Solar powered ebike
- Thread starter Roop
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I meant while it's moving
Andrewr05
[Replicant 42069]
Yes, you theoretically could, but it would need to be a very efficient to be worthwhile.
For instance, if you were to put a 500 watt solar panel on the top of a Tesla 1 hour of sunlight might get you another mile of travel.
But then you also have a gigantic solar panel on your roof which is ruining your drag coefficient, so you're probably at a net loss due to the extra air resistance.
To do this on an e-bike would be the same thing, you would end up in the same situation with a lot of extra air resistance.
You could get away with buying folding/collapsing/flexible panels that you could deploy while you were parked and weren't writing it, but it still wouldn't be worth it.
justinm001
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Idk man, a solar panel is only like an inch thick. So a 8x8ft array of panels on top of an bike might be close enough to be self powered.
Balancing and parking is a whole another issue
Andrewr05
[Replicant 42069]
You would be hard-pressed to ride a bike comfortably with a single solar panel above your head, let alone and EIGHT by EIGHT ft area of panels.
Do some research on how many watts it takes to propel an ebike.
Via the laws of physics you couldn't produce enough wattage with solar panels to equal the normal power output of an e-bike.
Could you get an e-bike to be propelled forward by solar panels alone?
Absolutely, on flat ground I'm sure you could make it work.
But you could literally only do it in direct sunlight and it wouldn't put out enough wattage for you to go up any hills or to gain any meaningful amount of speed.
A very very low end eBike uses 500 Watts.
A 500 Watt solar panel is 7.5Ft by 4Ft.
Imagine trying to ride a bike with a full sheet of plywood above your head?
justinm001
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Totally get it but there's gotta be a number where you can create more energy by the sun than you use to move.
I also don't think it would be that hard to balance if mounted in middle. Wind is the real issue as you'd be an airplane
Andrewr05
[Replicant 42069]
As supplemental power, sure, but they still have batteries.
corn18
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48V @ 2A is 96W. Charger is using 89W. That seems to stack up pretty close.
meetyg
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The challenge I think is finding a solar panel small enough to fit the bike, but with high enough voltage to be able to charge the 48v battery.
You could DIY yourself a small panel out of many miniature cells (typically a single solar cell will output 0.6v, current varies depending on the size of the cell).
But it's alot of work...
You could DIY yourself a small panel out of many miniature cells (typically a single solar cell will output 0.6v, current varies depending on the size of the cell).
But it's alot of work...
0truck0
New Member
A well-trained fit cyclist can put out 1 horse power for 30 seconds to a few minutes or more, that is 750 watts. 500 watts for long periods is pro level area. That cyclist can ride a long way on 1/2 hp or 325 watts. That gets you up hills, though not super fast. You can ride around on flat ground at 12mph probably with 100-200 watts, you can research this as is all from my memory and not exact.
You would have to have a bike trailer with the panels on them, stupid to even talk about panels on your head, but u get that in forums.
Trailer is extra weight and drag. It would have to be custom as needs be a large surface area and to sit low to the ground.
You would have a battery on the ebike already and keep it there so it can be used when extra power needed and if you go under shade or is a partly cloudy day.
At worst it extends your ride time, at best you can power the motor 100% off the solar coming in. All depends on the sun and how much solar you capture (how big panels are etc).
Lots of little e-cars (4-wheel bikes with airfoil shapes basically ) have been made and driven, so that would be your model and source for information. You are just putting panels on a trailer rather than on the surface of the wing-shaped car enclosure.
Weight is a huge factor, so keep it light. Aerodynamics is only going to limit how fast you can go under any power output of the motor, not if it will go or not. Under 12mph and aerodynamics become pretty insignificant.
HarryN
Solar Enthusiast
There are golf carts that have solar panels on them to re-charge the 48 volt battery pack. I think of them as "range extenders" but the concept works.
Genasun – Sunforge LLC
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Ampster
Renewable Energy Hobbyist
Not to mention the effect of a cross breeze and the surface area of the panel and its affect on balancing a bicycle.
justinm001
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Sure, definitely not practical but ya know this is a solar forum not an aerodynamic one.
I'm just hoping someone smarter than me has some numbers on how much energy is needed to move 200lbs at 10mph. Then calculate the energy to watts and then we know how much solar is needed. I know aero plays a factor too in the equation, but lets not add safety, common sense and just how ridiculous you'd look riding a solar powered ebike with a massive solar array.
You can buy single cells for custom solar designs, and stack them into a frame.
It certanily is doable, but, not practical.
It certanily is doable, but, not practical.
Ampster
Renewable Energy Hobbyist
I don't know if I am smarter than your but my ebike has a 250 Watt motor but at 10 MPH on flat ground it does not take that much power to move me. If it were not raining outside I would ride around the block and give you a more acurate number.
The objective would be to provide charge/discharge parity but as already discussed the technical challenge is reasonably a stiff one.
On the upside, as discussed, its resaonably flat around here so full motive power would net 18mph max but 50% power is perfectly adequate (gives around 12mph) and extends the battery life quite a bit. I don't know what size the battery is- I can't find the manual for the bike but at an average 3/4 power setting I went 12 miles to 50% charge. It's pretty meagre I know, and the recharge to full was about two hours.
I'm taking onboard all the comments. I envisaged a trailer, not a caravan like some of the youtoob videos and one 100W panel is 6kg. Add in the weight of the miniscule battery (did you see the vid with the guy who carried around a 100Ah brick, lol) a small frame would come in under 15kg.
I havent run the numbers for one 100W panel though it's already apparent it's not enough.
MAybe that's the way forward. Carry a massive battery and have the charger fed through that. Defeats the object though.
On the upside, as discussed, its resaonably flat around here so full motive power would net 18mph max but 50% power is perfectly adequate (gives around 12mph) and extends the battery life quite a bit. I don't know what size the battery is- I can't find the manual for the bike but at an average 3/4 power setting I went 12 miles to 50% charge. It's pretty meagre I know, and the recharge to full was about two hours.
I'm taking onboard all the comments. I envisaged a trailer, not a caravan like some of the youtoob videos and one 100W panel is 6kg. Add in the weight of the miniscule battery (did you see the vid with the guy who carried around a 100Ah brick, lol) a small frame would come in under 15kg.
I havent run the numbers for one 100W panel though it's already apparent it's not enough.
MAybe that's the way forward. Carry a massive battery and have the charger fed through that. Defeats the object though.
