Combined electric bike and wind turbine.

[TylerDurden]

Sorry to post so long after this thread has been gone and forgotten. I am interested in making a wind generator from an E-bike hub. My main question is what wattage hub motor would be the best use of a 26" blade diameter. I checked all the examples of home made/ simple designs but they focus on large diameter. I think a wheel with vanes attached to the spokes would be good for 100watts but I am only guessing. I know you can calculate theoretical output based on diameter.

From the wiki:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine

 

[mr.electric]

I used the formula Tyler posted to find the theoretical output of a bike wheel. To make the calculation easier I made the bicycle wheel diameter 1 meter not 26" and figured you would attach blades to the wheel that are slightly larger than the wheel diameter. The theoretical maximum for the 1 meter generator is 145 watts. I guess the actual output could be %50 of the theoretical max so 75 watts per wheel. To get 1kw you need 14 wheel generators.

With the production of E bikes in China (14 million made in 06') I bet you could buy low power hub motors wheels for about $50 each. A cheap stand and plastic blades would cost another $150?? So one unit costs $200. 14 bike wheel wind generators for 1kw = $2800. I think 1kw of solar is still about $7k in parts $10k installed. Just guessing on solar pricing too.
I think it makes less sense than solar which has no moving parts but is cheap and effective in windy areas. Does my calculation seem sound?

 

[Dr. Shock]

I saw a website, which I now can't find, by a guy who used a lot of small Ametek tape-drive motor wind generators that put out small current in light wind instead of the typical commercial unit that only generates in heavy winds. These tape drive motors are really cheap in surplus yards. I get them at Apex in Sun Valley, CA for about $10 each. Anyway, this guy made generators out of them for almost nothing, and got decent power from them.

Wind and solar are complementary. The wind tends to blow when there's no sun, and the sun shines when the weather's calm. So ideally you'll have some of each.

 

[Lock]

Related...maybe... Bike hub generator (clone Sturmey Archer Dynohub) used as basis of a wind generator:
http://www.gotwind.org/modified_windgen.htm

tks
Lock

 

[multiviper]

I am new here but i have often thought of this idea my-self, I would maybe look into using a micro-turbine from motorwind dont know if it will work or not but it seems that it would...

http://www.motorwavegroup.com/new/motorwind/index.html

 

[mr.electric]

Dear Multiviper. Your wind generators look cool. too bad they do not produce sufficient power for heavy duty applications. I have a bunch of pin wheels in my kid's toy chest that spin around great.
I imagine you are looking for funding to make your idea real. My credit card number is 1234-5678-91011 billing address is 1234 scam hill lane, Dipshitville USA. Please put me down for 1,000 units.

 

[HAL9000v2.0]

Very interested concept on Power-to-the-padal competition.

Bike vith wind turbins in wheels so it can be recharged while standing.
This one got my vote.
C/P:

This solution seeks to address a multitude of economic and ecological issues. The user scenario is developing countries where the bicycle can still meet basic transportation needs. With few modifications the bicycle can address several other obstacles that developing countries face. Currently 1.7 billion people are without electricity for basic human needs and economic development. According to a recent study by Lighting Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa has a rural electricity access rate of 2%. Among the poorest of poor, lighting represents 10-15% of the total house income while providing little in return. Cost effective, renewable lighting can expand the working day for small businesses, enhance safety, improve education, and improve gender equality and health services. The design approach was to create something that could be assembled with simple tools. The frame is composed of small diameter tubing that can be easily bent on a rig. The chain link and sprocket was eliminated in favor of a cam drive. A more traditional chain link drive creates manufacturing challenges and maintenance concerns. Cam drives are becoming more readily available and can be adapted to a variety of frame sizes. Composite wheels were selected for ease of manufacturing and low maintenance. Composite wheels also allow for the incorporation of electric motors. The electric motors are wired to a lithium ion rechargeable battery array. When the wheels spin, the batteries are recharged. The motors can propel the bicycle or recharge the battery array. Additionally, the bicycle frame can be configured to harness the wind to charge the array and power solid state lighting or small electric devices. This solution seeks to enable developing countries to propel themselves to a brighter, greener and more productive future.

 

[TylerDurden]

Ok... Perhaps if the bike wheel could have blades added, or snap into a rotor. It needs more surface area.

:?

 

[multiviper]

Dear Multiviper. Your wind generators look cool. too bad they do not produce sufficient power for heavy duty applications. I have a bunch of pin wheels in my kid's toy chest that spin around great.
I imagine you are looking for funding to make your idea real. My credit card number is 1234-5678-91011 billing address is 1234 scam hill lane, Dipshitville USA. Please put me down for 1,000 units.

Dear Mr. Asshole
WoW I dont own motorwind nor do I own any of their microwind turbines, I thought the person who started this thread was looking for away to put a wind turbine on his bike to charge batteries as he was going down the road, SO YOU CAN take your kids pin wheels and stick them were the sun dont shine you asshole...

and to the mods of this board, Do you really let people like Mr. Electric, talk like this to newcomers to your site?

 

[TylerDurden]

@MV: Not usually, unless it's reported...

I'm usually the worst it gets (at 'safe' ), and I got no clue where that was coming from.

:?

 

[TylerDurden]

On further rumination, I think it was a stupid mistake: Mr. E might have thought you were a spammer.



:?

 

[multiviper]

Well i usually don't get pissed like that either sorry for my foul language and name calling but he could have looked at my other post and seen I was not a spammer....


Thanks Tyler

 

[nathan_jones]

Specifications

* Rotor Diameter: 1 m (39 inches)
* Rated Wind Velocity: 8 m/s (17.8 mph)
* Rated Output: 85 watts
* Maximum Output: 300 watts
* Rated rpm: 800 rpm
* Cut-in: 350 rpm
* Weight: 6.5 kg (14 lb)
* Output Voltage: 12 V or 24 V DC
* Tower Mount: 48.3 mm (1.9 inches)
* Warranty: 2 years (limited)

given that most of us ride at 15+ mph ....

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.windcruizer.com/images/Picture%25205.png&imgrefurl=http://www.windcruizer.com/indexWindCruizer.html&usg=__AlQijR91VNzz-IxAWxs43dqx8wY=&h=573&w=1018&sz=676&hl=en&start=5&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Waqk57s8AUBGMM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bpowered%2Bbike%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1

Anyone know of any examples?

thanks

 

[Drunkskunk]

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.windcruizer.com/images/Picture%25205.png&imgrefurl=http://www.windcruizer.com/indexWindCruizer.html&usg=__AlQijR91VNzz-IxAWxs43dqx8wY=&h=573&w=1018&sz=676&hl=en&start=5&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Waqk57s8AUBGMM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwind%2Bpowered%2Bbike%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1

Anyone know of any examples?

thanks

Now thats funny.
Right up there with :
http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/

 

[monster]

if you have regen brakeing, you can dip you wheel into a fast flowing stream and it will work like hydro power. no mods needed.