gonna buy the inverter and see just how long my motorcycle battery will last on its own.

Constant stop and go traffic and red lights/stop signs are gonna wreak havoc on the alternators ability to do its job.

 

[miked826]

The 400 watt inverter and LiNiMgCo battery charger are now mounted (outside between the 2 ammo cans) and wired up to the front 12V LiFePo4 battery and are now charging the main 48V battery pack on their own.

So much for being stealthy with the electric side of my bike. There can be no doubt anymore, to any novice that sees the back of my bike, that something electrical is going on with my bike besides the obvious gas engine. LOL

 

[miked826]

If I did my math right, my fully charged LiFePo4 12V 14Ah battery will be at it's low cutoff voltage (dead) in a little less than 40 minutes unless it is also being simultaneously charged while charging my 48V battery pack. Man that's fast.

Hope the alternator doesn't have too much drag on the motor. Yeah right. LOL

 

[Semaj]

I gotta know what the outcome of this was! You guys are masters of suspense!

 

[miked826]

Wrong thread. My bad.