THEKPV Solar Powered Bike by Terry Hope

Terry Hope has created the THEKPV (The Hybrid Electric Kinetic Photovoltaic Vehicle), a solar powered bike that is powered by a 50W array of solar panels and has a capacitor for boosting its acceleration capabilities.

Description from the creator:

Thekpv gained momentum in the summer of two thousand-eight by a fellow named Terry Hope. He worked as an engineer aboard the Copper Sky. An 88ft steel haul staysail schooner. The captain would not allow him to bring a full size stand on electric scooter.. If he wanted to bring any electric vehicle aboard the vessel his vehicle had only one option.. fit inside a suitcase. Following about a thousand hours of electric vehicle research & development his personal electric scooter / bike concept materialized with four goals:

1. Engineer an electrical circuit with a mechanical system to capture, store and harvest electricity.
2. Incorporate photovoltaics for a prototype electro-solar bike / scooter hybrid.
3. Eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions or the carbon footprint by recharging the electric vehicle battery pack off-the-grid.
4. Construct an electric vehicle with a foot print small enough to be stowed away inside a Samsonite suitcase for easy transport.

Terry’s prototype electric vehicle will feature two options for recharging the +90% efficient prismatic LiFePO4 main battery pack.  One option will be connecting to mains electricity via the onboard AC-DC power supply or an emissions free method by selecting the vehicle integrated solar array.

* The integrated electric vehicle solar array consists of 14x 6″x6″ mono crystalline solar cells wired in a series and function as fairings or aerodynamic wind cutters which improve the vehicle’s drag coefficient value.

Cell Specifications

Open circuit voltage: 0.610v -0.621v
Short circuit current: 8.18 amp – 8.78 amp
Rated power: ~4 Wp

Operating voltage: 0.488 v – 0.50 v
Operating current: 7.51 amp – 8.14 amp
Weight: Just above 6 grams, or 0.2 oz

The operator controls solar array output via a group of dpdt rocker switches.  Directing the output to charge any two batteries/capacitors from either the main 24 volt battery pack, 12 volt battery booster pack or 10.8 volt capacitor bank.  The two extra electrical energy storage packs, have been added for extended range functionality.

Harvesting kinetic energy by an extra sprocket mounted on the opposite side of the rear wheel to the electric motor, using five gears engineered to rotate a set of very small 3-phase alternators designed with multi-pole configuration to cut cogging torque. Each of these alternators convert alternating current to direct current with 74% efficiency. The electricity is stored in a bank of ultracapacitors, this power is quickly released via the propulsion booster switch. The regen device’s structure is hand-built from polycarbonate

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