500 Watt Gas Generator, $305 - 21 LBS, Unlimited Range???

[Lock]

Maybe get a more hydro-dynamic boat? A sailor would maybe use a larger (maybe), more comfy (to lie on? maybe) catamaran, with some sort of sail, and wait for a day that is forecast with a tail wind (long-range fcst to shift in the other direction maybe)... The paddles are just for show, or legalities, or something, AFAIK... Best to invite a guest eg a pretty grrrl... And please don't forget a couple or three brewskies... Anyway, I understand the mileage is pretty good... At least, so I've been told...

:wink:
L

BTW, I did camp once, up and down Rideau Lake, in Ontario... On a "cat"... (No motor, of any sort...) From Westport (on Upper Rideau. to the other end. Maybe 50 km... But we went there and back... Went all over those lakes actually... On a weeks vacation... Did that a few times... The paddle we carried was just a formality...

 

[swbluto]

Maybe get a more hydro-dynamic boat?

I'm thinking a racing/touring kayak with a catamaran would be ideal for electric propulsion, but 12-17 foot long kayak's don't have the appeal of an inflatable kayak you can crumple up and throw on the bike rack.

I know, on my bike at least, I'd be able to load the bike with an inflatable kayak, camping gear, portable trolling motor and a genset, but I'm not entirely sure if I can load the kayak with the bike, camping gear and genset. (Weight wise seems doable... I think...but still... loading the bike seems like it might be tricky.)

 

[shenzhen_ex]

China is awesome............well maybe this is a bad example :|
That is a purpose built ebike gas generator, 300w, 5kg, $90USD
This is not my bike!

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm...-44c2-90a1-ed34d3d1667f&jlogid=p08012459d9f8c

 

[speedmd]

Hydrogen fuel cells as power sources. Clean, quiet, co2 and water as exhaust. Make your own fuel with the sun/ wind.

http://www.designboom.com/technology/hydrogen-bike-by-acta-energy/
http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=832&first=2978&end=2977

 

[neptronix]

^-- where's the 'buy it now' link?

I've heard of hydrogen bicycles, but you can't buy any of that stuff. Saw some 200W hydrogen range extender once though... the cost was in the thousands of dollars..

 

[Neo2172]

China is awesome............well maybe this is a bad example :|
That is a purpose built ebike gas generator, 300w, 5kg, $90USD
This is not my bike!

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm...-44c2-90a1-ed34d3d1667f&jlogid=p08012459d9f8c

That is awesome!!! At only 11 pounds That would be amazing to mount on a rear rack! I'd even accept it being alot louder in exchange for the weight savings... I tried to look at the page with google translate but it didn't do much good. Any idea how someone living in the US would acquire one of these? I havent been able to find ANY ready to use generator smaller than the 500 watt one I posted. The closest I've come in my search is this 350 watt genny that Harbor Freight used to make (see attached image) at only 13 pounds it would be perfect for a rack mount too. It is nearly impossible to find one since they went out of production tho...

Anyone know of ANY source I can purchase a 300 - 350 watt genny?

 

[shenzhen_ex]

...Any idea how someone living in the US would acquire one of these?.....

I know how to export goods from China to the US but In this case It would not be cost effective unless the order quantity was high. Sorry.

Maybe you can make one? The one in the link is made with a common small engine and the items pictured below.

 

[TheBeastie]

China is awesome............well maybe this is a bad example :|
That is a purpose built ebike gas generator, 300w, 5kg, $90USD
This is not my bike!
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm...-44c2-90a1-ed34d3d1667f&jlogid=p08012459d9f8c

Yeah some interesting stuff out there, I noticed you can even buy a box to house it on the back of your bike.
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.0.0Yexde&scm=1007.295.0.0&id=16647025216&pvid=0cfc0564-c0df-4516-91d0-1be88a1a3c28&jlogid=p081624374b445


I looked on Aliexpress and there are few things out there of interest. This guy has a 3kw DC ebike generator. Its 22kg though so only usable on a bike trailer or for trike. Its actual size seems reasonably small though 340x320x310(mm).
This guys description is kind of funny, trying to sell it speech combined with bad english. Appears he used a google translator or something similar.
As we know most of the time, there is a problem for the electric vehicles ... that when running out of battery, they begin to become a “dull boy”.. And the whole vehicle is just like a pile of scrap after we re-charge the battery to get them moving again.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3kw-Electric-vehicle-bicycle-tricycle-four-wheeler-DC-battery-Charging-Generator-System/739864313.html

 

[dogman dan]

I hadn't seen the HF 350w before. That would be perfect, if Honda made it. FWIW my 800w Honda generator finally broke down last winter. It ran several times a year for oh, 30 years or so. I've owned it about 12 years.

I nearly bought a HF two stroke gennie to replace it, but ended up getting the Honda a new exhaust valve for about the same price.

No telling how long a harbor freight version would last, but the main thing I didn't want is two stroke. My 4 stroke Honda does not stink at all, nor make much noise. But it was made heavy as hell, mostly to keep it from wandering all over the place as it runs I think. The EU 1000 weighs about half as much.

I would love to have a 400w, able to pull my 350v charger, that weighed less than a 15 ah battery, was 4 stroke, and reasonably quiet. I could just bolt it to the rear rack of my cargo bike, and ride along at 15 mph infinitely, letting it charge 10 ah of battery. I was working on a trailer hitch to do that with my 50 pound generator, but decided I'm just too sick to ride that far anyway.

I think the technology is there for a 10 pound generator, there are old threads that discuss how to homebuild one from a 2 stroke weedeater motor. We just need it mass produced by a quality company like Honda. The problem is, most people want 1000w or more of power. They want to heat a tent, or whatever.

 

[teklektik]

...there are old threads that discuss how to homebuild one from a 2 stroke weedeater motor. We just need it mass produced by a quality company like Honda.

Honda sells their line of small engines separately, although they are a bit pricey. The 25cc Honda 4-stroke GX25 is 7lbs dry. Belt it up to that old hubbie and direct charge your battery a la regen...



A related post about using controller in a similar generator project......

 

[speedmd]

Now, if you could get the gens throttle to vary with the ebike's current demand and idle down low /stall when not much is drawn, you would really have something. It would be called a "Smart Gridless" setup. 8)

 

[dogman dan]

That's an option discussed a lot in those old threads, along with using those small engines for homebuilding a super light generator.

On a larger bike, such as many longtails, one might consider a dual dirve. Not so much to recharge with regen, as to run electric till you run out, then take over with gas. How about this for an idea. This frame, purpose built for a very reliable Subaru gas engine bike, plus a freewheeling front hub motor?



http://www.designlogicbikes.com/aboutus.html

 

[Lock]

Seen (all over the news, here, for example
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/11/texas-tragedy-ample-oil-no-water

In part:

A Texan tragedy: ample oil, no water
Fracking boom sucks away precious water from beneath the ground, leaving cattle dead, farms bone-dry and people thirsty.

Maybe "Jed" was right... But it wasn't "tea" he was talking about... may have been "t" like in "tragedy"... Now, repeat after me...

"The stars are bright" (etc)

Might come in handy if somebuddy says to you "Howdy, partner!", then ask you to "dance"... Remember, just ask "How high?"

Have a nice day...
L

 

[dogman dan]

And the worst, and longest, western drought in more than 50 years had nothing to do with the water shortage too.

Again, the idea here is to use the gas only when you must. Like when the route to the mountains is 70 miles in, and 70 back out, no place to charge. Carrying 50 miles range is easy as pie.

 

[swbluto]

...there are old threads that discuss how to homebuild one from a 2 stroke weedeater motor. We just need it mass produced by a quality company like Honda.

Honda sells their line of small engines separately, although they are a bit pricey. The 25cc Honda 4-stroke GX25 is 7lbs dry. Belt it up to that old hubbie and direct charge your battery a la regen...



A related post about using controller in a similar generator project......

Yowza, look at the RPM/power curve.

With those RPMs, this looks like a job best left for RC motors. Thankfully, they're pretty lightweight too. (I think that's what the Chinese guy did above...)

Would need a simple 3-phase rectifier and probably a DC-DC converter to make useful DC electricity. Though, one could probably get away with "pulsing the battery" if monitored carefully, so one could do away with the DC-DC converter. (I think that's what the chinese guy did above, too...)

6000rpm/130kv = 46 volts.

I get the feeling, though, that it'd be pretty loud at 5000-7000 rpm.

It seems that they cheapest way to source the engine is to scavenge it from a mass-produced power tool, like this guy. (Dayton Engine Driven Centrifugal Pump, gx25)

EDIT:

*Doesn't know what I'm talking about*

It appears the engine alone can be found online for $200.

Not exactly sure how to attach to the engine?

Kind of looks like you use the two screws to attach something, but it looks too bizarre to assume that's the right way to attach something.

 

[Lock]

Seen here:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/megadrought_in_us_southwest_a_bad_omen_for_forests_globally/2665/

In part:

Megadrought in U.S. Southwest:
A Bad Omen for Forests Globally
Scientists studying a prolonged and severe drought in the southwestern U.S. say that extensive damage done to trees in that region portends what lies in store as other forests worldwide face rising temperatures, diminished rainfall, and devastating fires.

But that was published by Yale... And everybuddy knows "high education" is just a scam... right?

L

 

[swbluto]

At least I'm using a genset to get 300mpg on a bike instead of driving my 10mpg Hummer. But, fine, if you insist...

 

[swbluto]

Actually, I'm curious about that - what kind of MPG could one get through a genset charging the battery?

I'm going to assume 25% total system efficiency, from genset to the battery (Include's gas engine efficiency and total electrical efficiency for the charge circuit and electric motor). 12,000wh/gal -> 3000 usable wh. 3000wh/(15wh/mi@25mph on my recumbent) = 200mpg.

Well, that's notably better than almost all the gas scooters and gas bikes out there, but I have to admit I was hoping for something a bit more.

What about at 35 mph?

3000/(25wh/mi) = 120 mpg.

It seems like it's approaching gas scooter/bike mpg figures.

 

[Lock]

More "fear mongering" by the Globe and Mail ("Canada's National Newspaper"), seen online here:
http://www3.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/the-biggest-threat-to-the-global-economy-the-weather/article14173663/

In part:

The biggest threat to the global economy? The weather
ERIC REGULY
MUNICH — The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Sep. 06 2013, 6:57 PM EDT

Ah Ha!... As suspected, some evil insurance company aiding and abetting:

The Syrian crisis has triggered one of the biggest human mass movements in recent decades and there are bound to be others, certainly from war, but also from climate change as droughts and floods create uninhabitable areas. That’s the view of Munich Re, which has been researching climate change and global warming since the mid-1970s, decades before the terms entered the everyday lexicon.

In an interview in Munich, Peter Hoppe, the meteorologist who is head of the reinsurance giant’s georisk unit, said: “Climate change will create security problems because of the migrations it will create.”

Drought is emerging as one of the biggest natural hazards.

And that writer says:

Whether Munich Re’s analysis is right is irrelevant. There is no doubt that the frequency and intensity of the events, and their cost, is on the rise whether or not the climate is changing because of human activity, natural evolution of the climate, sunspots or evil little green men zapping the atmosphere with ray guns.

Yeah, I blame evil little green men (and womyn)... Show of hands here please?

L

 

[teklektik]

Not exactly sure how to attach to the engine?


Kind of looks like you use the two screws to attach something, but it looks too bizarre to assume that's the right way to attach something.

That's 1/2 of a centrifugal clutch and those are the two 'brake shoe' doohickies that fly outwards to grab a cup that slides in over them and is attached to the end of an outboard shaft . I don't know if the standard off-the-shelf engine comes with a straight shaft or that mechanism, but it looks like that particular engine came off a Honda weedwacker.

 

[swbluto]

In an interview in Munich, Peter Hoppe, the meteorologist who is head of the reinsurance giant’s georisk unit, said: “Climate change will create security problems because of the migrations it will create.”

Drought is emerging as one of the biggest natural hazards.

And that writer says:
Whether Munich Re’s analysis is right is irrelevant. There is no doubt that the frequency and intensity of the events, and their cost, is on the rise whether or not the climate is changing because of human activity, natural evolution of the climate, sunspots or evil little green men zapping the atmosphere with ray guns.

Yeah, I blame evil little green men (and womyn)... Show of hands here please?

L

That's only really true of areas that don't get serviced by the importation of food and, if need be, water. For places in the USA, where there are efficient distribution systems for food and water, drought conditions are irrelevant to survival.

 

[Lock]

It's sorta like "the blind leading the blind", isn't it? The human race seems to have the infinite capacity for millions to blindly go where millions have blindly gone before them...
(with apology to Neil and the gang, or Cap'n. James Cook, or the cast aboard the "Starship Enterprise", or somebuddy...).

It's understandable that some "worry warts" might be viewed with suspicion...

L

 

[teklektik]

Not exactly sure how to attach to the engine?
Kind of looks like you use the two screws to attach something, but it looks too bizarre to assume that's the right way to attach something.

That's 1/2 of a centrifugal clutch ... I don't know if the standard off-the-shelf engine comes with a straight shaft or that mechanism,...

Aha - found it. There seems to be two models - one with the clutch and other with a power-take-off shaft and outboard shaft bearing.