Ultracapacitor bike

After charging the six PC 2500 2700 F caps on my bike to around 12 VDC, I
measured about 0.01 V / sec voltage decrease while operating two spiral
fluorescent bulbs of 9W rating each through a Radio Shack 140W rated inverter,
running off the caps.

Later, I used the motor generator with the inverter on and with it off to
charge up the cap bank. Now that I have soldered the voltmeter bananna plugs,
the voltage readings are stable.

On probing the cells one by one to determine balance, I found about 1.7 to 1.8
volts on all cells.

The bank easily keeps useable energy for days. Rather less time than a battery,
I think, but I have never done the long term test.

I ordered TEN MORE caps and will bundle them in cardboard boxes in my carry
racks, to have a go at storing and releasing propulsion levels of energy, not
just illumination.

To bus-balance those 16 cells (32 terminals) by routing each terminal either to
the appropriate positive or negative bus, or to its neighbor, each terminal
must have SPDT ability. There will be 8 cells, 16 terminals, each side, and I
guess either 16 SPDT relays, or a fewer number of larger pole count relays. I
can do 15 amps with this motor. The bank can do 625 A. I'd like to mount each
cap through a hole in a PC board and use the terminal screw to establish
contact with printed copper fully surrounding each terminal. The actual bottom
side terminal is aluminum. Then the relays can be designed topside.

A brake switch, used in mopeds and motorcycles, will activate the balancer.
While in parallel mode, the caps will quickly equalize voltage levels. As a
side benefit, this cuts out the motor preventing the system from extending
braking time and distance in an unsafe manner by continuously dumping power
into the motor with no "common sense". It's easy to arrange a relay to close
when there is effectively no difference between the EMF of the motor and the
storage potential, after braking and restarting.

One use of the ultracapacitor bicycle is "soaring", which is a competition in
which all riders start at the same altitude on a course, and the one that takes
the _longest_ time to cross the finish line below wins.

Another, if high enough energy and power levels can be attained, is "rounding
off the hills": resisting the tendency to accelerate to an unsafe speed down
hill, while providing a boost uphill. Mathcad says this can work. The vehicle
could end up unreasonably heavy. I have a new front fork with rack and
identical baskets ready to install soon. I think I should paint it. It's
orange. Yuk. Anyway, with that, I'll carry _eight_ gallons of milk, or a week's
worth of groceries.


I found that the fluorescent spiral lamps are hot cathode designs and are not
resistant to bicycle vibration. I am looking for a cold cathode design. Please
let me know if you can locate one. These are 9 / 14 / 23 watt 110 VAC screw in
bulbs, providing up to 100 watts incandescent equivalent light. It's the most
amazing thing to see. But the beam pattern is too broad for anything but the
most adventuresome night off trail riding, which is actually what I did in my
first test more than a year ago, with this motor chain driven from the pedals,
and a 35 watt incandescent tractor headlight. It was amazing. The Army would've
loved it!

They are going to love it!

So are you! 

Ok, I will stop now.



Yours,

Doug Goncz (at aol dot com)
Replikon Research, Seven Corners, VA

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