Product Description: Design or build a battery-powered electric bicycle
For much of the world, bicycles are a transportation mainstay. Electric bicycles--powered by a rechargeable battery pack--are proven to deliver the highest possible energy efficiency, even compared to pedal bikes. A transportation alternative to fossil fuels, electric bicycles are fast catching on, in part because they don't require factory assembly. End-users can easily construct them with available components.
The text reveals important techniques, data, and examples that allow readers to judge various propulsion setups--used in both home- and factory-made bikes--and estimate speed and travel distance for each. Numerous charts clearly present the costs, benefits, and trade-offs between both commercial and user-converted models.
Key features include: * Estimating motor-performance for wind, hill, and cruising power requirements * Estimating battery capacity and a thorough description of battery charging * Motor and motor-control options * Evaluating motor-to-wheel coupling options * Placement of propulsion components * Configurations and performance * How systems-engineering techniques can produce electric-bicycle designs that have long travel range and low life-cycle cost * Testing * Developments to watch
A comprehensive resource for harnessing innovation, Electric Bicycles is the definitive practical guide to taking full advantage of this exciting alternative energy technology.
Electric bikes! A really good overview of the various ways to power an electric bike. The author describes DC series motors (cheap, available, heavy) and the 3 phase AC motors (light, efficient, costly) as well as battery requirements. Obviously we would all like a bicycle that is light, efficient, and can be powered by muscle or electricity as required with no weight penalty: not gonna happen. Electric bikes are for efficient transportation to work, school, shopping. They will always be heavier and glonkier than traditional human powered bikes. but they may fill a niche for those of us who really depend on our bikes to get around.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
