International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056

Volume: 04 Issue: 04 | Apr -2017 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Alternator Charging System for Electric Motorcycles

R. D. Belekar#,Shweta Subramanian1, Pratik Vinay Panvalkar2, Medha Desai3 , Ronit Patole4

# Assistant Professor, Mechanical Department, Rajendra Mane College of Engineering and Technology,
Univ. of Mumbai, India
1234 Student, Mechanical Department, Rajendra Mane College of Engineering and Technology,

Univ. of Mumbai, India

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ABSTRACT- The following project deals with modelling the vehicle and are used to propel the motorcycle as an
and testing of a battery electric motorcycle with a self- alternative to using an internal combustion engine.
charging system for obtaining better utilization of the
energy. An attempt to fabricate a regenerative system The efficiency of an electric vehicle is far greater than
for a BEV which utilises the rotational energy of wheels all other forms of propulsion currently in use.
to restore the energy to the batteries, thereby Whenever there is employment of electricity, the
introducing a system which makes the most of the power vehicles using it tend to produces zero emission at the
produced by the electric motor. The chassis of a tailpipe. Also, EVs offer great performance and are far
commercially available motorcycle is modified as per the from being slow. An electric vehicle operates
requirements of the battery sizes and the self-charging differently from a vehicle with an IC engine. An all-
system. The components like alternator, motor and DC- electric vehicle is powered by electricity with a large
DC converter was arranged in a manner to transfer the rechargeable battery, an electric motor, a controller
rotational energy being experienced by the chain that sends electricity to the motor from the driver’s
sprockets through the chain to the alternator. The accelerator pedal, and a charging system. These parts
alternator here has the capacity to produce 14.4V DC, of an electric vehicle replace the IC engine, fuel tank,
which is directed to DC-DC converter through a battery fuel line, and exhaust system in a traditional bike.
source. Here in DC-DC converter the voltage source is While the IC engine is central to the operation of a
stepped up to 54V, which is enough to charge the 4 traditional vehicle, it is the rechargeable battery that is
batteries in series which yields to 48V usage. Thus the central to the operation of an electric vehicle. All-
batteries which are used to provide the rotational energy electric vehicles recharge their batteries by plugging
to the shaft through a motor is receiving back the them into a household electrical outlet or a special
sufficient voltage source to recharge it. The vehicle is charging station. The major components used in
tested for the supply of source to the batteries using existing battery electric vehicles are motors, motor
multi-meter, distance travelled with and without the controller and battery.
recharging circuit is also studied and is found to be Some of the earlier designs of electric bikes included a
effective means to
Key Words: Alternator, Battery Electric Vehicles, BLDC charge the vehicle using kinetic energy generated by
Motor, Battery, and DC-DC Converter the vehicle itself. Electric bikes are being introduced on
I. INTRODUCTION the market to completely eliminate the use of internal
combustion and make use of In-wheel motor system on
Electric vehicles are powered by batteries that are rear wheels for small electric vehicle, the combination
contained with the vehicle and usually provide an structure of each component. The key point of In-
adequate charge for the propulsion of the vehicle Wheel motor system to be applied in small electric
through city traffic. The batteries are mounted within vehicle is the integration capability to meet the

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requirements such as wheel space, power VII SELECTION OF COMPONENTS

performance, strength of components .One drawback
to electric bikes is that batteries must be recharged and 1) Chassis Frame- It is the frame on which the motor,
there are limitations in the range that the battery may alternator assembly and the batteries of vehicle
propel the motorcycle without recharging. body is supported. It is designed such that the
weight of the batteries, motor and the alternator is
One solution to this recharging problem is to install an properly distributed throughout the motorcycle in
alternator of a car to retrieve the unused rotational order to produce smooth effortless movements
energy of the wheel to recharge the batteries while still with minimum losses on the entire body.
in motion. The alternator works on the principle of
electromagnetic induction and hence produces
electricity when rotated about its axis. Such a device
installed on a modern electric bike may therefore
increase the range of the battery and provide an
effective means to recharge the battery while the
vehicle is in motion.

II. OBJECTIVES

i. The prime objective of experimenting and

fabricating the proposed vehicle is to revive the
Figure 1. CHASIS OF TVS VICTOR
unused rotational energy of the wheels which
is accomplished by using an Alternator. 2) Motor- BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS also known as
electronically commuted motors, which are the
ii. The defined work is to develop an energy
motors which are powered by a DC electric source
regeneration system which helps in restoring
via an integrated inverter/ switching power
the energy from the batteries which in turn
supply, which provides an AC electric signal to
results into the increase in the overall range of
drive the motor. In this context, alternating current
the bike in 1 charging cycle.
does not imply a sinusoidal waveform. Additional
iii. Reduction in the frequency of the plug in sensors and electronics control the inverter output
charging thereby covering a larger distance as amplitude and waveforms.
compared to the conventional electric
motorcycles.

iv. Eco friendly mode of commutation can be

obtained with desirable functions for various
day to day activities hence obtaining a zero
emission vehicle.

v. Optimum utilization of the rotational energy

from the wheels in order to achieve greater
outputs using the law of physics like
Electromagnetic Induction. Figure 2. BLDC MOTOR

vi. To propose existing alternator systems that are The equations for motor are,
present in the modern day cars, to motorcycles
1. Kinetic energy, E= (1/2)*mv2
in order to revolutionize the BEV industry.
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Where m= mass of the vehicle the motor to the driving sprocket (on the motor shaft)
to the rear wheel sprocket to obtain mobility.
V= velocity of the vehicle
3) Motor controller- A device that serves to govern in
2. Braking distance, S some pre- determined manner of performance of
v2 = u2 + 2aS an electric motor. A motor controller includes an
automatic means for starting and stopping the
3. Vehicle stopping time motor, selecting forward or reverse rotation,
selecting and regulating the speed, limiting or
v = u + at regulating the torque, and protecting against
4. Braking force, F overloads and faults.

F = m*a

5. Brake torque = brake force * effective radius of rotor

Specifications -

a) Type : Permanent magnet Brushless DC motor

b) Voltage (V) : 48 Volts

c) No Load current : 3 Amp

d) Rated current : 33 Amp Figure 3. VOLTAGE REGULATOR (R) AND MOTOR

CONTROLLER (L)
e) Rated Speed : 3000 ± 100 RPM
Specifications of the controller-
f) Rated Torque : 5.2 Nm
a) Rated Voltage : 48 Volt
g) Max. Output Torque : 18 Nm
b) Peak Protection current : 50 Amp
h) Rated Power : 1500 Watts
c) Rated Power : 2000 Watt
i) Max. Output Power : 2500 Watts
d) Under Voltage Protection : 42 Volt
j) Efficiency : > 83%
e) Throttle Voltage : 1 Volt – 4.5 Volt
k) No. of Poles : 8
f) Phase Commutation Angle : 120 Degree
l) Motor Diameter : 145 mm
g) Brake De-Energize : High
m) Insulation Class : B
h) Heat Dissipation : Natural cooling
Modifications –
i) Ambient Temperature : 20 Degree to 60 Degree
A chain sprocket is fitted on to the motor shaft with the Celsius
help of machined bushes, a key and a grub screw to
keep this sprocket fixed to the motor shaft. This will
result into optimum transmission of the power from

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4) Batteries – Selected batteries are Trontek Valve b) Transmission of rotational energy from the rear
Regulated Rechargeable non-spill able gel batteries wheel to the alternator for regeneration.

Specifications- The chain drive is again used to drive the alternator

using the rotational energy of the rear wheel which is
a) 4 Batteries of 12 Volt each propelled by the electrical motor. Therefore, by
b) Cycle use : 14.4 V- 15.0 V modifying the number of teeth on the driving and
driven sprockets according to the desirable output is
c) Standby use : 13.5 V – 13.8 V done which in turn rotates the alternator coils in order
to produce Electromagnetic field in order to recharge
d) Charging time : 6-8 Hours with standard the batteries used to consume power.
charger.
Therefore, the maximum desirable output is achieved
5) Battery Charger- at the speed ratio 3. Hence, another chain drive is
Specifications : provided on the framework in order to transmit power
to the alternator simultaneously beginning the
a) Model : EBC-4827 charging process.

b) Input Voltage : AC 170 V–300 V 47- 63HZ 7) Alternator - There are two concentric wound coils
of wire within the alternator: a stator coil (the
c) Input Current : 1.0 Amp Max. outside coil which does not rotate) and a rotor coil
(the inside coil, attached to the alternator’s pulley,
d) Output Voltage : DC 59 V ± 0.5 V
which does rotate). The rotor is also referred to as
e) Output Current : 2.7 A ± 0.5 A the alternator’s "field.

6) Chain Drive –

a) Transmission from motor to the Rear wheel of

the motorcycle.

The transmission of the power from the electrical

motor to the wheels is done by the chain drive of the
motorcycle. Selection of the speed reduction ratio is
dependent on the no of teeth on the driving as well as
driven sprockets of the chain drive.

Number of teeth on the driving sprocket = 13

Figure 4 CAR ALTERNATOR (MARUTI ZEN)
Number of teeth on the driven sprocket = 43
An electromagnet is created when current flows
Therefore,
through the field coil. The strength of the magnet is
Speed reduction ratio = 43/13 directly proportional to the amount of current flowing
through the field. As the rotor moves clockwise, the
= 3.3 resultant magnetic field sweeps clockwise through the
outer coil of wire, and electricity is generated in the
Hence, for every 3 revolution of the driving sprocket,
stator coil. Since the magnetic field sweeps back and
the driven sprocket will undergo 1 revolution.
forth through the stator coil, an alternating current is

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produced. The alternating current has a frequency  Construction of battery case and motor
equal to the frequency with which the alternator’s mounting plate -
pulley is rotating.
This is done using strips of Mild Steel which are cut and
8) Miscellaneous- welded on to each other to form a casing according to
all the considerable dimensions of all 4 batteries. This
1. Digital Battery Status Indicator : Installed is done considering minimum clearance between the
for the monitoring of the speed, battery batteries and the casing so that they fit perfectly on to
level, distance covered, left and right
the frame without the possibility of the batteries falling
indicators. off.
2. Voltage Converter : Electrical power
 Modification of the chain drive –
converter which changes the Voltage of a
power source according to the input and o The number of links on the chain are
output requirements of the motor and increased in order to obtain an in-line
batteries. alignment of the driving sprocket
(mounted on the motor shaft) and the
3. Motor Mount Plate : To mount the motor on
driven sprocket (rear wheel).It is
a firm base so as to attach it according to
necessary to have proper alignment of
the design specifications of the chassis
the chain drive with the motor as it
frame.
plays a pivotal role in mobility of the
IV. INTERCONNECTIONS AND WORKING vehicle; i.e., transmission of rotational
energy from the motor. Fig A (2a).
All the above mentioned electrical components in
combination with the mechanical drive are assembled o Another chain to transmit power from
on the chassis of the bike as shown in the figure below. the rear wheel of the motorcycle (run
The figure below is the outline of the whole assembly by the motor) to the car alternator
of the bike according to the specific dimensions and which is mounted at the position as
proper weight distribution. The bike frame is modified shown in Fig A (4b). Here, a sprocket,
according to the fittings and alignment of the motor, of the same type as the original is cut
alternator and batteries. The brake wire is connected and machined to match the inner
from the controller and fitted to the front brake of the diameter of the rim of the wheel which
bike. Shown below is the assembly. is then bolted to the pinion sprocket of
chain drive 1 (motor – wheel). Hence,
both sprockets rotate together while in
motion.

 Installation of Motor Controller –

The controller is installed on the frame as shown in the

figure A(1). All the connecting wire are connected to
the controller as it controls the working of the motor,
and hence all components.

Figure 5 OUTLINE ASSEMBLY OF ALL COMPONENTS

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INITIAL V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

DISTANCE TOP
FINAL
TRIAL SUPPLY TRAVELLED SPEED  Testing of the actual range WITHOUT
VOLTAGE
NO. VOLTAGE IN 1 CYCLE ACHIEVED Alternator-
(VOLT)
(VOLT) (KMS) (KMPH) The testing of the motorcycle is first done to check
the total running range in one complete plug in
1 .0 24 charging cycle. It is done by fully charging the
batteries and then driving the bike till the batteries
2 13.0 11.0 25 55 are completely exhausted.

3 13.0 11.1 25 55 Table 1

 Wire connections and integration of all parts of Testing of the range WITH Alternator –
the assembly –
This is done after charging the batteries once fully, i.e.,
Controls are present in the controller for various 13.0 Volt so that proper output can be obtained.
functions and accessories. Like headlight, brake lights,
indicators, horn etc. A connection is provided to The Alternator receives a starting current from the
connect the batteries to the controller. The voltage batteries in order to create an electromagnetic field
regulator which adjusts the voltage of the system is within the coils. The pulley, when starts rotating,
also connected to the controller. disturbs the magnetic flux and hence produces

An electronic display is fitted at the front which Table 2

indicates the battery level, speed of the motor,
indicators, etc. as shown in the figure.(6) FINAL DISTANC TOP
INITIAL VOLTAG E
TRIA SPEED
VOLTAG E COVERED (KMPH
L NO.
E (VOLT)
(VOLT) (KM) )

11.1

11.0

11.0

Figure 6 ELECTRONIC DISPLAY AND SWITCH

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targeted to replace by the concept of self-

35
charging in the proposed work. The work
30 started with the study on technology,
25 Without
components utilization and the future of
Regenerative battery electric motorcycles. Based on the
20
system study the outline of electric vehicles, this
15 design for 2 passengers around 120 Kg is
with
10 regenerative made.
system
5  The alternator system, motor, motor controller,
0 DC-DC converter were selected based on their
Trial 01 Trial 02 Trial 03 wide applications used in the field of
automobiles. From the results we can conclude
Chart 1- Comparison chart
that the vehicle travels for longer distance
The outcome of the vehicle was expected to supply the when the charging system has been adopted.
source continuously to charge the battery when the
 The vehicle was tested for the source supply
battery falls below a certain percentage while the
from the DC-DC converter to the batteries for
motorcycle is moving forward. The connections made
many numbers of trials. This depicted the
so far, provided the supply source based on the need
successful results in extracting the rotational
and it is observed in many numbers of trials.
energy from the wheels through an alternator
A set of 4 Lead acid batteries with specifications as 12V to charge the batteries arranged in series.
and 24Ah is used in the work. The supply from these
 The alternator generates 12V – 14V using the
batteries is found to be useful in moving the vehicle for
rotational energy from the wheel under
a distance of around 25 km considering all loses in the
forward motion. The DC-DC converter steps up
motorcycle assembly. During the motion, the rotational
the source from 12V DC to 54V DC, which
energy is extracted by the alternator and transferred
results in charging the batteries
to a DC to DC converter where it is stepped up. This is
finally supplied to battery source to recharge making it  VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
as a closed circuit.
 This research was supported by our guide Mr.
The power source which is expected to reach the Rahul Belekar. We thank our colleagues from
battery source from the alternator through DC-DC who provided insight and expertise that greatly
converter is observed using Multimeter. The parameter assisted the research. We thank our professors
to be considered during the test, are Voltage source for comments that greatly improved the
and Ampere. manuscript.
VI. CONCLUSIONS VIII. REFERENCES

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056
Volume: 04 Issue: 04 | Apr -2017 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

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