A pedelec without a charger

[10mph]

Here is an example of the EU spending money on a research network. The Italian node of the network has come up with a controller for the regeneration system which enables the human to work at constant power output, storing excess energy in the battery until it is needed for accelerating from stop or encountering hill. All very nice in theory except for the inefficiencies of the process which are not addressed.

Here is a block diagram from their facebook page at Bike+ | Facebook

There is a link there to an article which says nothing about efficiency.

There is no doubt that the principle would work if not killed by inefficiency. I would need to sit on my bike pedalling in fat burning (aerobic) mode at a steady 80 watts or so, preferably including at stops, with that energy being stored in an efficient battery ready for pulses of higher power during a bike ride. Of course I would need to eat a lot more which would cost - perhaps more than the mains electricity I would save in not having to charge the battery. On the other hand it would certainly get my weight down, and then I would not need so much power to get the hills.

What rubbish the EU research budget is being wasted on.

 

[Geebee]

How many times as this idea been rehashed

 

[BAH48]

I think it's an idea worth pursuing.

 

[morphix]

You're going to put CycleCharge out of business with ideas like that Lynda and I were counting on the millions of funding from central government soon to be coming our way to fund our Spanish second homes..err I mean the European CycleCharge centre

 

[flecc]

Fully agree 10mph, when I received that email I read the article in growing disbelief. In practice a non-starter if ever there was one.

 

[Scimitar]

Ach, they've missed the obvious - just put a small windmill on the front and charge the battery with that - it makes as much sense.

 

[billadie]

Put a large windmill on the front and a couple of wings and it would fly....

Speaking of unlikely projects, any news on the powered pedals idea that won a prize for innovation earlier this year?

 

[flecc]

Speaking of unlikely projects, any news on the powered pedals idea that won a prize for innovation earlier this year?

I'm quite sure that will be a dead duck as so many of us forecast. Barclays Bank might just as well have burnt their £50,000.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've got one of those Sturmey Archer hub dynamos in my front wheel that charges up the battery as I go along. It's brilliant. I can do a 50 miles with my 5aH battery as long as I don't switch it on.

 

[morphix]

I've got one of those Sturmey Archer hub dynamos in my front wheel that charges up the battery as I go along. It's brilliant. I can do a 50 miles with my 5aH battery as long as I don't switch it on.

I remember trying someone's racer bike that had a dynamo fitted to power the lights, back in the day, and I remember thinking it felt awkward to ride, like a drag and extra effort required, also the high pitch whining mosquito noise. But it was fun to see the lights come on in the dark without any batteries.

 

[flecc]

I remember trying someone's racer bike that had a dynamo fitted to power the lights, back in the day, and I remember thinking it felt awkward to ride, like a drag and extra effort required, also the high pitch whining mosquito noise. But it was fun to see the lights come on in the dark without any batteries.

These noisy, high drag dynamos were still being fitted to the Giant Lafree Lite and eZee Torq as late as 2006.

There are modern versions of them, mainly made in Germany, which are said to be both quieter and low drag, but I've never tried them. The Shimano hub dynamos or battery LED lights are so good there's no point in the tyre wall dynamos now.