Date Presented

Spring 5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Physics

First Advisor

William Roach, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Kevin Peterson, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Jennifer Styrsky, Ph.D.

Abstract

The majority of the world’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels; in fact, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) states that the U.S. used fossil fuels to generate 62.7 % of its electricity in 2019 [1]. 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 examine 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.

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