Cycle Charger
Contents
Project Proposal
Overview
Energy is all around us, but on a near daily basis we find ourselves low on charge by the end of the day. The objective of Cycle Charger is to harness the rotational energy of a bicycle ride and store the energy in a battery for a late day boost. Cycle Charger aims to be completely out of the way, requiring no user input beyond riding and plugging in.
Team Members
- Kyle Cummings
- Nathan Genstein
- Kaylynn Williamson
- Sam Chai (TA)
Objectives
Generate:
- Through the use of a "bottle dynamo" we will use the rotation of the wheel of the bike to rotate magnets in the presence of a copper coil to generate electricity.
Convert:
- Using a "rectifier" we will convert the AC current created from the generator into DC current. Then a capacitor will be used to generate smooth current that a phone can use.
Store:
- We will then feed the generated current into a battery that is fastened to the bike where it will be stored. There will also be a detachable portable charger that will be charged from the main battery.
Challenges
- Learning how to properly assemble a bottle dynamo.
- Sizing the components of the bottle dynamo properly to avoid friction/ rapid unscheduled disassembly.
- Fastening the components to the bicycle in such a way that the wires won't come loose with the vibration of the bike.
- Wiring the battery in such a way that the fluctuation in the energy generation does not damage the components.
- Figuring out how to not make the generator overheat
- Prevent the alternator from inadvertently becoming a motor from the battery.
Gantt Chart
Link to Gantt Chart Spreadsheet
- Note This may not be updated. For an up to date version click the link.
Budget
Copper Wire - given
Iron Core - given
Permanent Magnets - given
Insulated Wire - given
Full Wave Bridge Rectifer x 5 - $6.99
50V, 6800uF Capacitor x 5 - $14.57
Portable Charger - $9.99
PVC Pipe for the case holding dynamo
Metal Brackets for attaching the dynamo and battery to the bicycle
Design and Solutions
Necessary Materials
To start off our project construction, we had to acquire the following materials:
- PVC Pipe (for outside casing)
- 2 PVC end caps
- Metal on Plastic Epoxy
- 1 metal dowel rod (to be used for axle)
- Spool of thin copper wire
- Iron frame (horseshoe shaped)
- Connecting wires
- Perf board for circuitry
- 4 diodes (for rectifier)
- Capacitors
- 2 magnets
- Delrin rings (to prevent overheating of moving parts)
Majority of these items were purchased at the local home depot while others were provided in lab. We also used a number of power tools including; power drill, table saw, power sander (all provided by the upstairs machine shop). The ESE 205 lab also provided soldering equipment, which was extremely useful.
