ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: lowriderzzz on June 22, 2012, 05:49:41 PM
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So I live near the beach and summer time I go there with my motorcycle and I was thinking what could it be done so while i enjoy my time the bike to recharges it self (note there is no charging spot nearby). So I came with the idea of some sort of rolling in and out solar charger, so when you park the bike you roll the charger out and the sun does the rest charging job.
Here are some pictures of my scooter ( i used a diesel one just to take the shots). It is just a concept and I used an old carpet just to put the idea out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419313210/#in/photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419313210/#in/photostream)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419313464/#in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419313464/#in/photostream/)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419312002/#in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419312002/#in/photostream/)
My questions are. 1st - what do you think of the idea? And 2nd can you think of some appropriate roll up chargers on the market that can do the job. And is it going o be efficient that way with that are of the charger. How much time do you think it will take to recharge an average Electric bike battery?
Basically you will have to roll it out when you stop somewhere. Then roll it in and attach it on the bike somehow and drive away.
Here is ''somehow mounted to the bike"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419375968/#in/photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/69716062@N05/7419375968/#in/photostream)
So i'm waiting opinions, insights and constructive critique.
Thanks
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it'll take days to recharge with a solar panel that size. They're not very energy dense.
It's a good idea, but you'll need a much larger area to generate anything reasonable to recharge.
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it'll take days to recharge with a solar panel that size. They're not very energy dense.
It's a good idea, but you'll need a much larger area to generate anything reasonable to recharge.
do you think so - i haven't done any calculations yet. I just wondered if it will be liked by most people.
thanks for your point
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Solar panels require a large surface area. To get a decent amount of wattage, you're going to need a larger area. How large is your charger for the scooter? Go look at how large a 40-50W solar panel is.
So let say your charger is 500W on a small scooter with a 2kwh battery. That'll take 4 hours to fully charge, or right about there. Now, 500W, is 10 50W panels, which is going to take up much more space than that carpet. Imagine a large living room rug, not an entry rug.
I do like the idea, but the design must pass scrutiny on the electrical feasability first.
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I do like the idea, but the design must pass scrutiny on the electrical feasability first.
or maybe it will have to wait for the future when solar panels efficiency improves.
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probably won't happen for a while, it's not they they're that inefficient, it's that they're thin and you need a large surface area, not volume. They're energy dense for their volume, but they take up a wide area because they're so thin.
Maybe you could get a 100W panel and a 100W charger and do that, at least it helps.
Have you looked at costs for flexible solar cells?
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probably won't happen for a while, it's not they they're that inefficient, it's that they're thin and you need a large surface area, not volume. They're energy dense for their volume, but they take up a wide area because they're so thin.
Maybe you could get a 100W panel and a 100W charger and do that, at least it helps.
Have you looked at costs for flexible solar cells?
yea will have to.
by the way do you know something about this : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqng5GKGH9Es8FlkeWl7Fbjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20120626100634AASYYLW (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aqng5GKGH9Es8FlkeWl7Fbjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20120626100634AASYYLW)
I posted the question
will post it here as a thread too.
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search for hubmotor, not wheel motor.
kelly sells them.
the problem with those, is that you'll have to fabricate a new rear arm for most scooters.
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search for hubmotor, not wheel motor.
kelly sells them.
the problem with those, is that you'll have to fabricate a new rear arm for most scooters.
im kind of newbie on the maintenance part is that a major problem (to fabricate a new rear arm )
and who is kelly - is there a website.
thanks
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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=kelly+hub+motor (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=kelly+hub+motor)
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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=kelly+hub+motor (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=kelly+hub+motor)
thanks for the link
by the way - see this guy has added solar panels for his electric scooter. It probably does work - however his are solid ones (not rollable) perhaps they generate more power.
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which guy? This one?
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/pvscooter.htm (http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/pvscooter.htm)
His is a 120W solar array and he drives 5 miles to work on a scooter that likely uses less than 100Wh/mile. He could easily charge that 500W he used in 5 hours while at work with the right converter (solar cell voltage fluctuates, so you have to take that input and boost to pack voltage). It's also 48V and uses a C-40 charge controller to go from solar cell to the 48VDC pack.
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which guy?
ops.. forgot the link
http://www.reallifenews.com/environment/2007/05/want_to_build_a_solar_powered.php (http://www.reallifenews.com/environment/2007/05/want_to_build_a_solar_powered.php)
google solar scooter too there are also some DIY models
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I did google, that's how I found it.
It's the same guy, 120W and they take up a lot of space. Don't expect your roll up solar cells to be more efficient or smaller, and they definitely will not be cheaper.
It's better to get a ton of solar cells and put them on your roof/yard and offset the electricity you're using, than it is to carry around a bunch of solar cells and try to charge a vehicle. It's more weight, it's going to effect your aerodynamics which will use more energy.
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It's better to get a ton of solar cells and put them on your roof/yard and offset the electricity you're using, than it is to carry around a bunch of solar cells and try to charge a vehicle. It's more weight, it's going to effect your aerodynamics which will use more energy.
yes you have a point on that. But the main idea was to have a vehicle being able to recharge on its own. Independent from any grids and outlets. However it seems like the price is not worth the extra.
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Thin film is very light, but low power and very expensive.
Powerfilm makes some of the best folding or rollable thin film solar panels.
Powerfilm R28 rollable panel is $285 (http://www.buysolargadgets.com/servlet/the-119/PowerFilm-R28-R-dsh-28-%2828/Detail), 15V up to 1.8A. Unrolled size is 2.0m x 0.37m or 6.6' x 1.2'. Weight is 1.8 lbs.
A series configuration of 5 panels would probably be appropriate to charge a 65V battery like the 2012 Zero bikes. Cost is $1425, unrolled size 6.6' x 6.0', weight 9.0 lbs. Under direct sunlight you should expect to charge around 120W, which would give you about 1-1.5 miles of additional range per hour charging.
Here's an example monocrystalline (rigid) configuration.
Power Up BSP40-12 is $132 (http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerUp-BSP-4012-40-Watt-12-Volts-p/powerup-bsp-4012.htm), 17V up to 2.4A. Size is 2.3' x 1.75', weight is 11.8 lbs.
A series configuration of 4 panels would be appropriate to charge a 65V battery like the 2012 Zero bikes. Panel cost is $528, rack size is 3.5' x 4.6', panel weight is 47 lbs. Under direct sunlight you should expect to charge around 156W, which gives you around 1.3 - 2.0 miles of additional range per hour charging.
A multi-point power tracking controller could boost charging power by 10-20% .. but good luck finding one designed for the lithium batteries in our bikes.
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I currently ride an A2B Metro electric bicycle which is pretty much an electric scooter. I charge it solely on solar power to make my 9.2 mile daily commute. My range is about 16 miles being conservative with my lipo batteries. I charge at home with a deep cycle 12V sealed lead acid battery. The 12V battery is charged from a MPPT charge controller from Morningstar and a 135W Kyocera solar panel perched on the roof of my garage. I charge the bike's batteries with an iCharger 3010B R/C charger that pulls from the deep cycle battery. My bike runs at 72volts so I have two 36V packs run in series after they are charged from the iCharger.
Here is an overall picture:
(http://www.dieselgeek.com/v/images/wholeshebang.JPG)
Here is a look at the bike at the charging station. I have a Morningstar Sunsaver MPPT charge controller mounted on an aluminum plate on the left. This gets power from the solar panel. It is super efficient and I've seen up to 121W worth of charging from my 135W panel. In the middle on the ground is the iCharger 3010B which feeds both of my 10S battery packs in parallel. I try to charge in the daytime when the solar resource is greatest and the charge controller can pump out the juice. Finally, I have one big 100Ah Sears Diehard deep cycle battery with two smaller UPS batteries in parallel to store the solar power.
(http://www.dieselgeek.com/v/images/solarchargingstation1.JPG)
The solar panel stores electricity from about 8 hours of good sun. I don't think that portability is possible even for the 32wh/mile riding that I do. I think a fixed charging station and a decent on board battery storage is the only way you can ride on solar, especially at the motorcycle level. I am interested in the Zero XU to replace the A2B Metro and solar will be how I charge. My solar charging station will certainly need to be upgraded to 24V with a bigger 240W panel(s) for sure!
Th setup I have cost about $1000 after shipping. I am as much into solar as I am into the bike.
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we dont have XUs or other 2012 bikes over here, mostly 2010 or older and couple of 2011 S/DS. from the specs I read and in terms of riding a motard style bike with fun i would prefer the 2011S over a XU 2012. similar specs - and pricing likely same/same....
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I was thinking that the lower weight of the XU would be nice. I'm also 5'7" and the lower seat and general narrowness of the XU is preferable. My local dealer wasn't too interested in talking lower numbers for the 2011S he had on the showroom floor. If it was my dealership I'd be aching to get rid of it.
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Thin film is very light, but low power and very expensive.
Powerfilm makes some of the best folding or rollable thin film solar panel (http://www.shinesolar.net).
Powerfilm R28 rollable panel is $285 (http://www.buysolargadgets.com/servlet/the-119/PowerFilm-R28-R-dsh-28-%2828/Detail), 15V up to 1.8A. Unrolled size is 2.0m x 0.37m or 6.6' x 1.2'. Weight is 1.8 lbs.
A series configuration of 5 panels would probably be appropriate to charge a 65V battery like the 2012 Zero bikes. Cost is $1425, unrolled size 6.6' x 6.0', weight 9.0 lbs. Under direct sunlight you should expect to charge around 120W, which would give you about 1-1.5 miles of additional range per hour charging.
Here's an example monocrystalline (rigid) configuration.
Power Up BSP40-12 is $132 (http://www.ecodirect.com/PowerUp-BSP-4012-40-Watt-12-Volts-p/powerup-bsp-4012.htm), 17V up to 2.4A. Size is 2.3' x 1.75', weight is 11.8 lbs.
A series configuration of 4 panels would be appropriate to charge a 65V battery like the 2012 Zero bikes. Panel cost is $528, rack size is 3.5' x 4.6', panel weight is 47 lbs. Under direct sunlight you should expect to charge around 156W, which gives you around 1.3 - 2.0 miles of additional range per hour charging.
A multi-point power tracking controller could boost charging power by 10-20% .. but good luck finding one designed for the lithium batteries in our bikes.
Very impressive thought but I am not sure it is worth to have solar charger or not.. I am worried about output which is very low in dark weather.