80 Day Race Open Source Design

This popped up on the forum the other day: 80 Day Race. Its a race like no other, around the the world in eighty days, but with a set of rules that restrict vehicles to having no combustion engine and powered entirely with renewable energy. Here's a thread dedicated to a technical elaboration of a vehicle that might succeed, a kind of open-source approach to the e-vent. Regardless whether any vehicle is fielded from this work, its a design challenge that many of us have periodically considered.

Design parameters

Starting in April 2016, teams will race between 8 of the most exciting locations around the world without using a single drop of fossil fuel. The competing teams will choose their own routes and means of transport between 8 stopovers. All land-, water- and air vehicles are allowed as long as it runs on renewable resources and has no combustion engine. http://80dr.com/80-day-race/

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• Its 24,855 miles over 80 days, so averaging 311 miles a day
• any route is permissible, route construction and maintenance will be a key factor of success
• no combustion engine, renewable energy only
• bio-diesel is not permissible, as energy can not be derived from burning the fuel
• an all electric vehicle of some kind is likely best - a car like Tesla, motor cycle, bi- or tri-cycle
• principal means for on-road charging would be solar, wind or a combination
• sails are OK, mounted to a land or water vehicle, or hybrid all-terrain
• the two ocean crossings are facilitated by the organizers
• vehicle(s) must carry at least two people
• "teams must enrol a land vehicle during qualifying events, but on the other hand, there is no limitation in the amount of land-, water-, and air vehicles a team desires to use during the whole length of the 80 Day Race; Teams may change vehicles during the race, but all vehicles need to be approved by 80 Day Race before the start of the race"
• teams encouraged to take 8 hours rest during every 24-hour period - the rest periods are not counted as race time
• teams will have to respect the local legislation - speed limits matter

Route

Notes
The design issues involved in combining the best of modern technology to achieve long distance travel using only renewable energy merits consideration, regardless whether a vehicle is entered into the race or not. I have and am continuing the consideration, of a solar eBike camping capability. As have numerous ES members - the on-the-road charging consideration. The various vehicles designed for the race will be pushing the technology in interesting ways, so merit our taking a close look.

A Dual Motor Tandem Bicycle
I posted on the MXUS 3000 Hub Motor asking about this. Fastest average speeds will need to be only in the 50-60 mile range, to accommodate the local roads & road laws. That makes 6000 watts of power enough for this race. There is some optimum amount of battery, hence weight, also more charging time, motive power compromise - a design conundrum

See notes on How to Solar Charge an Electric Bicycle. This tandem bicycle would be a variation of the solar eBike camping trip, albeit very long. Camping cuts down the amount of time spent on the sleep cycle. Light weight solar pv that can be carried un-furled.

Given the rather droll set of rules emerging, that an electric vehicle can plug in anywhere, and vehicle swapping or battery swapping, I'm not particularly interested in this race. It does obviate my interest in the design challenge posed, or in some world-wide cooperative competitions fielding a vehicle which would allow around the globe fast racing on ambient energy alone (wind & solar). My rules would be only one vehicle only (no swapping either of vehicle or battery) and that its charging capability be on-board and all charging use its carried source.

So that would be challenging, for designer, builders and racing drivers.

Wind Power
So let's say a tandem dual-motor eBike built on the basis of two MXUS 3000 motors. They are direct drive. Meaning forward & reverse, regenerative braking and spinning backwards, capable of charging up your batteries. The problem then becomes how to do that and wind is the best answer.

So I ask, what is the blade length needed to spin the MXUS 3000 for charge? See Wind Speed and Power.

Obviously a lot of variation in wind speed. The aim would be to carry both light weigh solar PV and the blades to turn the bicycle wheels into wind turbines. Theoretical, and latter we'll worry about how to rig such a thing in way that it could all be carried on the bicycle. Think tandem bicycle, so that could be longer than optimum for a ride, just to carry a set of 3 blades - length does matter except to optimize the spin on the MXUS.

As a mathematical exercise, I'll look at my locality. The generalize that over a broader area.

from: https://weatherspark.com/averages/31162/Worcester-Massachusetts-United-States

For simplicity sake, I'll take a 10mph average. So A is 3000/(0.0052 * 1000) = 577 sq.ft. A = (pi) r-squared. So the rotor blade would need to be 13.5 feet. At least within some measure of feasibility. Next we'll calculate battery size and necessary charging characteristics optimizing the design a bit more.

Your idea was great untill i read this "teams will have to respect the local legislation - speed limits matter " Cant use in europe a bicycle with more than 250w and more than 25km/h speed. You will have to legalice your proyect as a motorbike.

Any way i think it would be very important to make it velomobile style :wink:

chucho said:

Your idea was great untill i read this "teams will have to respect the local legislation - speed limits matter " Cant use in europe a bicycle with more than 250w and more than 25km/h speed. You will have to legalice your proyect as a motorbike.

Any way i think it would be very important to make it velomobile style :wink:

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Sure, its all just a theoretical consideration at this point - having some fun with a design. I'm not sure whether it would be more advantageous to be a bicycle breaking the very low speed threshold, or having to up to moped or motorcycle. The kind of design outlined - a tandem dual-motor eBike - should be capable of near 100 mph speeds (with the right battery & controller). So maintaining road traffic speeds, until out on the open road, and cut loose. A traffic citation would be a nuisance and slow-down, the risk of which would be sacrificed for those 100+ mph stretches.

Part of what would make it fun for me and others on the ES forum is not buying something pre-built, but making it and do so on average man's wages. Not the elite man's around the world in eighty days race, but the people's version.

And yes, velomobile style, to cut down on wind drag and provide some level of comfort for the racers. Has anyone attempted a velo style tandem bicycle?

Is there a similar but simpler and cheaper race here in North America? Maybe across US Highway 50?



I always get a kick out of driving past this sign near Sacramento...