Archived Abstracts
Efficiency Analysis of Harvesting Solar Energy to Perform Mechanical Work with an Electric Bicycle
Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Entry Number
81
Start Date
4-8-2020 4:30 PM
End Date
4-8-2020 4:45 PM
Department
Physics
Abstract
The majority of the world’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels; in fact, the United States Energy Information Administration states that the U.S. used fossil fuels to generate 63 percent of its electricity in 2019. The goal of this research was to create a system that could perform mechanical work using only renewable resources. We built a solar charging station that uses two solar panels to generate electricity and an electric bicycle whose battery can be charged using the charging station. The efficiency for the type of solar cell used in this project is well established. Therefore, in order to determine the overall efficiency of the system, the efficiency of the electric bicycle motor was measured. We developed a mathematical model of the motor’s efficiency, which could be used in the future to design new motors or find ways to improve efficiency. With such information, novel systems could be designed to use renewable resources to perform work in the form of transportation.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. William Roach Dr. Kevin Peterson Dr. Jennifer Styrsky
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Efficiency Analysis of Harvesting Solar Energy to Perform Mechanical Work with an Electric Bicycle
Room 232, Schewel Hall
The majority of the world’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels; in fact, the United States Energy Information Administration states that the U.S. used fossil fuels to generate 63 percent of its electricity in 2019. The goal of this research was to create a system that could perform mechanical work using only renewable resources. We built a solar charging station that uses two solar panels to generate electricity and an electric bicycle whose battery can be charged using the charging station. The efficiency for the type of solar cell used in this project is well established. Therefore, in order to determine the overall efficiency of the system, the efficiency of the electric bicycle motor was measured. We developed a mathematical model of the motor’s efficiency, which could be used in the future to design new motors or find ways to improve efficiency. With such information, novel systems could be designed to use renewable resources to perform work in the form of transportation.