Solar-Cross hybrid e-bike

myzter

1 kW
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
411
Location
Van, B.C.
Moved to:
E-Bike Photos & Video
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=6
 
If you want to make use of the solar cells, put them at home with a grid tie inverter.

Putting them on a bike only hurts performance and makes the least efficient use of the energy they can produce.
 
liveforphysics said:
If you want to make use of the solar cells, put them at home with a grid tie inverter.

Putting them on a bike only hurts performance and makes the least efficient use of the energy they can produce.

Still pretty cool though Luke and if he parks his bike in the sun for 3 weeks it will be fully charged :mrgreen:

I would also suggest a home solar setup i so much want to get into solar and wind energy but these frocking e-bikes keep taking my money godz damzit :cry: :lol: Can any solar DIYers here recommend a good 'alternative energy' forum?

KiM
 
AussieJester said:
liveforphysics said:
If you want to make use of the solar cells, put them at home with a grid tie inverter.

Putting them on a bike only hurts performance and makes the least efficient use of the energy they can produce.

Still pretty cool though Luke and if he parks his bike in the sun for 3 weeks it will be fully charged :mrgreen:

I would also suggest a home solar setup i so much want to get into solar and wind energy but these frocking e-bikes keep taking my money godz damzit :cry: :lol: Can any solar DIYers here recommend a good 'alternative energy' forum?

KiM

You probably have already been there, but otherpower.com is my favourite forum for RE
 
thnx, nice link..
100's of people that have viewed the bike and the handful which have had the experience, none are as well traveled as that Luke, he's obviously rode everywhere in the absolute straightest line.

I would also suggest a home solar setup

Will wait for flexible CIGS which are over 15% and keep it portable. If anyone is going to begin a project with solar.. my advise would be to wait for flexible CIGS PV.. This project was really low cost and I would still be saving if not for big support.

3 weeks it will be fully charged
I cant say otherwise because I mainly ride only several blocks at a time and dont require a battery with 100% remaining capacity. Lately what happens is I fast charge for 10 mins with AC PS and balance the cells up with the solar.
 
I've always wondered why putting the solar panel on the bikes seemed like a good idea.

It would be way better to have the solar array at home, charging a big ol' battery... lots of battery on the bike too..
Unless you leave your bike parked out in the optimal sun location.

But then you are dealing with added weight, up top, which is the worst place for it.. it can interfere with aerodynamics and make your drag worse.. and it isn't always pointed in the right location when riding.

Good for show, but i fail to see how it makes any practical sense to have the panels on the bike.
 
nice idea mate, but yea, like others have said, put those panels on your roof, and you'll effectively still be charging your bike with them whenever you plug your charger into the grid (assuming you run the power from the panels to the grid). added to witch your bike can be leaner/less wind drag and the panels will benefit from better positioning round the clock to absorb more photons.
 
Just incase everyone doesnt have everything figured out.. The top panel's angle is adjustable.. You people believe my bike incurs additional wind drag than the same 2 wheeler without the fairing in an upright or even a tucked riding position in a head on wind .. crazy !
By the way, I travel between Canadian provinces monthly and setup shop where I can. I have no roof top like everyone here seems to imply ..
So to follow the strong advise from the bike integrated PV inexperienced .. I would have to dumb it down and carry atleast an 60watt $1000 folding solar panel. yeah great ! let me picture it..
That would mean In order to solar charge having space for the bike aswell as to layout a 60" x 42" panel.. compared to parking Solarcross towards the sun and pushing a switch.. hmm to each his own
 
myzter said:
....
By the way, I travel between Canadian provinces monthly and setup shop where I can. I have no roof top like everyone here seems to imply
....

meant no offence mate, sorry if it came across that way. if Youse got no fixed addy then panels on the bike makes a bit more sense.
 
2013 SolarCross XC Monocross

p3pb9685511.jpg


Solar hybrid e-bike with reflector package
[youtube]Lqqar1isI78[/youtube]

Solar panel re-designed
I wanted to build a solar panel with Sun Power cells @ under 100 grams ..
this is what I created .. a 12 watt solar panel @ 95.6 grams
p3pb9799316.jpg

8 / panels in total for 2013 SolarCross
###################################

After finally getting all the hardware in place this project took only a couple weeks to assemble a working prototype.
(1st prototype)
Pre-Built-SolarCross.jpg

SolarCross 2012 pre-test build w/o sun diffuser
p4pb9044299.jpg

E-Bike Features:
Freewheel crank
5T motor sprocket driving a 80T sprocket
18 speeds / 1 small & 1 large sprocket upfront, and 9 gears on rear wheel

90% complete
Solar-Cycle-Fairing-No-Cells.jpg


24volt controller, 24v 750watt motor
6s1p 5000mah main LIPO battery
2x 4s1p LIPO 5000mah booster packs wired in series (SPDT rockers) with output from controller

Rider view
Emergency kill switch
Two booster pack switches and a third switch to test straight solar output to motor
4x DPDT switches to route solar output to batteries
4x volt meters to monitor 3 battery packs and solar output
Top meter is watt analyzer wired directly before the motor
Solar-Cross-Instrumentation.jpg


Solar panels are hand built from aluminium angle and rivets, and polycarbonate. Designed to be super lightweight due to the 1000's of holes drilled to remove as much material a possible. Photovoltaics consist of 18x 6"x6" mono crystalline solar cells @ 3.8-4watts output each providing an est. 8.7volts (9v minus diode loss) and controlled to recharge any two cells from either booster packs and main pack.

The remaining 10% of the build entails installing the top sheet, a highly transparent lightweight FEP film (96%), and some wild nighttime lighting effects..

drivetrain demonstration (video quality is not that great)
[youtube]ZpLF1F2anpA[/youtube]
small sprocket up front, can drive the bike without pedaling in the bike park, shown up to 0:55 mark then large sprocket for video remainder.

Latest video:
[youtube]mAZ6xWOcP9M[/youtube]

Finallly got around to building it... short video soon.. in editing...
Electric-Snow-Bike.jpg

. . . . Large Pic
 
Who makes the freewheel crank and sprocket?
To get such a low tooth count, the electric motor uses #25 chain and sprocket. Nowhere could I find this pre-built, so I built it myself. To build the freewheel requires 3-4 different parts suppliers... the freewheel is BMX type. 170mm threaded crank arms and I use regular sprockets upfront running the rear 9 speed cassette.. to have 3 sprockets upfront requires a longer bottom bracket cartridge.. more details may help but everything depends on your clearances on the right side spindle length..
hope this helps
 
... doesn't seem like a 6t sprocket would last too long though
time will tell.. so far no signs of noticeable wear.. These sprockets are used for 3+ HP gas scooters and pocket bikes... and Ive read that guys have run them for 3 years with daily use... my 1HP motor has alot less torque.. Its the custom coupling that has the issues... TGN "T-Rex" super high quality hardened steel sprockets
 
Hello ES members and guests...
It has been approx. one month and a half..
Guys on PB forums helped me figure out which year my FSR is and it is a 1998 model !
I have gone ahead and rebuilt the drive system with the lower tooth count sprocket, now running a 5T sprocket on the motor.

I'll let the video tell the rest :
[youtube]rW5956tOie8[/youtube]

The bike is just as I imagined it would be ... 70 watts from solar might just be enough for transportation !!
 
Those of you looking for a very efficient, exhilarating, superhuman ride...

In the next weeks I will provide demonstration:

>:Trybrid system > motor only / pedal-motor assist / pedal only

>:GPS plus Energy data overlaid within upcoming video's

For the fastest acceleration throughout the eight-teen gears the rider must only pedal at approx. 3 revolutions per second.

Quick update \ 9/10/2011:
Two weeks behind now (new motor needed), 2nd year now solar testing begins at summer's end.
good news: 24v + 16v booster battery, enough torque, sitting on the ebike, spin a donut in gravel / 5t-80t
bad news: twisted the motor shaft (11mm) into two pieces, snap right before the copper windings.
- both rear shock mounting bolts broke, but didn't fail. Replaced the upper, but the lower broke on the threaded linkage.

Additionally, installed 6 PV cells onto top panel for just 3 volts @ 7 amps, this was enough voltage to ride and to turn the wheels without any pedaling (1-3kph). I road down a street 90 degrees sideways from the sun on 3volts solar power / I even switched between 3 gears... interesting .. my combined PV output spec. 9 Volts (0.55v X 18).

I'll get a pic uploaded tonight.
 
motor-panel.jpg

Left:
Solarcross PV panel sits atop handle bars
- open voltage here is 3.3volts & current is 7.1amps
- very light weight / guess - 2lbs or less
Right:
750 watt motor with broken shaft
- shaft broke off in the center of the coils
- 5 tooth sprocket
 
sunday-solar-cross.jpg


Three hour job took six, clouds rolled in... measuring PV output as 9.5+ volts in a wide range of direction, no amps measured as no sunshine yet...

Twelve thirty in the morning,,,, now waiting for sunrise, and (IF Im called into work) luckily forecast sunshine

After this next PV powered speed test, Rebuild the freewheel drive completely... thousand kilometers so far...on a rear derailleur with virtually no spring..
 
Changed some things in the past month... New lighter bike, same model FSR. Rebuilt crank, and sprockets... upped the controller to 36V from 24V... And I carry the 36V 5000mah pack in a backpack the rider must wear instead of mounting on the bike directly. Bike is under 40lbs now (without solar). 7" tablet mounted on bars with GPS, E-compass, and accelerometer.
387430_10150400303462136_700812135_8754932_2015055962_n.jpg
 
any more info on the solar cells?
7amps sounds very good
an mppt may well increase the output ( from what i've read you can get 30% or so more power to the battery )
 
[youtube]N_2HKVM_5uo[/youtube]
My Specialized FSR at just under 40lbs weight the very efficient electric Solar-Cross (one horsepower) is able to remain on top the Pacific Ocean sand along English Bay in Vancouver. Only approx. 2 feet away from the ocean waters, sinking deep into the wet beach sand is hard escape, but easy to maintain once enough momentum is attained. I did try only pedaling without motor, and I was not having any success at getting up to a stable speed.. almost impossible as a matter of fact...

Throttle was about half twist or 0.5 horsepower.
Drive sprocket was set on the larger of the two front rings (38T)

any more info on the solar cells?
I cant say too much as Im working on an improvement... but I will say this "winglet"
In order to utilize the high amps my panels are capable of delivering, I found a company which specializes in light and optics...
 
Seaside Bicycle Route along Sunset Beach Vancouver - Solar Cross
[youtube]_-aQR0H0qn0[/youtube]
 
Just an update:
- been riding to work everyday through Richmond, BC.. Even in the heaviest rains, without issue. Over 500km's so far.
- Installed an Sram gripshift (8spd), with 8 spd. Mega-Range rear cassette. - works great!
The biggest news is I got a 2012 GoPro Sponsorship !
- They sent me 2 of the new GoPro Hero 2 cameras - awesome!

I hope to cover alot of trails this year.


proxy


Battery pack is now tethered and I keep it stored in the bottom of my back pack (battery pack on seat), an elastic band is used to keep the battery wires from getting in the way.
36v 5ah only!
 
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