Throttle Based E bicycle Controller Design

Project Title

Throttle Based E bicycle Controller Design

Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject Summary

 This project aims to develop a microcontroller based electric bicycle. The main focus is to build a system that is practical, efficient and cost effective. The electric bicycle will be powered by lithium/lead acid battery whose output power to a brushless DC motor is controlled through pulse width modulation obtained from a microcontroller. The throttle will control the applied voltage to the motor and hence the speed of the bicycle. The electric motor will work in conjunction with the human paddle power to ensure swift movement of the bicycle. The electric status will be visible to the rider through interactive display and regularly updated. Through input keys and closed loop control system, one will be able to switch between the throttle-based speed control to cruise control. Additionally, the motor and the driving circuitry will be protected against over current, over voltage and high temperature.

The main functionalities includes

1. Throttle based speed control
2. Cruise based speed control
3. Protection of whole system which includes:

• Over current protection
• Over voltage protection
• Over Temperature protection

We will be using 350 watt Brushless DC motor that is highly efficient in producing a permissible amount of torque over a vast speed range and multiple sensor for measuring different parameters. To ensure the proper working of project we will test our project in lab environment, for which we will design a test bench that will be used for measuring different parameters. 

Project Objectives

• Develop a test bench for testing a hub motor and find its speed-torque characteristics.
• To program a microcontroller to control the speed and torque of a BLDC motor  with e-bicycle application in mind.
• To develop the electronic power circuitry and closed loop feed back control system for speed control and protection.

Project Implementation Method

The methodology includes

• Literature Review
• Planning
• Coding and Simulation
• Test bench design
• Hardware implementation
• Testing BLDC motor
• Finalize coding and hardware
• PCB design
• Final Prototype

Benefits of the Project

1. Human Resource Development: Training of students in electric machine speed and torque control through micro-controller. It will provide opportunities to the youth to learn new technologies and will also provide jobs.
2. University Capacity Development: Setting up of Test bench for development of proto-type electric bicycle systems with different power and drive trains.
3. Commercialization: The project has huge commercialization potential. Pakistan’s economy will get a boom if we manufacture the e bicycles locally, we will not have to import these bicycles/ cycles.
4. Research and Innovation: E-bicycle systems are being actively researched and the finding can be published at different fora’s.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

There  are 1.2  billion vehicles in the world, which are the main cause of air pollution beside industries. The whole world is moving toward electric vehicles, but an average person can’t afford a car, electric bicycles/bikes provide an alternative for the ordinary engine powered bikes. E-bicycles are:

• environment friendly as it provides green solution to air pollution.
• Have low maintenance cost.
• Cheap and affordable.

The use of  electric bicycles have grown exponentially over the last two decades with the number of e-bicycles making more than 10% of western Europe production. It is estimated that 130 million e- bicycles are to be sold between 2020 and 2023.  In fact, due to the limitation in fossil fuel and high energy efficiency of e-bicycles, the future of this technology is very bright. Unfortunately, the contribution of Pakistan to this huge e-bike manufacturing market is non-existent.  

The first e-bike consisted of a  6-pole brush-and-commutator direct current hub motor mounted in the rear wheel. Afterwards the advancement in technology introduced brushless DC motors which were highly efficient and different variant of drive mechanism came out. A hub motor which is mounted directly in tire is a preferred low-cost solution and is therefore targeted in this project. Our goal is to make a cheap, efficient electric bicycle, which will be tested in lab environment to ensure the proper working. The technical details are as follows:

• A  350Watt BLDC hub motor-based e-bicycle system will be developed.
• Speed is controlled through throttle with the provision of Crouse-control.
• The Arduino micro-controller is to be used for generating PWM signals used to control the power circuit driving the motor. The pulse width will depend upon the speed of the bicycle and the throttle input.
• Temperature, current and voltage sensors will be used to calculate the IC temperature, the motor power requirements and turn off the system if the safety limits are exceeded for more than permissible time.
• Hall sensors will be used to determine the speed of the motor and then that of the bicycle which can be used by the micro-controller for timing the driving circuit and for speed calculation.
• The distance travelled, the speed and the power-consumed is to be visible on the LCD display.

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry TransportationOther IndustriesCore Technology Clean TechOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action, Partnerships to achieve the GoalRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	80000
Sensors (current/voltage/temperature) 30A	Equipment	6	200	1200
Battery charger	Equipment	1	1800	1800
Motor driver	Equipment	2	1750	3500
Batteries (Lithium/Lead Acid)	Equipment	1	20000	20000
Microcontroller	Equipment	2	4500	9000
LCD Display	Equipment	2	1500	3000
Hub BLDC Motor	Equipment	1	16000	16000
Test Bench (Frame, pulleys, belts, torque measurement)	Equipment	1	13500	13500
Electronic components	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Consumables	Miscellaneous	1	1500	1500
Paint	Miscellaneous	1	500	500
Misc. Expenses	Miscellaneous	2	4000	8000