Application of supercapacitors in electric bicycle of short journey

Author(s)

Thayane Almeida Alves

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação
• Defense date: 2019-04-25

Examining board members

Hudson Giovani Zanin; Madson Cortes de Almeida; Tárcio André dos Santos Barros

• Advisor: Hudson Giovani Zanin

Abstract

Electric vehicles are gaining increasing prominence in the contemporary scenario, as they point to a path of possibilities for improving urban mobility. The percentage replacement in the fleet of combustion vehicles by electric would reduce the burning of fossil fuels, reducing the emission of polluting gases to the environment. Amongst the various electric vehicles, electric bicycles stand out because they combine the physical activity of pedaling with the efficiency in the displacement, promoting improvement in the health and wellbeing of the user. Electric bikes, also known as e-bikes, are a viable alternative to the use of conventional vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, especially in short journeys scenarios. It can be understood as short journey the displacement within central regions of cities, condominiums, universities and etc. The autonomy range of conventional e-bikes (powered by batteries) is in the order of 20 km however, its bank of batteries take up to 6 hours to recharge. Within this context, we propose the development of a proof of concept of e-bike powered by supercapacitors. The use of supercapacitors confers e-bikes high power density, reducing recharge time and allowing short shifts of ?1,5 km. These advances were possible due to the development of a DC-DC voltage converter converter that performs the transfer of energy between the supercapacitor bank and the motor. Such a converter also acted for the best use of the energy stored in the supercapacitors by regulating the input voltage of the motor. Parallel to the development of the electronic electric bicycle system, the study of techniques for the development of supercapacitors in the laboratory was sought. The devices produced by the group were encapsulated in coin-like cells allowing the electrochemical characterization and validation of their functioning. These characterizations are important for subsequent production of devices with higher energy storage capacity. In an overview, this work contributed by opening a variety of fronts for the group enabling the production of an electric vehicle prototype with product assignments. It is hoped that this research will be continued and contribute to the production of e bikes or related technologies in the brazilian market. Keywords: supercapacitors, DC-DC converter, e-bike (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/02634-8 - Prototype development of electric bicycle
• Grantee: Thayane Almeida Alves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master