My new ECM PedGen

[Norm]

What an idiot I've been !
If I had only known how easy it was....... !
I could have had it hooked up half an hour after I had got it !
Could have been generating many watt/ hrs all summer long !

 
Okay here is the result !  ....one 2x4- 24" long, 2 short 2x4's screwed onto each side, a large hose clamp
cut in half and each half screwed on.
Knock out the bearings of a replacement scooter wheel for a  ?Razor? scooter , put a 2" pulley on the
motor shaft....(you can see it and the wheel) flat side out, then 1" wide masking tape around the shaft,
enough so the scooter wheel hole just fits on....some HOT GLUE (of course) and then slap the other
metal 2" pulley ...flat face toward the scooter wheel...and you've got a nice red non-edible doughnut sandwich! LOL !
The thing just sits on the carpet free-standing barely touching the big wheel when you start cranking it engages
just enough pressure so it won't slip then when it starts cutting in more of a load the scooter wheel  wedges under
the big wheel just enough to keep it from slipping try to pedal faster and it really starts to "dig" in !
It's fantastic!
I first get on and start pedaling real casual crank speed about 30 rpm...just the slightest bit of resistance
you could pedal like this all day like rocking in a rocking chair.
As you increase the cranking speed up to 60 rpm its like coming to a slight hill....just right and you're cranking about
60 watts.....try to pedal faster than that ....whole new ball game at 75 rpm probably putting out maybe 80 watts
and it's like you or me pedaling up a fairly steep hill on a regular one speed bicycle...
At 60 cranking rpm.... the ECM is only turning at 510 rpm and charging the 24 volt battery 2.6 amp/hr at about 27 volts and 2.2 amps.
or more
Oh BTW...You'll notice the big wheel is almost touching the carpet?....and it does ever so slightly when I'm riding it.....
Hey ! Self cleaning Wheel !  LOL !

Love this ECM !

[dave ames]

SWEET

 hey norm,

sounds like the perfect rpm and output for the ped-gen. great to put something together with what we have at hand..

is that the 142 series by regal-beloit? stock configuration? you had enough room to do the rectifying in the motor can?

nice job! thanks for the look.

it's all good fun!
cheers, dave

[Norm]

No there are 3 full-wave rectifiers on the outside plenty of room underneath in the
2x4 base. Since posting this I have painted the PedGen and put a bicycle digital
speedometer and odometer on the wheel....true speed and distance in other words
if this were a tricycle direct drive to the pedals like a kids tricycle.. at 60 rpm crank speed
I would be traveling at a mere 5mph and cranking out about 60 watts.
To increase the speed to 6 mph is like going uphill medium hill ...to try for for 7mph is
like going uphill and suddenly getting a flat tire !  LOL !....  5 miles a day in an hour on this will make
you lean and mean ! 6 or 7 would probably make you tired
I'm not sure what motor it was....is a data decal on it , but is covered up with the hose
clamp pad seems like it was 1 HP. 12 amps.  I don't know what it is....I'll ask.
thanks for the feed back....what makes it all good fun !

[Norm]

Dave,
 " It is wired in "IRP" (formerly known as 'Jerry Rigged').
The factory phases were not able to be separated.
Only the star point could be accessed."
   ( the one I got it from.)

[ghurd]

Very cool!

A few more Ni-Cds batteries, and can go off grid! 
G-

[Norm]

......a few more batteries and the "doghouse" is already off grid
' tho she did say the PedGen looks a lot nicer since I painted it !
but ....batteries on the window sill don't go with the decor !
5miles a day with the digital bike speedometer @5mph will be about
50 watt/hrs a day .....my goal.
Already put 2 miles today...
Had to retighten the pulley....tried for a spurt of 7mph and wheel
started slipping ....quite some torque on that shaft hmmm?

[dave ames]

 thanks for that added info norm. "IRP"..must be one of those overlapped wound motors-that's about as far as we can break those up. maybe labeled as "EPM"?

 jerry would know, as he did some great work for the rest of us to follow!

cheers, dave

[Bruce S]

Very cool!

A few more Ni-Cds batteries, and can go off grid! 
G-

Argg!! Too many dances not enough time!!
Norm way cool!! Those off-grid going NiCds should be there by now. Have many more when you are ready 

---OFF topic----ALL the packs You and I built, and honestly yours looked way better than mine! are now packed and en route to..Philippines per Rich's last email.

Between you and I we churned up over 100 18V battery packs into 12V 2.6Ahr and 3.9Ahr so 40+ huts will not be burned up by using kerosene.
I owe you a big favor sir!!

3 Cheers
Bruce S

 

[Norm]

"Between you and I we churned up over 100 18V battery packs into 12V 2.6Ahr and 3.9Ahr so 40+ huts will not be burned up by using kerosene.
I owe you a big favor sir!!"

Okay here's the big favor .....some nice pics.of them
We sure used a lot of hot glue didn't we....never realized the potential of that stuff
specially liked how we reused the wrappers.
(Got any extra old ones?)
Thanks for all you have done for me !
Norm .
 

[birdhouse]

norm-  nice work!  great way to stay/get in shape, and make some power to boot!

speaking of jerry-  has anyone heard from him lately? 

i drove to meet him a year or so back, so he could help me with my first wind turbine.  he was very kind by helping me, and very informative and knows much about all sorts of things.  seems like he kinda dropped of the face of the earth?

not that it matters, but i think "IRP" is unfair to him, and it should still be called "jerry rigged"  after all, he is the one that discovered this method.  though, if i understand it correctly he rectifies each individual coil independantly, not each phase.     

just my $.02

sorry for the topic drift

adam

[ghurd]

not that it matters, but i think "IRP" is unfair to him, and it should still be called "jerry rigged"  after all, he is the one that discovered this method.  though, if i understand it correctly he rectifies each individual coil independantly, not each phase.     

Which wiring configuration should still be called 'Jerry Rigged'?
He has a couple or 3 things he calls that, and they are very different.  That's what was causing lots of confusion.
Here are the 2 more common ones (sketches stolen from Woof),

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/231/3phase2.gif  (Dave- Norm's 1HP GE ECM is wired like that)

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/231/3phase.gif

G-

[Norm]

norm-  nice work!  great way to stay/get in shape, and make some power to boot!

speaking of jerry-  has anyone heard from him lately? 

i drove to meet him a year or so back, so he could help me with my first wind turbine.  he was very kind by helping me, and very informative and knows much about all sorts of things.  seems like he kinda dropped of the face of the earth?

not that it matters, but i think "IRP" is unfair to him, and it should still be called "jerry rigged"  after all, he is the one that discovered this method.  though, if i understand it correctly he rectifies each individual coil independantly, not each phase.     

just my $.02

sorry for the topic drift

adam

Like Ghurd says....
BTW.....isn't it a pleasure to meet one of the 'Gang' personally?
being on this board has changed my whole outlook on life....
used to have a some animosity toward people on the road or
parking lot or mall that offended me....now I think it could be one
of the guys or gals on this board just having a bad day....it's fantastic
what a smile can do !
  Already have 3 miles of my 5 mile daily goal.
Norm

[Bruce S]

"Between you and I we churned up over 100 18V battery packs into 12V 2.6Ahr and 3.9Ahr so 40+ huts will not be burned up by using kerosene.
I owe you a big favor sir!!"

Okay here's the big favor .....some nice pics.of them
We sure used a lot of hot glue didn't we....never realized the potential of that stuff
specially liked how we reused the wrappers.
(Got any extra old ones?)
Thanks for all you have done for me !
Norm .

Norm;
 Yep I still have a few. Hap to clear up the office, boss was nice in letting me test the LED lights and work on batteries. Once shipped off the Rich, had to clean the office 
I'll gather up all of them I can find and send your way.
Pictures, I'll get the ones I have and post a bunch.
Once we're back from the trip, we should have a bunch more of them installed.
HOT CAN BE YOUR FRIEND 
 I spent so much time at Hobby Lobby they offered me a charge card 
 

[ghurd]

It's 9PM.
Did you make the 5 miles for today?   

When I meet up with a member face-to-face,
it is like talking to someone who speaks the same language.

Norm,
In case you were wondering, we skipped the Presque Isle time-trial bike race thing this time.
G-

[Norm]

Yep done 5miles then another mileon top of that....was easy ...got a total of 16 for 3 days.
I had a special battery made up amounts to 12 volt 8 amp/hr 12.5 volts to start hooked
up to 8 watt fluroescent 12 volt....thought it would last awhile but in an hours time it had dropped
to 11.4 volts....wonder what I really need for 8 hrs.   ?

Time-trial??? yeah figured that......been a busy summer....where did it go?

Haven't had to use the air conditioners the last couple of days....kind of chilly mornings....

Norm.

[ghurd]

12V 8W fluorescent?
I bet that one ain't a name brand bulb.
Never can tell if 8W is input or output of the tube,
so don't expect a 8W 12V cheapie to pull 0.750A.

Some of those "7W 12V CFLs" pulled way over double that
from the battery.

"wonder what I really need for 8 hrs"
Thats an easy question!
C_p = I^k t \,
But it would be more accurate to use
t = H{\left(\frac{C}{I H}\right)^k}\,

That's from wiki, and I think it means if the battery is draining too fast...
you need a bigger battery!

Might try more parallel batteries, and charging then slower.
Might have to charge them like twice a day for a few days before they act like you'd expect when using them.

Summer went by faster than a jet.
G-

[Bruce S]

Yep done 5miles then another mileon top of that....was easy ...got a total of 16 for 3 days.
I had a special battery made up amounts to 12 volt 8 amp/hr 12.5 volts to start hooked
up to 8 watt fluroescent 12 volt....thought it would last awhile but in an hours time it had dropped
to 11.4 volts....wonder what I really need for 8 hrs.   ?

Time-trial??? yeah figured that......been a busy summer....where did it go?

Haven't had to use the air conditioners the last couple of days....kind of chilly mornings....

Norm.

Norm; surely this isn't one of the NiCds? They should hold until last 5% til dead, even then a 10 minutes rest and they'll read 12V at least.

Scooter ride in today was cold on the knees. Use SS coffee cup w/lid to keep chest cold. Got funny looks when stopped at light and pulled out coffee for a hot drink 58F is nice until you are doing 45Mph then it is down right cold. BURR
Really nice thing about Fall is NO skeeters  .

B

[Norm]

 A couple of new 2x4's (over $6....no skimping here) and I have  a frame for my Newer
PedGen, cut down the 34D. wheel to 20" , which fits inside of a 21 inch bike rim ,made a wooden pulley from scrap piece of
2x4 for the ECM shaft...3.5" Diameter serpentine belt from old Astrovan?? goes around
pulley and the 21inch bike rim (fits it rim like it was designed for this purpose)

 This drive train gives me a ratio of 1:6 which allows me to crank the ECM over at about
350 rpm maybe a little less and I can average about 40 watts for a minute and a half to
charge Ni Cad 2.6 back up to 13volts....about 1 watt hr.

 What I am  doing today is:
 I take one of the 2.6 batteries that is part of the 3 PB lights that I had used at night,
plug it in thru the Watts Up meter ....voltage reads about 12.5 I crank about normal
for about 90 seconds now the voltage reads about 13.5, peak rate 43.5 watts, and 1.1 Watt Hr.

 Takes me much longer to get the battery hook it up, unhook it take the battery back, than it
takes to charge them....but that's okay gives me a rest between charges nothing to it so in
35 minutes I have charged all 7 batteries !

  Oh forgot to mention this is with the frame on end in Hand crank mode.
 I can get a maximum of almost 60 watts just in hand crank mode (57.8 watts)

   Will show you pics of it when I get it finished for both foot pedal and hand pedal
need some bolts and hinges.....

  * Watts Up meters really do tell you Watts Up ! 
Norm.

[Bruce S]

Norm,
That is good news! Glad you're not scrimping on the $$ these days 
I am back to building up the next round on 2.6Ahr sets.
I really miss having all those we built hanging around the office.
Am trying out a slightly different setup, adding 2nd connector on each end to be able to attach batteries together for higher Ahrs.

Got the idea from looking at TomW's mondo sized NiCds.

Having fun in 7F weather!!

Bruce S

[Norm]

Norm,
That is good news! Glad you're not scrimping on the $$ these days 
I am back to building up the next round on 2.6Ahr sets.
I really miss having all those we built hanging around the office.
Am trying out a slightly different setup, adding 2nd connector on each end to be able to attach batteries together for higher Ahrs.

Got the idea from looking at TomW's mondo sized NiCds.

Having fun in 7F weather!!

Bruce S

Been thinking the same thing ...but leave the connectors
just like they are...but bend them straight up and cut a short piece of
rigid plastic tubiing and hot glue around them a little higher than the tabs
for protection and accidental shorting, then a 14guage bare copper wire,
and bend the female connectors so they are pointing straight down and
slide them on the wire and solder them where each one connects a battery.
Hope that's as clear of a picture as it is in my mind !
Have fun !  Been busy shoveling snow....I haul one shovel at a time and
put it in a big pile like a small backhoe!  works for me.

Norm.