Introduction: Turbo Flight simulator Generator

Generating electrical energy aside pedal king has always fascinated ME. Here's my take away on it.

Step 1: Unique Selling Point

I'm victimization a VESC6 motor controller and a 192KV outrunner practical atomic number 3 a regenerative brake. This is reasonably unique atomic number 3 wheel generators go just there's a boost persona to this contrive that I suppose is novel.

When cycling on the road you have inactiveness and this keeps the revolution of the pedals very continuous end-to-end a revolution. Turbo trainers take very little inertia indeed when pushful on the pedals the steering wheel accelerates/decelerates quickly and this feels unnatural. Flywheels are exploited in an attempt to smooth out these speed fluctuations. Stationary bike trainers weigh a metric ton for this reason.

I birth idea up an alternative solution to this problem. The motor controller is configured to twist the outrunner in "continuant speed musical mode". The Arduino connects to the VESC6 via UART and reads the centrifugal current (which is directly proportional to wheel torque). The Arduino adjusts the motor Revolutions per minute setpoint gradually to simulate the inertia and sweep you'd get cycling along a road. It can even simulate freewheeling down a James Jerome Hill by operative as a motor to keep the wheel spinning.

It works brilliantly as evidenced by the chart above showing the motor Rev. I stopped-up cycling just before 2105 seconds. You can see over the next 8 seconds, the wheel speed gradually decays just like it would if you stopped pedalling up a slight incline.

There still are very slight speed variations with the treadle strokes. But that's likewise faithful life and simulated right.

Whole step 2: Examination Power Output

Cycling is the most effective way of doing mechanical work. I used the VESC puppet to measure real time power outturn. I zeroed the readings before cycling for exactly 2 proceedings. I pedalled at an intensity that I think I could have maintained for just about 30 proceedings.

After 2 minutes you can get wind I produced 6.15 Wh. Which corresponds to an average power output of 185 W. I cerebrate that's fairly good given the losings involved.

You tail see the motor currents in the graph in a higher place. They are rapidly adjusted past the VESC6 to exert a constant motive RPM despite the fluctuating torque exerted past the pedalling.

When the pedalling Michigan the motor starts consuming a tiny bit of power to keep the wheel spinning. At to the lowest degree until the Arduino notices you're not pedalling and Chicago the motor altogether. The battery current appears to be almost nix antitrust before shutdown so the power must be at the most a couplet watts to actually spin the wheel actively.

Step 3: Looking at the Efficiency

Victimisation the VESC6 improves the efficiency hugely. Information technology converts the motor's AC major power to DC power considerably better than a full bridgework rectifier. I reckon it's complete 95% efficient.

The friction drive is probably the weak point as far as efficiency is concerned. After cycling for 5 minutes I took some thermal images.

The motor got to about 45 degrees celsius in a 10 stage room. The bike tyre would have dissipated heat energy excessively. Belt driven systems would outperform this turbo generator in this regard.

I did a second 10 minute test that averaged 180 W. Subsequently this the motor was too illegal to touch for a age. Probably about 60 degrees. And some of the bolts through the 3D printed plastic were disentangled! There was also a thin film of red rubberize dust happening the surrounding floor. Friction drive systems suck!

Step 4: Simulating Inactiveness and Get behind

The software is fairly simple and is here along GitHub. The overall function is determined by this line:

RPM = RPM + (a*Motor_Current - b*RPM - c*RPM*RPM - Slope);

This incrementally adjusts the next RPM setpoint (ie. our speed) based on the simulated power exerted. Since this runs 25 times/secondment it's effectively integrating the push finished time. The overall squeeze is simulated as this:

Force = Pedal_Force - Laminar_Drag - Turbulent_Drag - Gradient_Force

Rolling resistance is essentially enclosed in the gradient condition.

Step 5: A A few Other Boring Points

I had to adjust the PID Speed control parameters of the VESC to get better RPM holds. That was relaxed enough.

Abuse 6: ​What I've Learnt

I've learnt that friction drive mechanisms suck. After only 20 minutes of cycling I can see visible tire tire out and rubber dust. They'ray also uneconomical. The rest of the system workings a dream. I reckon a belt motivated generator could scram an extra 10-20% efficiency peculiarly with higher RPMs. Higher RPMs would reduce the motor currents and make high voltages which I think would improve efficiency in this case.

I don't wealthy person enough space in my theater to setup a belt driven system atm.

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