fuseproject
1 µW
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
- Messages
- 3
Hi everybody,
I am completely new to the world of e-bikes, so bare with me. I've done a fair amount of research online but I was looking for ideas on a slightly different type of "e-bike".
As part of a capstone project, I'm trying to harness power via regenerative braking to power external devices such as a speedometer. This isn't like your everyday e-bike because I will NOT be using the motor to generate any sort of electric assist for the bicycle. All the energy captured via regenerative braking will be stored to power small, external devices. I have access to the front wheel on the bicycle.
From what I've read, it seems like only direct drive hub motors provide the opportunity to harness energy via regenerative braking at the expense of having the motor always engaged (causing some drag). As this project is an experiment, I'm not too worried about the drag.
My best guess at the moment to tackle this would be a small front direct drive hub motor w/ a controller that is somehow only activated via a brake toggle (programmed via controller??) that can generate power from the biker's momentum and relay that to a battery pack. I don't have the specs on the external devices yet but you can go ahead and assume that I will have to have some external circuitry to regulate the voltage supplied from the battery pack to the external devices.
My questions are:
- Is my thought process on the right track? If not, why not?
- How would you tackle this yourself?
- Do you have any recommendations for motors/controllers for powering smaller electronics?
- Any recommendations for a battery pack? I'm okay if the device dies ever so often (power generated through braking depends on path traversed)
Thanks for all the help!
I am completely new to the world of e-bikes, so bare with me. I've done a fair amount of research online but I was looking for ideas on a slightly different type of "e-bike".
As part of a capstone project, I'm trying to harness power via regenerative braking to power external devices such as a speedometer. This isn't like your everyday e-bike because I will NOT be using the motor to generate any sort of electric assist for the bicycle. All the energy captured via regenerative braking will be stored to power small, external devices. I have access to the front wheel on the bicycle.
From what I've read, it seems like only direct drive hub motors provide the opportunity to harness energy via regenerative braking at the expense of having the motor always engaged (causing some drag). As this project is an experiment, I'm not too worried about the drag.
My best guess at the moment to tackle this would be a small front direct drive hub motor w/ a controller that is somehow only activated via a brake toggle (programmed via controller??) that can generate power from the biker's momentum and relay that to a battery pack. I don't have the specs on the external devices yet but you can go ahead and assume that I will have to have some external circuitry to regulate the voltage supplied from the battery pack to the external devices.
My questions are:
- Is my thought process on the right track? If not, why not?
- How would you tackle this yourself?
- Do you have any recommendations for motors/controllers for powering smaller electronics?
- Any recommendations for a battery pack? I'm okay if the device dies ever so often (power generated through braking depends on path traversed)
Thanks for all the help!