JMU AFV Lab Blog

I saw this item on the Science Daily Newsletter I get every day. The AFV Lab at JMU is working on several different types of 2 wheel electric vehicles, but nothing of this caliber, yet. With reason, the article is rather vague about specifics of the bike. Go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073909.htm to read the article.

Zero Emissions Motorcycle Gears Up For The Big Race

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Engineering students (from left to right) Dean Goldsmith, Michael Payne (sat on the bike), Sean Whittaker, Alex Jones-Dellaportas and Gonzalo Carrasco with the green bike. (Credit: Image courtesy of Kingston University)

ScienceDaily (Apr. 28, 2009) — It has the ability to reach speeds of 102mph, race around a 38 mile mountainous course and is powered by batteries which can be charged from a standard household socket. It’s Kingston University’s new, green motorbike. Designed by six final-year engineering students, the bike is set to make history by competing in the world’s first zero-emissions Grand Prix this summer. The Kingston team will join 24 eco-bikes from America, India, Italy, Germany and Austria on the start line at the 2009 Isle of Man TTXGP.

Work on the bike began last October, under the guidance of course director for motorsport and motorcycle engineering Paul Brandon. The motorbike, which has gone through many designs, will run on non-fossil fuel but will still be able to clock-up an average 70 mph around the course. “Being green doesn’t have to mean slow,” Mr Brandon said. “There are too many sceptics when it comes to electric vehicles but we all need to reduce our CO₂ output and this initiative is taking a huge leap in that direction. The ideas we and others put to the test on the racing circuit are the ones most likely to become commonplace on the road.”

The bike is run from a custom-built, 72-volt battery and the team estimates it will reach speeds of 102 at the fastest downhill section of the 38 mile course. “The energy density of batteries is far less than that of petrol or diesel so how we manage the energy we carry is critical to our success in the race,” Mr Brandon added. “The bike we have designed has a whole vehicle efficiency of 90 per cent, so we are only wasting 10 per cent of what we carry. By comparison a petrol-based vehicle wastes 70 per cent of the energy it carries.”

Students studying on the motorcycle engineering design course have worked on the project since October last year and it will form part of their final assessment. Alex Jones-Dellaportas, 40, originally from Oldham, Lancashire, said: “The design has gone through many different stages. We’ve refined it at each step along the way to try to make it lighter and faster and the majority of the materials we have used have been recycled.” Team mate Gonzalo Carrasco, 21, originally from near Madrid, in Spain, said: “It might look similar to a normal motorbike but it has no internal combustion engine, no exhaust system and no fuel tank. The overall CO₂ usage, including the CO₂ generated to charge the batteries, will be around 50 per cent less CO₂ than a petrol or diesel-power bike. People need to realise that this technology is the future. By entering green races and building green designs we are hoping policy-makers will see the potential for this technology and start investing in it.”

The competition takes place on June 12.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073909.htm

This article was on the Gizmag blog this morning. KTM has applied for patents on a hybrid dirt bike that has conventional drive to the rear wheel as its other bikes, but adds in-wheel electric motors to both front and rear wheels for, in effect, a hybrid, all wheel drive motorcycle. KTM announced a hydraulic AWD motorcycle earlier, but I like this idea better. After all, wire is lighter than hoses with hydraulic fluid, and with the small, powerful hub mounted motors now being used in electric bikes, an electric motor is probably substantially lighter than a hydraulic motor. However, I am still concerned about the effect of the substantial increase in unsprung weight and its effect on handling. In addition, I would think tires, rims, wheels and bearings would have to be heftier to handle the increased inertia of the motor assembly, further increasing the unsprung to sprung weight ratio with its attendant adverse effect on handling. We’ll wait and see.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/ktm-2wd-hybrid-dirt-bike/10348/
(Be sure to check out the 4 images of the patent application drawings)

KTM 2WD hybrid dirt bike

November 12, 2008 Patents lodged by Austrian Competition Motorcycle Manufacturer KTM indicate that a hybrid 2WD dirt bike is not far away. Common sense dictates that a motorcycle with both wheels driven (2WD) will go around corners faster and with greater surety than one equipped only with the motorcycle’s traditional rear-wheel drive, much the same as 4WD cars offer superior traction to their rear or front wheel drive brethren. A lot of interesting development work has been done over the last decade with YamahaOhlins 2WD system on selected enduro bikes in Europe, Christini developing mechanical AWD (aka 2WD) kits for Honda and KTM dirt bikes and KTM talking publicly about its hydraulic 2WD development. Now it appears KTM is to employ a small electric motor on each wheel to supply additional torque when it’s needed. A recently filed set of patent applications heralds some exciting prospects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle#Dirt_Bike/Trials_Bike offering http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle Honda

Back in 2004, we wrote about KTM’s prototype hydraulic 2WD system which project leader Wolfgang Felber described as having a pre-set torque distribution between the front and rear wheel. He also commented, that although the system was already fairly well developed, it could “definitely be improved upon.”

Having both wheels driven on road, trail or competition two-wheeled machinery offers many advantages. On almost any surface, 2WD offers better traction and stability, but it offers a greater advantage for slippery, wet or loose surfaces, on larger machines and is particularly useful for inexperienced and non-expert riders.

Interestingly, Kurt Nicol of KTM described the 2wd advantages extremely well here, and there’s an excellent account of testing the Yamaha 2wd system on MCNews.com.au – our take is that existing 2WD systems don’t quite offer enough advantage for the expert rider to be worth their additional weight – yet!

The additional weight of a hydraulic system makes it only a marginal advantage for an expert rider, and it’s only a matter of time before a suitable light weight electric motor is available that will offer far more sophisticated, (most likely computer-controlled) power delivery from the front wheel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motor

The bike pictured in the patent images has the shape of a desert racer - KTM has dominated desert racing for a decade - a desert racer will also be one of the most obvious beneficiaries of the design as 2WD offers much greater stability and better steering in deep sand. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent

Perhaps most significantly, this is the first time that a motorcycle manufacturer with genuine race credibility has moved into the electric/petrol engine hybrid area and if KTM does bring the 2WD hybrid to market, it will be entirely to gain a competitive advantage. KTM’s ethos is to deliver “ready to race” motorcycles, which guarantees that if it don’t work, it won’t be on its motorcycles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethos

Almost certainly we’ll see a lot more 2WD motorcycles in the next few years as electric motors develop and proliferate to accommodate the growing electric bike industry. One likely technology contributor to the field of 2WD via electrically powered front wheels will be the motor suppliers to the burgeoning electric bicycle industry which demands very lightweight in-wheel motors. Given that the front wheel of a motorcycle with 2WD needs roughly 15 % of total power, the power output needs for the front wheel electric motor are not that great.

Even more intriguing is the use of an electric motor in the rear wheel and the advantages this offers in delivering predicatable, linear torque at low speeds (perfect for KTM’s strength, it’s core dirt bike clientele) as well as the brutal horsepower of KTM’s entire dirt bike range.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/ktm-2wd-hybrid-dirt-bike/10348/

Saw this article on the Autobloggreen blog this morning and thought you may be interested. The 3 wheel “leaning” concept is not new; as the article mentions, Piaggio has had it for quite a while. What fascinates me is the concept of having electric motors/alternators in each front wheel, which charge their battery only from regenerative braking. It has a conventional, but supercharged125cc ICE driving the rear wheel.  Two separate drive systems.  I’m also fascinated by the horizontal spring arrangement of the front suspension.  I’m reserving judgment on this concept, mainly because I wonder what effect it will have on handling when the inside wheel drops in a pothole in a turn and the other wheel makes a sudden move upward, with attendant loss of traction when it is needed most.  I foresee skids in turns as a result.  Back in the late sixties early seventies, a British firm (BMC I think it was) sold a car with “hydraulic suspension.”  It had antifreeze/water filled rubber bags at each wheel, all connected with water lines.  This had a disturbing action that when one wheel dropped in a pothole, it was felt at all four wheels, like all four wheels had hit potholes simultaneously.  It also was prone to total loss of traction when something, like a pothole, disturbed the balance.  In a curve on a wet road , they would “turn end for end” if the driver was a little too aggressive.

Source: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/04/peugeot-unleashes-118-mpg-hymotion3-compressor-concept/

Peugeot unleashes 118 mpg HYmotion3 Compressor Concept

Posted Oct 4th 2008 at 8:03PM by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hybrid, MPG, Peugeot, On Two Wheels, Paris Motor Show

We really dig Peugeot’s new HYmotion3 Compressor Concept. It’s got three wheels — two up front and one in back, our preferred arrangement — and a hybrid drivetrain. The two front wheels are independently powered by individual wheel-mounted hub motors and have no connection to the supercharged four-stroke 125cc engine that powers the rear wheel. Regenerative braking is all that provides power to the scooter’s battery pack. Like the Piaggio MP3, the HYmotion3 is a leaning machine. Besides that radical powertrain, the scooter features a full safety cage that encompasses both the driver and passenger. A real windshield sits at the front with a second large sunroof overhead.

The engine shuts down when it’s not needed and the electrically-driven front wheels are capable of powering the machine by themselves. The HYmotion3 is extremely fuel efficient, recording 118 miles per gallon. Could it see production? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility, as the supercharged engine is already sold in other Peugeot scooters and the aforementioned MP3 has proven that the design can be a success on the sales floor. In other words, stay tuned.

Source: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/04/peugeot-unleashes-118-mpg-hymotion3-compressor-concept/

Saw this interesting article on the autobloggreen blog this morning.  It’s an interesting concept; use solar panels to recharge a vehicle.  The one observation I would like to make is that this concept could not be applied to a daily runner, unless the vehicle driver worked second or third shift, without some kind of energy storage system.  Could this be an extension of the electric scooter project, Peter?

AltCar 2008: Prometheus’ solar-powered electric motorcycle

Posted Sep 29th 2008 at 8:44AM by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Santa Monica Alt Car Expo, Green Daily

Jim Corning had an idea. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could put four solar panels on your house, and then be able to power a vehicle with the energy created with them? Corning, who founded Prometheus Solar LLC, didn’t have a vehicle he could powere with sunlight, but he did have a wife with a Ninja 250 that wasn’t getting much use.

Today, Corning has a proof-of-concept electric motorcycle. At the Santa Monica AltCar Expo, Corning was talking with curious visitors all weekend, but was happy to tell AutoblogGreen about the bike. The four panels behind Corning in the picture above offer 800 watts, enough to recharge the bike. During testing, he’s blown up the batteries twice, and those accidents helped him realize the benefits of a more aerodynamic bike. Inspired by Craig Vetter’s fuel efficiency contests of the 1980s, Corning designed the Prometheus research vehicle to be quite slippery (note the front wheel cover and the extended back end to give the air somewhere to go). He also wanted to keep the upright seating of a motorcycle, which influenced the desighn. Currently, the bike uses lithium-ion phosphate batteries from Thundersky that have a 4.6 kWh capacity connected to a 10 HP Perm PMG 132 motor. That means he can go up to 70 mph and has a range of about 50 miles. The bike is not for sale, but there has been no lack of interest, both at the show and on the street. Corning said he had to buy an open face helmet to talk to all of the people who chat him up at stop lights….

Source: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/09/29/altcar-2008-prometheus-solar-powered-electric-motorcycle/

I came across this article on the “Wired” blog this morning and thought it was especially relevant to our own “electric scooter” project in the AFV Lab. It’s quite an elegant electric motorcycle! To save bandwidth, I didn’t put up all the article, go to http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/two-wheels-zero.html to see the rest of the article, especially the pictures at the bottom. For more information, check out the company webpage, http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/.

Two Wheels, Zero Emissions and Loads of Fun

By Chuck Squatriglia August 20, 2008 | 4:07:09 PMCategories: Electric Vehicles, Motorcycles

Saiki started developing the Zero X five years ago after participating in a NASA round table analyzing transportation technology. He became convinced electric drivetrains are the best way forward and motorcycles the logical place to develop them. They’re smaller and less complex than cars, and the regulatory hurdles to getting them on the road aren’t as high.

Off-road bikes lend themselves to electric power because they’re typically ridden short distances, so range isn’t that big an issue. Electric motors also provide gobs or torque, a big plus in motocross riding. The Zero X produces power instantaneously, and it’ll catch you off guard because the bike is all but silent. Snap the throttle too hard and you’ll lift the front wheel. “The throttle is like a light switch,” Saiki says. “It’s on or it’s off.”

A low-speed mode limits the bike to about 30 mph and is good for tooling around. Switch to high-speed mode and you get unfettered acceleration to about 57 mph. The Zero X will hit 30 mph in under two seconds and 57 in about twice that. Juice comes from a proprietary li-ion battery that weighs 40 pounds and provides about two hours of riding time. It recharges in about two hours using any household socket, and you can get a spare for $2,950.

The Zero X has hydraulic disc brakes and fully adjustable suspension with about 8 inches of travel. It looks a bit like a big mountain bike, which isn’t a coincidence. Saiki, who holds a degree in aerospace engineering, has designed bicycles for Santa Cruz, Haro and Mountain Cycles.

He worked through seven prototypes and designed most of the 300 or so components himself. The bikes are built in a factory near Santa Cruz, and Saiki hopes to turn out 300 a month by next summer. He’s sold 127 since April (Google’s Larry Page bought three) and has a waiting list of 77 people, including two guys who signed up after seeing the bike outside our office.

Saiki says about 75 percent of buyers are seasoned motocross riders, which speaks to the bike’s dirt cred. Saiki had motocross hall-of-famer Jeff Emig flog a prototype at a track in Las Vegas last year, and Emig says it’s the real deal. “I’m expecting the production version to have a huge impact on the motor sports industry,” he says. We probably won’t see James Stewart or Ryan Villopoto racing them anytime soon (although Saiki says the AMA is interested in racing e-bikes) but the guys at Dirt Rider (.pdf) called an early prototype of the Zero X “the inevitable sound of the future of off-road motorcycle riding.”

As for Zero Motorcycle’s future, it includes a street version good for 70 mph and a range of 60 miles. Look for it in January with a sticker price of $9,000.

Photos by Emily Lang / wired.com

Source: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/two-wheels-zero.html

Here is an interesting electric vehicle conversion that may be considered for a future AFV Lab project or provide ideas for existing ones. Go to http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/07/honda-vfr-conversion-to-electric-power-now-complete/ to see the full article.  Comments?

Honda VFR conversion to electric power

evfr-honda-conversion

…The first question out of everyone’s mouth was “How far does it go”… to which I replied “15-20 miles on crappy used UPS batteries I got for free”. I initially wanted to go with larger lead [acid batteries], but since these were free, I wanted to develop/test the mechanical first, and then upgrade to lithium in the fall. Its all working and now I can shop for alternatives to lead. Most people scoffed a little, I didn’t care, Its quite a feat in a motorcycle, especially keeping it stock looking. I know what the end result will be…. LiFePo and AC will eventually find their way into that bike. It will perform well, and range will be 30-40 miles….

…ABG: Tell us about the process of developing the conversion.

Gintz: I saw the Tesla last year, and decided I wanted to look into building an EV myself. I have an electrical engineering background, and LOVE gadgets, so it came naturally. I looked into cars, but for 10 grand, and lots of work, it might be over my budget. I’m a single guy living alone, so I don’t have 10 grand sitting around, just to get 30-50 miles for commuting. I drive a Dodge Durango, and gas is starting to hurt. I needed a cheap commuter solution. I looked at a popular site called EVAlbum. They had some other vehicles, and the more I looked into motorcycles, the more I was sold on the idea. I started looking for bikes, and found someone on Craigslist that had a roller with bad engine and donated it to me. Then I ran into some guys at a new startup company called Synkromotive, in Portland, OR. They wanted to help the conversion, and in exchange for a controller, I would do testing/assmembly and R&D. Its been a great relationship with Synkromotive. A few weeks later, while looking for parts for the free bike, I found one in Florida that had a bad engine, but was in pristine shape. I bought it, shipped it here, and parted out the engine, electrical and exhaust. I almost broke even. Very shortly after this, I found a guy up near Seattle that had tons of batteries he wasn’t using for his motorcycle, and another rolling chassis, it was well worth $60 in gas to go get it. So I had a good roller and batteries and a controller. Found a motor on a surplus website. Assembly began in February. Another VFR guy wanted to help, and had fabrication background. We welded up a battery tray and made a motor mount. A month ago, we threw everything together and took it out for its first few runs. It was a great feeling. After 8 months of getting parts, designing and building… it all paid off….

…Quick statistics:
1986 Honda VFR700F
Series wound Advanced DC motor
156V 600A Synkromotive controller
12 12V 18Ah batteries running in 2-72V strings. Capable of 144V. Switching to Lifepo soon
4:1 gear ratio, will be moving to ~5:1
Range: 15-20 on used batteries
Top speed: 65mph, one gear, no clutch
Charging system is custom…