SOLAR ELECTRIC BICYCLE

ABSTRACT

A method of upgrades a conventional electric powered bicycle over to Solar-Powered

Electrical Bicycle that is powered by an electric motor which gets its supply from photovoltaic
(PV) panels. The PV panels must be mounted and installed at the electric bicycle without
compromising riding comfort ability. The solar electric bicycle is meant as a challenge to get, on
sunny summer days, the most pedal assistance as possible out of the solar panel used. The solar
electric bicycle is sportive. It may not cost substantially more energy to drive the solar electric
bicycle, when not powered, than a normal bicycle. When there is no sunlight or the batteries are
empty the bicycle should still be light running. E-bikes need large and heavy batteries to allow
riding long distances, because the battery is charged only once at home.

The solar bike approach is different. The PV panels have enough power and give the
bicycle an infinite range. The battery is small, and saves weight. Without sun however, the
battery can be fast charged en route in about 30 minutes because 12V 12 Ah * 2 LA batteries and
220V AC, 50 Hz, 1.0A charger allow fast charging. Although, we need a location, for instance a
café that allow us to use the mains. Another method is by charging the battery through a
homemade windmill using a fan or a 24V DC fan (a prototype of the fan has been shown in the
bicycle). The fan is placed above the front wheel of the bicycle and is connected to one of the
12V battery placed in the bicycle. The battery will be charged while the bicycle is running. This
way of charging the battery will be very useful during cloudy day. The purpose of the solar bike
is not energy saving. A bike is very energy efficient. The cost of the electrical energy that would
be needed to cycle a whole day is very less. A solar bicycle or tricycle has the advantage of very
low weight and can use the rider’s foot power to supplement the power generated by the solar
panel roof. In this way, a comparatively simple and inexpensive vehicle can be driven without
the use of any fossil fuels. The solar electric bicycle is easily accessible, safe and practical with
limited maintenance requirements due to a minimum of mechanical parts used. It is ideal not
only for the experienced cyclists but also for those non athletes, the elderly and individuals with
health problems.
 BLOCK DIAGRAM

BLOCK DIAGRAM DESCRIPTION

An electric powered bicycle carries batteries or fuel cells that deliver electric power to a
motor that is coupled to either wheel.

In most electric bicycles the rider can choose to use muscle power to deliver all, part, or
none of the propulsion power required to maintain his or her adopted travel speed. Some models
even sense your pedal pressure and command the motor to deliver more power whenever you
pedal hard.
 Many electric powered bicycles are specifically design and build for travel. Average
travel speed, when compared to pedaled-only bicycles, can be increased by 8 to 10km/h (5 to 6
mph) above the speed an average person could travel by pedaling.

Simple, convenient, cheap, and economical—bicycles are one of the world's favorite

forms of transportation. But they're not for everyone. They can be hard to pedal up and down
hills or with heavy loads, and elderly or disabled people may find them impossible to manage. In
the last few years, a new generation of electric bicycles has begun to revolutionize our idea of
environmentally friendly transportation. These new cycles have all the convenience of cars with
all the simple economy of ordinary cycles.

The batteries are the most important parts of the bike, because (if you don't do any
pedaling) they contain all the power that will drive you along. Typical electric bike batteries
make about 350–500 W of power (that's about 35–50 volts and 10 amps), which is about a
quarter as much as you need to drive an electric toaster. In theory, you could use any kind of
battery on a bicycle. In practice, however, you want to use something that stores lots of power
without being too heavy—or you'll be using half your power just moving the battery along! That
tends to rule out heavy lead-acid batteries like the ones that start cars, though some electric bikes
do use them. Lightweight lithium-ion batteries, similar to those used in laptop computers, mobile
(cellular) phones, and MP3 players, are now the most popular choice, though they're more
expensive than older rechargeable battery technologies such as nickel-cadmium ("nicad").
Typical batteries will give your bicycle a range of 10–40 miles between charges (depending on
the terrain) and a top speed of 10–20 mph (which is about the maximum most countries allow for
these vehicles by law). You can extend the range by pedaling or free-wheeling some of the time.

ADVANTAGES

1. Lesser maintenance cost.

2. Normal pedaling is possible when not on power assist mode.

3. Detachable battery can be taken inside the house for charging.

4. Thumb throttle - simple to operate and less strain on hands.

5. Solar panels keep charging the batteries for our continuous use.

6. The fan produce electricity and hence the battery is charged.

DISADVANTAGES

1. High center of gravity.

2. More wind load.

APPLICATION

1. Nonstop Rider

2. Speed sicker

3. Urban citizen

4. The mountain climber

CONCLUSION
 This project is a way of using the outgoing power and producing both from wind
generator and solar panel. The concept of the project is providing ease to the rider while riding a
bicycle and also to conserve energy by all possible means. When the solar electric bicycle is kept
under sunlight then the solar rays charge the battery through the solar panel placed above the
carrier of the bicycle. The battery powers an electric motor in the back wheel. It also lowers the
resistance in pedaling to make it easier to go up hills. When there is no sunlight, the bicycle can
be charged by mains electricity. The solar electric bicycle approach is different. It works in
normal day as well as in cloudy day. On a cloudy day it need more charging power, so the
battery is hook to wind generators battery through a controller box to limit the current and that
takes hours to fully charge from flat