Food cart motor power requirements

[OMcComis]

I'm designing a food cart designed around a 3x5 foot stainless sandwich prep station. Total weight could exceed 400pds. How much motor power would I need? Figure 250-300 watts per hundred pounds? First attempt with a 2'x4' with 26" wheels burned up a 500watt motor pretty quick. (My son piloting never noticed motor getting hot } Guessing fully loaded 250pds or so.

 

[nicobie]

I'd look for a electric wheelbarrow motor. Ebike motors might run too fast.

e Barrow motor

I think I would buy this.

Grin's wheelbarrow motor

If you are not going to just walk behind the cart and need to go fast a gear driven motor might be best.

 

[amberwolf]

I'm designing a food cart designed around a 3x5 foot stainless sandwich prep station. Total weight could exceed 400pds. How much motor power would I need? Figure 250-300 watts per hundred pounds? First attempt with a 2'x4' with 26" wheels burned up a 500watt motor pretty quick. (My son piloting never noticed motor getting hot } Guessing fully loaded 250pds or so.

How fast does it need to go? Under what specific conditions?

It's a bit more complicated than just having enough power--the motor and system needs to be setup so that it's efficient range of operation under load is at the speed you want it to go. If it is setup for a much higher speed than you will be using it at, but you are still using it at the higher power levels, the current in the motor to create that power will also create a lot more heat than it would if it used at the same power level at it's intended speed.

I copied this from another thread that's also trying to move heavy loads at low speeds:

I think you might want to experiment with the motor simulator at ebikes.ca to see the relationships between all the different conditions and parts, including motor winding (kV) and battery voltage and current vs speed and heat created, etc. It will take some playing with the simulator to see how it works, after you read the instructions on the page.

You don't need to worry about setting it up with your actual parts. Just start with the default setup and then based on the info on how each thing works, start changing that to meet your actual conditions. Once you know more about it you can customize each thing to more closely match what you actually are trying to do, and see what it will take to efficiently do what you want to do.

You'll also get an idea of wh/mile for your situational usage, which means how much power it will take to go a certain distance. Since you know the speed you would be going then that will tell you how much time it will last.

 

[OMcComis]

I'd look for a electric wheelbarrow motor. Ebike motors might run too fast.

e Barrow motor

I think I would buy this.

Grin's wheelbarrow motor

If you are not going to just walk behind the cart and need to go fast a gear driven motor might be best.

Thanks for the input. Wheelbarrow motor interesting concept, would not want to exceed 10mph and push 400pds or so.

 

[OMcComis]

How fast does it need to go? Under what specific conditions?

It's a bit more complicated than just having enough power--the motor and system needs to be setup so that it's efficient range of operation under load is at the speed you want it to go. If it is setup for a much higher speed than you will be using it at, but you are still using it at the higher power levels, the current in the motor to create that power will also create a lot more heat than it would if it used at the same power level at it's intended speed.

I copied this from another thread that's also trying to move heavy loads at low speeds:

I think you might want to experiment with the motor simulator at ebikes.ca to see the relationships between all the different conditions and parts, including motor winding (kV) and battery voltage and current vs speed and heat created, etc. It will take some playing with the simulator to see how it works, after you read the instructions on the page.

You don't need to worry about setting it up with your actual parts. Just start with the default setup and then based on the info on how each thing works, start changing that to meet your actual conditions. Once you know more about it you can customize each thing to more closely match what you actually are trying to do, and see what it will take to efficiently do what you want to do.

You'll also get an idea of wh/mile for your situational usage, which means how much power it will take to go a certain distance. Since you know the speed you would be going then that will tell you how much time it will last.

Thanks for your input. Needs to move 400pds, 2-3 miles no faster than 10mph. Wheelbarrow motor was suggested, need to stop it also. Will check out simulator at any rate.