Design and Implementation of Wind-Powered Charging System to Improve Electric Motorcycle Autonomy

Abstract

The careless use of fossil fuels for decades has had a negative effect on the environment, which has led to addressing climate change as one of the greatest challenges of our time. Electric mobility is an option to reduce CO2 emissions, but its main disadvantage is its limited range. As well, one alternative for reducing global warming is to use clean energy. In this sense, wind energy is one alternative to clean energy sources, because it does not produce greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants that contribute to climate change and air pollution. It is also abundant and increasingly cost-effective, making it an attractive option for electricity generation. In this paper, we propose a charging system that harnesses gusts of wind hitting the front of an electric motorcycle and converts their kinetic energy into mechanical energy to produce alternating current through a three-phase generator connected to a propeller system. This research seeks to develop a wind generator that is installed on the front of an electric motorcycle to generate electricity, which is stored in an auxiliary lead acid battery. A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation was performed to visualize the behaviour of the propeller system when exposed to a wind flow. The optimised prototype was implemented using 3D printing, along with the fabrication of metal parts to support the structure. As a result, it was feasible to create alternating current using the suggested prototype, achieving an increase of motorcycle autonomy by 5 to 10%.

The blade system managed to generate an acceptable amount of current, operating in wind regimes higher than 5 m/s, which implies good efficiency in power generation. Finally, the prototype has a better performance in straight tracks where high speeds can be reached and consequently a better efficiency in power generation.