Speed Test

Today I had the chance to take the WattCycle out on the road and see what she would do.  I had to make a quick run down to the local Radio Shack to pick up the needed parts to repair the inoperative 110v inverter, just the excuse needed to take it for a quick spin.  For my first test, I loaded most of my important tools and test equipment, these add about 200 lbs to the cargo box.  I have found that the bike feels more stable with the added weight.

While out on the road, I was hoping to get a good video, monitor amperage draw and compare it to speed.  I was unable to get any useful video and monitoring amperage was impossible, I needed both hands on the handlebars, brakes and throttle.  Future additions to the bike will be voltage and amperage monitoring, lighting and a keyed power switch.

I did get a good feel for the speed that can be produced.  When on a straight path, the bike easily accelerated, even with the weight that I had loaded in the cargo box.  Zero to twenty was a breeze and accomplished in a matter of a few seconds, however once the bike got over 15 mph or so it would feel a bit squirrelly.  My top speed according to the GPS was 21.9 mph, a speed I would not be comfortable maintaining unless I installed a larger steering stabilizer under the cargo box.  I was comfortable keeping 12-18 mph and think that most of the time that should be enough speed for my taste.

Inverter Repair and Install

When I returned to the shop, I was able to repair the inverter that did not work for me yesterday.  I was lucky to find a bad resistor and fuse on the internal circuit card, both easily replaced with a soldering iron and some patience.  This repair made my day, I had no desire to purchase another inverter for this project.

Once installed, the inverter now supplies 1000 watts of  power to my 48v charging system from the dual AGM batteries.  I will also use this power, to run power tools in case I am located in a remote location.


A battery selector switch allows me to shut down 12 volt power, isolate one AGM battery or combine both for more amp hours.  The solar panel on the cargo lid keeps the AGM batteries charged, hoping that I can store enough energy during the day, to either charge at the job sites or at night in the shop.  This should keep the WattCycle completely off the grid if my plan works.

One slight hiccup today was the flat front tire that greeted me after the initial ride.  It seems that I must have hit something sharp, puncturing a wonderful little hole in the tube.  It was a great opportunity to learn how easy it is to change the tube in the front tires.  Due to the design of the BoxCycle, the front rims are not enclosed by a fork assembly, changing a tire has never been easier.

Now that the tire is changed and electrical system fully functional, it is time to put it to work. 

The Hub is here!

2000 watt rear hub

Today was a monumental day at Watts Up!  It has been a few weeks since we ordered the motor and controller, the anticipation was that of a child waiting to open a beautifully wrapped birthday gift.  The parts were sitting at the doorstep when I returned from work, it took me just a few minutes to rip open the boxes and make my way to the shop to begin the install. 

The new hub and controller are able to function with voltages from 36 to 72 volts DC.  I will be using 48 volts for this upgrade however if I chose, I have the ability to step up to 72 volts to increase power and reduce amperage.  The change to 72v will require two additional lithium batteries, a different charger and reprogramming the motor controller but it will make this bike a freak on wheels.  The hub was designed to deliver 40 mph at 72 volts!  After initial test rides, I can tell that the current configuration will offer more speed than I will comfortably want.

Seven speed freewheel

The stock hub had an internal seven speed shifter and one 19 tooth sprocket, however I had the new power hub shipped with a seven speed freewheel.  I currently intend to find a good sprocket combination and use it as a single speed drive.   When installed, I put the chain on the 3rd sprocket (15 tooth sprocket) just to see how this works, I may move it down to the next smaller size to increase speed while pedaling.  Lucky for me, there are not many hills to climb between my shop and client vessels, one speed should work just fine.  A derailleur system can also be added if I feel the need.

Solar charger, two AGM batteries, 4 lithium batteries,
AGM selector switch 48 v charger and the motor controller

The majority of the electrical had been installed previously, the solar panel, charge controller and the primary/secondary battery banks.  I had one glitch with my initial plan, the 1000 watt inverter that I have had in my shop failed to work when I installed it.  I will have to locate a new one before my "off grid" charging system will work as designed.

The install of the controller (Black box located at the far upper right of the photo) was fairly simple, add power from the batteries, install the throttle control (not shown) on the handle bars and install the power wires to the rear hub.  I used #10 gauge wire to insure that it could handle the amperage needed from the controller to the hub.

Tomorrow I will be doing some speed trials and endurance testing to see how she stacks up.  Stay tuned for data, more photos and some videos of the ride.  Wheee dogggie!

Solar Panel Install

In the past couple days I have received the Sunwize 65 watt solar panel, Ganz solar charger, Ganz remote display panel and the Soneil 48 volt DC charger.  The only items that are left outstanding are the 12 volt AGM batteries, the power hub and the motor controller which shipped today.

Mother nature gave us the gift of large quantities of rain today, making it a great day to work in the shop, installing and testing the new solar system.




Solar Panel Mount

Mounting post located at bottom corner of solar module

My first task was to install the solar panel on the top of the cargo lid.  I used some 1 1/2" #12 machine screws and a nut to create a secure mounting stud and then pushed some rubber pads on to the stud that created an excellent mounting surface.  It is my understanding that heat can limit the solar panels ability to produce power, my intentions were to allow air flow under the panel to let out heat and moisture.  Some 3M 4000 sealant was used on each mounting pad before the final mount was made.

Before permanently mounting the solar panel, I had to make preparations for electrical connections to my solar charge controller.  My expected current from the solar panel is under 4.5 amps however to insure that I had no voltage loss, I used some #10 tinned, marine grade wire to connect between the solar module and the solar charger. 

A water tight seal was needed on the top of the cargo lid so that the electronics and my work gear stays dry.  I used a marine clam connection for the wire penetrations and mounted it deep under the solar panel. 

Solar panel standing upright before install

Electrical seal on cargo lid

Ganz remote charging display

Charge Controller
 After all of my electrical connections were complete, the testing went very well.  The Ganz charger display panel measured the voltage from both battery banks and also the voltage off the solar panel.  Even with the current conditions, cloudy and rain, the solar panel was able to provide 18.7 volts to the charge controller and charge the batteries.

I am very impressed with the Ganz system, it is able to automatically charge two banks of batteries and select the bank that needs it the most.  It will show amp hour charge, amp hour draw and ambient temperature.  The green light at the top of the panel indicates charging condition and an error light is located to the right.  Installation was a breeze and I could use and understand the display panel without the need for instructions. 


Next I will make a dash panel that will contain the solar display, power switch, speedometer, etc.  The rear power hub should have shipped by now and will make an update once I get it installed.  Until then, lets change the world one mind at a time.

Charging System

Now I can get into the charging system, which for me is the fun stuff.  It has always excited me to deal with capturing energy from nature.  Solar power and wind power generation is like magic, the stuff amazes me!  Even though the expense up front is hefty, it always feels good to operate electrical devices without plugging into the grid.

What I am attempting is to be able to charge our propulsion batteries without having to plug into a common 120v plug, I would like to maintain the system completely off the grid.  My system will have the ability to plug into a common outlet should I have the need, but I am hoping that will not be the case.

Our charging system is a little more complicated than just a solar panel, solar charge controller and batteries, we have to somehow charge a 48 volt system from a 12 volt solar panel.  We are space handicapped and cannot put 2 - 4 solar panels on the cargo lid of the WattCycle.  We only have room for one 65 watt panel, and putting up a canopy of two or four solar modules above my head just seems ludicrous outside a carnival parade. 

How then do we plan to charge our system?  I will be using two small 12v AGM batteries with a higher amp hour rating than our propulsion batteries.  The AGM batteries, or charging batteries will receive the solar charge anytime I am riding or parked in the sunlight.  The solar panel will keep the charging batteries at full charge during the day and act as a buffer for power.  By using this AGM batteries and an inverter, I will then be able to create a useful 120 AC volts any time I like.  I just happen to have a 1000 watt inverter in the shop that can easily run the 48 volt charging system that I will use to maintain my lithium propulsion batteries.  Now, I am sure that there might be an engineer out there that is shaking his/her head, knowing that there was a better way to build this mouse trap, but I have not cultivated that brain cell yet.

Sunwize 65 Solar Panel

• The glass surface is impact resistant and allows maximum light transmission
• Polycrystalline solar cells are encapsulated and bonded to the glass in multiple layers of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and laminated with a white Tedlar™ backing insuring long life in severe environmental conditions
• A weather resistant junction box accommodates all wiring methods including moisturetight strain relief connectors and electrical conduit
• Bypass diodes insure reliable operation
• Anodized aluminum tubular frames add strength and durability
• Rated Power: 65 Watts
• Rated Voltage: 17.4 Volts
• Rated Current: 3.7 Amps

Ganz 10 Amp Solar Charge Controller

The charge controller will process the 17.4 volts from the solar panel and automatically charge my secondary batteries as needed.  It will work with lead acid, AGM or Gel batteries.  I will be charging an AGM for this project.  This charger is capable of charging two battery banks should I need and it will auto switch between the banks as needed.  It also has protection for overcharging, reverse polarity and short circuit.

 

Ganz Remote Charge Meter

Monitors both solar voltage & battery voltage, charging current & load current
Displays Amp-Hour, watt-hour charge accumulation and percent of batteries charged
 






48 Volt Charger - Maintains the primary batteries

Searching online for a charging system was like looking for a ripe melon, if you know what you are looking for, you can always shuffle through the mess and find what you need.  In our case, I knew we needed a smart charger that can handle a 48 volt system.  When I say "Smart Charger", I am talking about a charging system that will sense the needs of the battery and  vary both the voltage and the amperage to keep the battery in the best state.  Overcharging and undercharging are both catistrophic to a battery system.  We happened to find a Soneil charging system that met our needs for the right price.


So, to sum up the charging system;

1. The solar panel charges the secondary battery system using a charge controller
2. The secondary battery powers a 120 volt AC inverter
3. The inverter powers a 48 volt DC charger and charges the primary lithium batteries

The inverter will also keep all of my cordless power tool batteries charged should I need.  Just an added bonus.

51 Volt Power Pack

The heart of our WattCycle conversion is the 51v battery pack, likely the most expensive part of the conversion.  There were so many directions we could have gone when selecting a power solution, flooded lead acid, AGM, lithium, battery configuration, charging system, and the list goes on.  I wanted to use a system that met my demands for power throughout the day, giving me a range of 15-20 miles if needed.  I also needed a system that I could charge with a solar panel anywhere I went, WITHOUT plugging into the grid (I will cover the charging system in the next blog post).  I also had to seriously consider weight, durability and price.  I could have gone with the battery pack sold by the motor manufacture, easy but very pricey at $800-1500, depending on the amp hour rating.  All of these variables created hours of research, with the hope that it pays off.


The hub motor requires 36 - 51 volts for correct operation, the higher of the voltages will reduce my amperage consumption.  We went with a 51 volt battery pack because of readily available charging systems in that voltage and the flexibility for configuring a battery circuit.  Our next choice was either eating the expense of lithium batteries or purchasing sealed AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat).  Lithium packs are extremely expensive however have great advantages when installing them in a system such as what we were assembling, we bit the bullet and ordered lithium.

These lithium phosphate modules are rated at 12.8 volts and will give us 6.4 amp hours of current.  When wired up in series we should have 51.2 volts being supplied to our controller and eventually the motor.  The amount of Amp hours has been a big concern when developing this power system.  When you increase amp hours you also increase the duration of operation as well as the price you are going to pay for the power pack.  For our system, 6.4 amp hours falls on the low side of the scale, however the solar charging system that we are installing should (in theory) overcome this shortcoming.

Power Hub and Controller

Power Hub

I had many concerns when thinking about replacing the rear hub and gearing that was set up by Christiania.  I will admit, they did a great job in selecting the 7-speed Shimano hub.  The shifting was easy and smooth, the rear coaster brake was simple yet very handy.  When adding power to our bike, the rear hub replacement was the most convenient and cost effective solution, yet replacing the Shimano hub would mean we will lose two great features that were designed into the bike.

I had researched numerous power hubs for front or rear and thought about making a front wheel drive system of my own design.  What I finally selected was a 2000 watt, 36-55 volt, brushless/gearless motor made by Crystalyte, due to its ease of installation and proven technology.

Because this motor is brushless and gearless the reliability and lifespan should pay off, however a geared version of this motor is available.  Other advantages of the gearless motor is the speed it can produce and quiet operation but the disadvantage is the weight and  lower torque than the geared version.

As for sprokets, I am replacing the stock 19 tooth gear with a 15 tooth freewheel sprocket and hoping that one speed will be sufficient for riding around town.  If I find that a single speed system does not give me enough range, I can always add multiple speed cluster and deraileur system.

At the time of this post, the hub and rim are being assembled to make the 24" wheel that I need. We are excited to see the arrival shortly.

Motor Controller

The motor controller we selected has a range of 36 - 64 volts and can handle up to 3000 watts of power.  This controller from Crystalyte boasts reliability and smooth power delivery while also selling at a fairly reasonable price.  The controller will be tuned by the manufacturer to work properly with the power hub.

I opted for a thumb throttle due to the handle bar configuration on the WattCycle, however a half turn twist grip is also available.

A Need for Speed

Being an electrical service business, plans for introducing electrical devices to our work bike were easy to understand.  From the beginning we planned on adding batteries and inverter to help make remote service work easier, lighting to make the ride around town safer and solar panels to keep it all powered up.  Workload and excessive heat were not factored into our transportation choices.  During the first summer with the Christiania, both business and climate had become unusually hot.  It was obvious that I needed to make some changes to increase speed and reduce the effort spent to get from my home, clients boats, shop and the local suppliers during the hot summer months.

I had been studying everything possible on the latest technology the automotive manufacturers were introducing in hybrid and electric automobiles.  I have had the dream of introducing similar designs in sailing vessels by replacing the fossil fuel engines with electric and hybrid propulsion.  This same technology, on a much smaller scale, could easily be installed in our work trike and help me perform my job efficiently.  This blog is all about the metamorphosis from cargo tricycle to hybrid cargo trike, the WattCycle.

Our initial plan:

• Replace rear hub with a 2000 watt, 48 volt power hub
• Install a motor control system with thumb throttle
• Install a 48 volt battery system to power the rear hub
• Install an independent 12v battery system as a charging buffer
• Install a 12 volt, 65 watt solar panel on cargo lid
• Install a 120 volt power inverter for service load and 48 volt battery charger
• Install headlights and marker lights for safety at night

In the near future, I will describe each item, concerns and reasons we selected each component.

Follow us as we install and test our modifications.

The Beginning of a Vision

Watts Up Marine is a mobile marine service company that specializes in electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning in the Kemah, Texas area.  We have always had the desire to be more conscience of our world and the impact that we have during our lives.  Our long term vision was to create a company that offers products and services that change the direction of marine living.  Most of our service business is generated within a few miles of our home and shop.  I often spend an entire day working on numerous boats in one marina, a prime reason to make a transportation change.

We were fortunate to have met the owner, Jae of Houndstooth Road, an Atlanta based importer of classical European bicycles and stylish accessories.  Jae suggested a Christiania Box Cycle as an answer to our ecological desires and due to the proximity to all of the local marinas, a service/cargo bike made a lot more sense than a gas guzzling truck or van.  The Christiania had everything that we needed, comfortable seat and riding position, 7 speed rear hub with coaster brake, front disk brakes and most important, a large cargo box.

A cargo bike is almost unheard of here in the Southern Texas area and finding such a gem locally was impossible.  We immediately ordered one and had it shipped to a local bike shop for assembly.

Our new bike arrived one day in July 2010, while I was sailing from Tampa, Florida to Galveston, Texas.  Winds for this trip west were unusually unfavorable, either nonexistent or directly from the west.  The excitement to ride it for the first time seemed to summon favoring winds, as each time I was on the helm the winds increased to that of a squall and pushed us toward Galveston.  The day after arriving into port, I picked up our Christiania and took it home for the first time.  From the first ride, it caught attention, most would stop and look or ask questions.

Our dogs immediately took to the bike, they jump into the cargo box upon the ring of the bell.  Going to the local farmers market was a treat.  After adding a waterproof cargo lid to the box, I put the bike into immediate use and found that it was easy to get around my territory.  It was a huge step for Watts Up Marine to move toward a cleaner way of doing business.