Is anyone trying to solve charging on the road?

[webcurl]

I hope to find a way for the engine to charge the battery while in motion thus to have a 2 wheel Prius.

Best done with:

GMAC - Grin Kits - Product Info

The GMAC motor is Grin’s customization of the powerful rear MAC motor, modified to run without a clutch for regenerative braking, a huge plus for cargo hauling applications. A round axle and integrated torque arm allow for powerful regen without risk of axle spinout.

ebikes.ca

and their electronics.

 

[john peck]

Well not being able a long distance ride just isn’t in the cards for me. That said I think I’d lean towards a trailer and. Ping LiFePO4 trailered battery pack. Or maybe a home built Headway pack. I do find my bike to be pretty efficient pulling a trailer. My $100 trailer has pleasantly surprised me. I’m usually the guy that researched and often picks the more expensive solution if I think it’ll pay a return on the dollars spent. Happily the Schwinn trailer has decent wheel bearing and a pretty stout square tube steel frame. Tow hitch is a the rear axel and seems tough enough for years of use. The fork mount fixture can make it a bike tow truck as long as the rear wheel of towed bike is functionally turning. Tube steel is repairable and could be strengthened still costing far less than say a Burley (sp?) trailer.

I looked at the Schwinn trailer. pretty good buy for the price. It´s a little boxy, but practical. Tempted to
get one, but I´m moving as much gear as I can over the front wheel. My $50 aesom single whl.
Will get battery,/e-stuff in a 2´ x 14¨ cooler, tent, bivvy, & some camp tools. it´s light, I beefed up the
botton panel some. I plan to use E in populus areas & the Tanaka on back roads, both if it comes
to that.. I ´wll have mounting points above the axle on the motor stays. I´m leery of axle mounts.
the stays are 2¨ wide steel strap. I´d like to replace then with my leftover ´blackbird´ titanium strap.
Dam stuff a hassle to cut just to lose a cpl. pds. This bike will be about as experimental as the
1st hanglider, & not too pretty.either.

 

[john peck]

Best done with:

GMAC - Grin Kits - Product Info

The GMAC motor is Grin’s customization of the powerful rear MAC motor, modified to run without a clutch for regenerative braking, a huge plus for cargo hauling applications. A round axle and integrated torque arm allow for powerful regen without risk of axle spinout.

ebikes.ca

and their electronics.

To late, like it or not I´m locked into bafang & dorado batteries of which i have 4.. I cut the dorado
mount from the deceased CCS(essentially the greater part of the down tube)

 

[webcurl]

Best done with:

GMAC - Grin Kits - Product Info

The GMAC motor is Grin’s customization of the powerful rear MAC motor, modified to run without a clutch for regenerative braking, a huge plus for cargo hauling applications. A round axle and integrated torque arm allow for powerful regen without risk of axle spinout.

ebikes.ca

and their electronics.

If you use their PhaseRunner controller the Throttle & ebrake signals are tied together for bi-directional throttles.
You can separate these and setup a separate 'dial' for forced re-gen for when a combustion engine is powering the rig.
And of course you get much more re-gen with the Gmac than a normal direct drive motor because re-gen on the Gmac is geared re-gen.

 

[tomjasz]

PhaseRunner controller

A couple base runners here. Nice kit for sure!

 

[john peck]

If you use their PhaseRunner controller the Throttle & ebrake signals are tied together for bi-directional throttles.
You can separate these and setup a separate 'dial' for forced re-gen for when a combustion engine is powering the rig.
And of course you get much more re-gen with the Gmac than a normal direct drive motor because re-gen on the Gmac is geared re-gen.

Oh well, that info will be useful for the next build; for now I have to go with what I´ve got. My
batteries all have a usb port. I wonder if there´s a way to charge via the usb?? I have an old
style friction type wheel generator?

 

[webcurl]

Oh well, that info will be useful for the next build; for now I have to go with what I´ve got. My
batteries all have a usb port. I wonder if there´s a way to charge via the usb?? I have an old
style friction type wheel generator?

No and No.
The most you can get into & out of USB is 100W at that's only USB-C.
And you'll get more friction than power with the generator.

 

[john peck]

No and No.
The most you can get into & out of USB is 100W at that's only USB-C.
And you'll get more friction than power with the generator.

Too bad. For now, the 2 systems will have to operate separately I guess. Still, the
increased range is worthwhile, Any way to get outa Dodge without spending a bundle.
Of course there´s still a possibility of getting stranded in the hinterlands with an
unforeseen mechanical snafu. Eh....If I die, I die, f-it.

 

[webcurl]

Too bad. For now, the 2 systems will have to operate separately I guess. Still, the
increased range is worthwhile, Any way to get outa Dodge without spending a bundle.
Of course there´s still a possibility of getting stranded in the hinterlands with an
unforeseen mechanical snafu. Eh....If I die, I die, f-it.

Dodge?

 

[john peck]

Dodge?

A town in Kansas where Wyatt Earp accidently shot & killed his own deputy, or ws that Bill hickock?

 

[webcurl]

Since I posted up about the Mean Wells last year in this thread, I decided to spring for a truly fast one of these chargers.

I changed from an HLG-320H-54A to an HLG-480H-54A. The former is a 320w unit that is good for a 100% 58.8v charge at 5 amps. I found no problems with this charger, but curiosity and the fact I upgraded a bike to a 32ah pack tipped me over and I decided to give it a try. The best pic I have of it on the bike is below. It is its own rack deck. And yes its a heavy sucker. However, it can be dialed to 8 amps and 58.0v, which is 464 watts and within its power rating. Strictly speaking, it is only rated to 56.7v but it will dial up to 58.1. Also it can be dialed up to 9.9a but thats outside where I am comfortable charging any battery never mind the fact I'd be exceeding the specs. The reality is, if I am somewhere trying to charge I have a time factor I am willing to wait, and I won't sit still to reach the full 58.0v most likely.

It doesn't get hot doing this. And speaking of which...

I missed some comments above about adding heat sinks. About that: If you buy the bigger units - the 320w unit or this 480w one - they don't get hot even if you dial them up. The 185's on the other hand do get nice and toasty, but I have never found heat sinks to be able to do much to them... and besides why bother? They were designed to do this and - in the case of the 185w units - deliver a MTBF in excess of 192,000 hours. Thats is 22 years of *continuous* use. I do sympathize with the idea of always minimizing the heat an electrical device has to suffer thru but in this case they were literally made for it. Plus, the only truly flat surface - assuming you don't want to slather on a flat layer of thermal paste on top to eliminate the already useful ridged surface - is the unit's bottom, and heat rises. the one I put sinks on, those sinks don't heat up.

Wow those Electronic Engineers in Taiwan really do MeanWell !
That HLG-480H-54A can deliver full power at 50 degrees Celsius Ambient temp., and 60 Celsius here in Australia and it's fanless!
And with up to 95.5% efficiency (here in Australia) !
Weight is to be expected with something that good, that powerful & passive cooled.
I don't quite understand Vibration specs or how their internals look but perhaps you might want to concentrate on that rather than cooling?
(I've been looking into MeanWell LED power supplies recently for LED's so was interested in having a look at the Datasheet)

 

[webcurl]

A town in Kansas where Wyatt Earp accidently shot & killed his own deputy

Ahh, understood, here in Australia we don't have many links/phrases like that, we haven't had many Guns here for about 26 years.

 

[john peck]

Ahh, understood, here in Australia we don't have many links/phrases like that, we haven't had many Guns here for about 26 years.

This country could get by without a helluva a lot of automatic weapons. No one has accused us
of being civilized in decades. I have .22 for bunnies & vermin I´ve not fired in 30+ yrs. If I hunt, it´s
with a bow. I´ve been told I could hunt bear with a switch.

 

[m@Robertson]

Wow those Electronic Engineers in Taiwan really do MeanWell !
That HLG-480H-54A can deliver full power at 50 degrees Celsius Ambient temp., and 60 Celsius here in Australia and it's fanless!
And with up to 95.5% efficiency (here in Australia) !
Weight is to be expected with something that good, that powerful & passive cooled.
I don't quite understand Vibration specs or how their internals look but perhaps you might want to concentrate on that rather than cooling?
(I've been looking into MeanWell LED power supplies recently for LED's so was interested in having a look at the Datasheet)

I didn't originate the idea by any means. They have been in use by ebikers for years with no reports I am aware of for failure. I have had one or the other of them mounted on a few bikes for a few years, including my daily commuters. No issues. And my main driver for a long time had no suspension since it was a fast 2wd (dual hub) so that sucker took a pounding.

I also made a couple for my daughter and son-in-law who live in the EU for their bikes, so I can say for sure they work just fine if you wire on the local Schuko plug and trust that the data sheet isn't fibbing about being able to handle 200+volts. They are still going strong as well.

I don't just use them on-bike. I branched out to a lab power supply not so long ago because they have nice twiddly dials and a big fancy display. I could feed in as little as 0.20a, which I actually did when doing timed charges where I set it up to take all the time available to do its thing. I learned the lesson I had already learned and forgotten... the Mean Wells are super hi reliability. One of those damn power supplies - my youngest, no less - just up and died on me. Refused to switch on one day.

 

[webcurl]

Bring an extra battery which take you 30s for replacement.

Depends if you're already taking a tent, sleeping bag, clothing, hunting equipment, cooking equipment, other electronics, food and here in Australia how much water.
It all adds up in volume and weight, batteries are heavy.
And if there's no power point for another 400km or more, keeping in mind your battery is draining faster because of all the weight.

 

[theemartymac]

Depends if you're already taking a tent, sleeping bag, clothing, hunting equipment, cooking equipment, other electronics, food and here in Australia how much water.
It all adds up in volume and weight, batteries are heavy.
And if there's no power point for another 400km or more, keeping in mind your battery is draining faster because of all the weight.

Just sayin??

 

[Elkman]

As an early laptop user I carried around a 25 foot extension cord so I could plug in at airport terminals and coffee shops. Thirty years later that is not longer needed, mostly due to much longer battery life.

With an e-bike I would buy a model that would allow me to carry multiple batteries and allow for charging them all at the same time overnight while I am asleep in my motel room. I used to tour with 20+ lbs of camping gear and tools and spares but later found it preferable to eat at restaurants and sleep in hotels and make use of the greatly increased number of bike shops if I needed a repair.

The Specialized Range Extender battery pack fits in a water bottle cage and weighs 2.6 lbs. With two of them I could go for 2-3 days without recharging. Who really wants to stop somewhere for a couple hours to recharge in the middle of the day?

 

[mojoe]

I've had my Priority Current just over one month. With the Current, I find it easy to do long rides. I still ride my Gocycle GX on short trips. It's fun and zippy.

Just for info, my job doesn't require me to commute, so I ride for pleasure and exercise.

When I maxed out the Current's main battery at about 40 miles (with some long and moderately steep grades), I decided to get the extended battery, which is built into a rear rack. BTW, the rear battery is 576 Wh, vs 504 for the main battery. Even though I individually tested both batteries at home, I was a bit worried on a ride, as I watched the level on the main battery drop. I was still quite a ways from home. The battery switch over was automatic.

I'm having so much fun taking the Current for long rides, that I got to thinking about multi-day trips (I have all of the backpacking gear already). And of course, this brings up the issues of carrying extra gear, and charging the batteries. Well, I went whole hog, and bought a Burley Nomad trailer, and the makings of a solar charging system.

I just received the Nomad yesterday, so I haven't tried it yet. It is very well made. I considered some less expensive trailers, but was worried about the quality, and the mixed reviews. What decided it for me was the 20% discount I got as an REI member (a recent special discount on anything), plus a $20 REI points reward I had. So, I got the Nomad for $90 off, which made it more palatable, price wise.

Today, I ordered the parts for the solar charging system. I wanted a high wattage panel, but didn't like the large size. I went with a Sunpower 110 W semi-flexible panel. When mounted to the Nomad cargo rack (also on order), the panel will be about 4 inches wider than the Nomad, and about 12 inches longer. I'll see how far forward I can move the panel, without interfering with the bike. Also on order are a Genasun boost charge controller, cables, and other miscellaneous items. I'll have to mount the panel to something stiff, like a sheet of aluminum. This is a "figure it out as you build it" project.

Once everything is assembled, I'll do some test rides, to see how long it takes to charge the 504 W main battery. Assuming that I get 100 W from the 110 W panel (probably best case), it should take about five hours to charge a dead battery. The 576 W extended battery will take longer. Real numbers will come with the test rides.

The goal is to see how far I can travel on multi-day rides, using just the solar charging system. It will be an interesting experiment. Of course, I'll take the AC charger with me, so I can juice up at an outlet if needed.

I'm thinking that later, I may want an extra main battery, as well. That way, I could just rotate the two main batteries, and keep the extended battery in reserve, for the unexpected. I'll wait and see how things go with the two batteries I have now, before making that decision.

 

[webcurl]

Once everything is assembled, I'll do some test rides, to see how long it takes to charge the 504 W main battery. Assuming that I get 100 W from the 110 W panel (probably best case), it should take about five hours to charge a dead battery. The 576 W extended battery will take longer. Real numbers will come with the test rides.

If you're riding towards the sun then it's going to take a lot longer than 5 hours!

 

[6zfshdb]

I've had my Priority Current just over one month. With the Current, I find it easy to do long rides. I still ride my Gocycle GX on short trips. It's fun and zippy.

Just for info, my job doesn't require me to commute, so I ride for pleasure and exercise.

When I maxed out the Current's main battery at about 40 miles (with some long and moderately steep grades), I decided to get the extended battery, which is built into a rear rack. BTW, the rear battery is 576 Wh, vs 504 for the main battery. Even though I individually tested both batteries at home, I was a bit worried on a ride, as I watched the level on the main battery drop. I was still quite a ways from home. The battery switch over was automatic.

I'm having so much fun taking the Current for long rides, that I got to thinking about multi-day trips (I have all of the backpacking gear already). And of course, this brings up the issues of carrying extra gear, and charging the batteries. Well, I went whole hog, and bought a Burley Nomad trailer, and the makings of a solar charging system.

I just received the Nomad yesterday, so I haven't tried it yet. It is very well made. I considered some less expensive trailers, but was worried about the quality, and the mixed reviews. What decided it for me was the 20% discount I got as an REI member (a recent special discount on anything), plus a $20 REI points reward I had. So, I got the Nomad for $90 off, which made it more palatable, price wise.

Today, I ordered the parts for the solar charging system. I wanted a high wattage panel, but didn't like the large size. I went with a Sunpower 110 W semi-flexible panel. When mounted to the Nomad cargo rack (also on order), the panel will be about 4 inches wider than the Nomad, and about 12 inches longer. I'll see how far forward I can move the panel, without interfering with the bike. Also on order are a Genasun boost charge controller, cables, and other miscellaneous items. I'll have to mount the panel to something stiff, like a sheet of aluminum. This is a "figure it out as you build it" project.

Once everything is assembled, I'll do some test rides, to see how long it takes to charge the 504 W main battery. Assuming that I get 100 W from the 110 W panel (probably best case), it should take about five hours to charge a dead battery. The 576 W extended battery will take longer. Real numbers will come with the test rides.

The goal is to see how far I can travel on multi-day rides, using just the solar charging system. It will be an interesting experiment. Of course, I'll take the AC charger with me, so I can juice up at an outlet if needed.

I'm thinking that later, I may want an extra main battery, as well. That way, I could just rotate the two main batteries, and keep the extended battery in reserve, for the unexpected. I'll wait and see how things go with the two batteries I have now, before making that decision.

Interesting project. Please update with your progress.

I think it's success will depend largely on where you ride. As you may already know, clouds and shade will affect the output of your solar panels. Carrying an A/C charger as a backup is definitely a good idea.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your project!