Drive Train - In-Wheel Electric Motors

I looked at a bunch of hub motors; they're in-wheel motors that run on the wheel's axle and connect to the rim via conventional spokes. After looking at all of them, I'm convinced that the best hp/lb ratio by far is in the motor from Tidalforce.

The motor comes in 500W, 750W and 1KW versions ... naturally, we're spec'ing 1KW (see thoughts on speed below) - priced at ~ $1665 ea. - this will be a big ticket item for the bikes.

Update ... just found the 1000W motor for $1125 here.

The number of motors spec'd must be given some thought - as must power consumption - the rider must be able to switch motors on/off individually. It doesn't look like the controller that comes with the kit can natively control 2 or 3 motors - must look into this. Tidalforce talks about the dashboard and the throttle that control these awesome motors.





Tidalforce also offer an in-hub rechargable battery, usually with this motor in a kit. I looked at it & decided on the auxillary rechargable batteries instead (more later). I want to use the hubs for motors, not batteries - yes, speed IS the point (within the speed limit of course). The point about speed is that if this is a 3-week continuous journey, we'll have sore asses & probably won't cut out the time. Where-as, if we can get average speed over the distance to 40mph, it would take just less than a week!!! So, speed's where its at - just because its electric, it don't have to be impractical.

Back to the motors then ... (spec's below)

We'll put in at least two; one each front & back - but I'm going to also look into the possiblility of two rear motors. They will run in a fat lowrider spoked car wheel, there's more than enough space for two motors, so if there's a way to make the bike run better with two rear motors, then let's do it!

The front motor also makes sense (just one of them)! We should get some downward thrust & good front-wheel traction from the aerodynamics on the solar panels on the forks.

Some useful notes on this motor from Electric Rider ...

Installation

The hub motor has an inverted design. The axle and torque bar must be properly restrained while the hub shell rotates. The 750W motor is cable of 50 foot pounds of torque. The torque bar bolt, located 4” from the axis, must be able to consistently withstand loads in excess of 150 pounds. Failure to restrain the torque bar will allow the stator to spin, pulling on the external wires with tremendous force. Great care should be taken to make sure the torque bar is properly secured before operating the motor.

Cabling

The “Program” cable can only be used by WaveCrest technicians to program the motor. The “Data” cable must be connected to the motor data cable on the Alpha 750 Dashboard Assembly. The “Power (+)” and “Power (-)” cables are to be connected to any 36VDC supply capable of up to 40A peak and 30A continuous current draw.

Speed

The 500W and 750W versions have a maximum speed of 260RPM. The 1000W version has no set speed limit. The maximum speed of the motor in your desired application is based on the load.

Stuff that's included in the motor kit ...

Each Kit Includes:

Tidalforce rear wheel motor assembly include

1. Freehub adaptor

2. Freehub axle

3. 7 speed cassette

4. Quick release skewer

5. Torque bar bracket

6. All wiring for the bike is included and has been set up for you to just plug in and go. Wiring can be custom adjusted by FAE if you have an extremely long or short bike.

Control System includes

1. Dashboard with key switch

2. Two Tektro brake levers

3. Thumb throttle

4. Motor data cable

5. Battery data cable

6. Power harness

7. Neoprene cable wraps.

10. Charging time is 3-6 hours. Range of up to 20 miles on a charge

Specifications from the Tidalforce website ...

Here are some of the Tidalforce Bikes ... awesome ...

Specs & Pics of the io (~$2800)

PERFORMANCE
● Maximum speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
● Range : 20 miles (32 km)
● Weight (with front hub battery): 64 lbs (30 kg)
● Gross payload: 350 lbs (160 kg)

BICYCLE
● Rider can add power with pedals or propel vehicle
on human power alone using 21-speed gears.
● Strong, light aluminium frame.
● Comfortable, adjustable gel-padded seat.
● Double Crown Suspension Front Fork, 26" wheels, linear pull brakes.

MOTOR
● 500-watt WaveCrest Adaptive Motor system provides exceptional power.
● Unique WaveCrest DSP controller delivers high torque across all speeds.

BATTERIES
● Front hub battery: 36V NiMH
● Charging time: 3-6 hours

Drive Train - Gears, Drum Brake & Belt Drive

The cranks drive chains that drive the Gear Hub, and the the rear wheel through a belt drive. The Gear Hub is located fwd of the read wheel, under the driver's seat, leaving the rear wheel free to be powered by the electric motor(s). Sturmey Archer comes through here again with this cunning hub, the XRD8 - it's an 8-speed gearbox for bicycles - specs. below - I'll get in touch with Sturmey Arthur and start getting quotes on all their great kit - more to come.

The hub comes with a drum brake - seems like a good place to brake the rear wheel - but went with a belt (instead of chain) drive to the rear wheel, hopefully it'll forgive sudden braking ???

There's obviously a few controllers etc. that go with this ... (list coming).

Need to research belt drives & sprockets - I know some of the Harleys have them.

XRD8

Description

• 8 Speed Internal Gear Hub with 70mm Drum Brake

Specs

• Hub Shell Material - A356 Aluminum
• Axle Diameter - 13/32” Slotted
• Axle Length - 185.0mm
• Over Locknut Dimension - 131.0mm
• Right Axle Protrusion Length - 27.0mm
• Left Axle Protrusion Length - 27.0mm
• Spoke Holes - 36
• Pitch Circle Diameter - 89.8mm
• Flange Width - 66.0mm
• Spoke Compatibility - 13g or 14g
• Sprocket Teeth - 23 or 25 tooth
• Chain Line - 45.0mm
• Weight - 1850g

Gear Ratio

• Overall Range - 305%
• Gear 1 - 1.00 (Direct Drive)
• Gear 2 - 1.28 (+28%)
• Gear 3 - 1.45 (+45%)
• Gear 4 - 1.64 (+64%)
• Gear 5 - 1.86 (+86%)
• Gear 6 - 2.10 (+110%)
• Gear 7 - 2.38 (+138%)
• Gear 8 - 3.05 (+205%)

Support Vehicle ...

My Land Rover will be donated to this cause.

Here's a spot to list expenses for the support vehicle ...

• GAS - 6,000 miles @ 16 miles / gallon ~ $ 1,200
• Repairs to make sure it makes the trip ??? - will get a quote
• Long-range gas tanks
• One (more) spare wheels & tyres
• (possibly) a generator - definitely some way to charge the bikes' spare batteries
• AAA ???

Drive Train - Cranks, Pedals & Chains

Crank Design ...

• 2 Cranks - one on either side - can rotate independently or locked at 180 degrees
  
• These aluminum cranks from Sturmey Archer look good (specs below)
• Pedals - something like these shimano ultegra pedals ($145)
  
  
• Cranks drive 2 chains connected to the hubs - double chains for safety/security/ balance /
  
• 
  

FCS80 Series

Model Numbers

• FCS81
• FCS80

Description

• Front Chainwheels with Non-Removable Chainrings

Specs for FCS81

• Number of Teeth - 33T
• Chainring Material - SS400
• Removable Chainrings - No
• Crank Style - I Beam Crank
• Crank Arm Material - A356.2 Aluminum
• Crank Arm Length - 175mm or 170mm
• 45mm Chain Line (BB Shell) - 126mm
• Total Weight - 673g (175mm)

Specs for FCS80

• Number of Teeth - 30T
• Chainring Material - SS400
• Removable Chainrings - No
• Crank Style - I Beam Crank
• Crank Arm Material - A356.2 Aluminum
• Crank Arm Length - 175mm or 170mm
• 45mm Chain Line (BB Shell) - 126mm
• Total Weight - 607g (175mm)

Team ee(R)go

The ee(R)go CROWD is ... YOU ...

The ee(R)go project invites open & active participation, it's supposed to be a community-driven project. We want to hear your opinions, please comment on this blog, we'll work on adding more ways for you to contribute to building the prototypes ... all suggestions are welcome.

Team ee(R)go is ...

David, Seattle, WA, USA
Concept, Design, Mechanics, ee(R)go rider, Blogger, Makin' it happen!

G ...
Design, Fabrication, Finish, ee(R)go rider, Blogger, Good vibes!

B ...
Design, Documentarian, Cinematography, Trip Plan, ee(R)go rider, Blogger, Creativity!

X ...
Mechanics, Promotion, Electronics, Trip Plan, ee(R)go rider, Blogger, Kickin' Ass!

Y ...
Electronics, Design, Testing Systems, ee(R)go rider, Blogger, Stunts!

The Plan

• Design and Build two prototype ee(R)go Bikes.
• Ride both of prototypes 6,000 miles non-stop from Whistler / Blackcomb (BC, Canada) to Machu Picchu (Peru, S.America).
• Film the journey, its beginnings and any interesting outcomes.
• Produce the Movie independently, release it on the Indie circuit.
• Raise funds (materials & expenses only); for the prototypes, documentary & trip support costs in exchange for equity the documentary and any incomes from the story.
• Consider launching a production range of ee(R)go Bikes, following design modifications based on experiences on the road.

Route

... at very rough estimate, based on this scale, at least 6,000 miles ... what do you think?

At an Average; 20 mph,
That's 300 hours of continuous riding, or 12,5 days !!!

Origin

Flute and Beyond
Originally uploaded by stuntmanjeff.

Blackcomb (and Whistler) Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Destination

picchu
Originally uploaded by snowcrash.

Machu Picchu, Peru, S.America

1st outputs ...

1st inputs ...

wikipedia on recumbents

link here

Tidalforce battery spec's & questions

Below are the spec's for the additional batteries from Tidalforce. Questions ... 1) If we have 5 of these batteries, how do we get the bike to run for 100 miles? Can you have too many batteries? 2) Is this the range preformance with the 750W motor - what would the range look like with the 1000W? What about with 2 or 3 of the 1000W motors? 3) What info do I need to calculate charging time for alterante electricity sources - namely, the solar panels, pedalpower & wind turbines? SPECIFICATIONS
Type	36V NiMH
Power Source	110V/220V
Charging time	3-6 hours
BatteryIndicator	Located on the handlebar (Battery B)
Range	20 miles
Weight	16 lbs.
Size	4"x4"x13.5"
Color	Stainless steel with black accents

tri-mode pedals

Rider selects pedal modes (while riding) between:

1) Cruising - both fixed fwd
1a) In cruising mode, when the rider corners, the pedals help shift weight automatically - dropping the near foot - raising the far one.
2) Cycling/Assisting - sets resistance using bicycle gears
3) Just Cycling

Clip-in Pedals - and Cycling Shoes (the mtn bike variety that you can comfortably walk & be seen in)

Generator turbines - savonius +'s and -'s

Turbine design notes ... in praise of Savonius turbines from here.

Agreement on the efficiency of the Savonius turbine apparently has finally been reached a half century after its development. Savonius claimed an efficiency of 31 per cent in the wind tunnel and 37 per cent in free air. However, he commented:[10 ] The calculations of Professor Betz gave 20% as the highest theoretical maximum for vertical airwheels, which under the best of circumstances could not produce more than 10% in practical output.

The theoretical and experimental results failed to agree. Unfortunately, Savonius did not specify the shape and size of his turbine well enough for others to try to duplicate his results.

A small unit of approximately 2 m high by 1 m diameter was built and tested at Kansas State University during the period 1932-1938 [6 ]. This unit was destroyed by a high wind, but efficiencies of 35 to 40% were claimed by the researchers. Wind tunnel tests were performed by Sandia on 1.5 m high by 1 m diameter Savonius turbines, with a maximum efficiency measured of 25% for semicircular blades [1 ]. Different blade shapes which were tested at the University of Illinois showed a maximum efficiency of about 35% [5 ]. More Savonius turbines were tested at Kansas State University, with efficiencies reported of about 25% [13,4 ].

It thus appears that the Savonius,if properly designed, has an efficiency nearly as good as the horizontal axis propeller turbine or the Darrieus turbine.

The Savonius turbine therefore holds promise in applications where low to medium technology is required or where the high starting torque is important. A chart of efficiency of five different turbine types is shown in Fig.8. The efficiency or power coefficient varies with the ratio of blade tip speed to wind speed,with the peak value being the number quoted for a comparison of turbines. This will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 4.

It may be noticed that the peak efficiencies of the two bladed propeller, the Darrieus, and the Savonius are all above 30 %, while the American Multiblade and the Dutch windmills peak at about 15 %.These efficiencies indicate that the American Multiblade is not competitive for generating electricity, even though it is almost ideally suited and very competitive for pumping water.

The efficiency curves for the Savonius and the American Multiblade have been known for a long time [6,10]. Unfortunately, the labels on the two curves were accidentally interchanged in some key publication in recent years, with the result that many authors have used an erroneous set of curves in their writing. This historical accident will probably take years to correct.