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The Design and Construction of an Electric

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Thesis April 2015
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3999.4968

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THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELECTRIC

BICYCLE
BY
ALAO OLAKUNLE OLUWATOSIN
10CK011233

A PROJECT SUMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF

ELECTRICAL AND INFORMATION ENGINEERING, COLLEGE
OF ENGINEERING

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE AWARD OF A BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING DEGREE IN
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

SUPERVISOR: PROF. AWOSOPE C.O.A

APRIL, 2015

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the work reported in this project was carried out in the Department of Electrical and
Information Engineering, Covenant University, under the supervision of Prof. C.O.A Awosope. I also solemnly
declare that to the best of my knowledge, no part of this report has been submitted here or elsewhere in a
previous application for the award of a degree. All sources of knowledge used have been duly acknowledged.

.
ALAO OLAKUNLE OLUWATOSIN
(10CK011233)

CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that the Project titled Design and Construction of an Electric Bicycle by Alao Olakunle
Oluwatosin, meets the requirements and regulations governing the award of the Bachelor of engineering, B.Eng.
(Electrical and Electronics Engineering) degree of Covenant University and is approved for its contribution to
knowledge and literary presentation.

Supervisor:

Internal Examiner:

Sign:
Name: Prof C.O.A Awosope

Date

Sign:

...

Name:

Head of Department:

Sign:
Name: Dr F.E Idachaba

External Examiner:

...

Sign:
Name:

Date

...
Date

...
Date

DEDICATION
This work is dedicated firstly to God Almighty, the first and greatest engineer ever; my Parents who, through
their immeasurable love and care, have afforded me with the opportunity in making this project a reality. They
have really been a pillar of support in my life and may God bless them abundantly, amen.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am most grateful to Almighty God for the grace He has given me to work on this Project, and to the
Management of Covenant University for establishing a safe and conducive learning environment through the
help of God.
I am also grateful to my project supervisor, Prof C.O.A Awosope for his guidance, support, meticulous follow
up at the end of each chapter and endless encouragement during my project work.
I am grateful to my Parents, Colonel and Mrs. Esther Alao for their financial and moral support and to my
Siblings, Kayode and Kolade who, through their several inputs in one way or another have made this project a
dream come true.
I am grateful to all the technicians that were involved in the project most especially in the hardware coupling as
regards welding, bolting e.t.c
Finally, a hearty appreciation goes to Kenechukwu Ezenwa, Shelter Orok and all of my friends and colleagues
who have contributed to this project in one way or another.

ABSTRACT
The Increasing demand for non-polluting mechanized transportation has increased the interest in the use of
electric power for personal transportation and also reduced reliance on automobiles. A low cost alternative to an
automobile is a bicycle. The rate of improvements in technologies is at an exponential level despite that the
electric bicycle is a concept that has been very feasible for years but has not been fully explored. The human
electric bicycle is designed to provide electromagnetic propulsions to a bicycle therefore relieving the user of
having to produce the energy required to run the bicycle.
The system design is based on mechanically coupling a dc motor as the primary power source to drive
the bicycle and electrically wiring the motor together with a dc rechargeable battery and applying a
programmed micro-controller as a control mechanism for effective and efficient transmission from the source to
the motor.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
PM Permanent Magnet
MOSFET Metal-Oxide Semi-conductor Field Effect Transistor
EVB Electric Vehicle Battery
GND Ground
OSC Oscillator
PWM Pulse Width Modulation
IC Integrated Circuit
DC Direct Current
ESC Electronic Speed Control
E-Bike Electric Bicycle
IGBT Insulated Gate Bi-polar transistor

LIST OF SYMBOLS
- Micro
n- Nano
m - milli
K- Kilo
Hz- Hertz
A - Amperes
V- Voltage
s Seconds
f Farads

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The electric bicycle is an electrical-assisted device that is designed to provide the electromagnetic propulsions
to an existing bicycle therefore relieving the user of producing the energy required to run the bicycle. It contains
a strong motor and enough battery power that just requires charging to help in hill climbing, generate greater
motoring speeds and provide completely free electric transportation.
Electric vehicles cost more and perform worse than their gasoline counterparts. The reason is that mainly
because gasoline cars have benefited from a century of intensive development; electric cars have been virtually
ignored for several years. Even today, gasoline cars profit from billions of dollars of research every year while
electric vehicles receive a tiny fraction of that amount of money.
The primary premise for the Universities support of the electric-powered over the petrol powered has been
towards improving air quality, though air quality alone is not a sufficient justification to mandate electric
bicycles. The single biggest advantage of electric bicycle is that it is cost effective as it mainly only entails
construction cost as running cost would only require the charging of the battery. An Electric bicycle would,
however offer other strong benefits that are ignored by the marketplace. These include the dramatic reduction in
oil consumption that its widespread use would bring about. Much less oil would be needed because only a tiny
proportion of electricity is generated from oil. The other major non-market benefit would be lower greenhouse
gas emissions.

1.1 THE PROBLEM DEFINITION

The worlds car usage is booming. Cars are polluting the environment, dumping increasing amounts of carbon
dioxide and other climate-altering greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and consuming vast quantities of
petroleum. The alarming reality is that the automobile usage is beginning to grow at a much faster rate than the

human population, with saturation nowhere in sight. If present trends continue, overtime 3 billion vehicles could
be in operation by the year 2050, exceeding 20 cars per 100 people.
The problem to be solved is that of increasing the range of a human-powered bicycle by equipping it with an
electric motor running off a lithium ion battery thereby reducing the dependency on automobiles.

1.2 MOTIVATION
My main motivation of considering this project is that after the thorough study and analysis of being EcoFriendly (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) during SIWES program.
In driving the Chancellors vision of 1 of 10 in 10 by year 2022 wherein two saloon cars and a tri-cycle have
already been developed by the Covenant University Electric Automobile Research Clusters development on
what was called the Covenant University Integrated Dual Engine Automobile System (CU IDEA), I have
therefore come to a conclusion that an electric bicycle would be Eco-Friendly to the environment and reduce
dependency on automobiles and could even encourage the technology on electric transport and will save our
world in its way from Global Warming by reducing the CO gases that are usually emitted from automobiles
which cause air pollution and are even harmful to the health.
I have arrived at the idea of an electric bicycle which would be envisaged as more cost effective as the products
listed above. I also observed that there is a very large population of vehicles and not enough road infrastructures
to cater for them. This project is a means of providing an alternative for short journeys and also as a recreational
facility for persons of all backgrounds and ages.
Its importance would include

The elimination of fuel consumption by vehicle users when going on a short distance like running
errands.

Its effectiveness over a wide range of people and the removal of the burden of the pedaling mechanism
typical of normal bicycles.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this project is to incorporate an electromechanical system that would help in propelling a bicycle.
To accomplish this aim, the following specific objectives will be achieved:

Simplicity in operation

Effective speed control

Embedded on an existing bicycle

Reasonable power transmission efficiency

Cost efficient in terms of operation

Would ensure air quality

1.4 METHODOLOGY
In actualizing the objective of this project above, the electric bicycle will be segmented into two (2) stages.
These are

The electrical system design stage

The mechanical coupling stage

The electrical system design stage would include wiring the battery, motor and constructing a speed controlling
circuitry to ensure proper travel speed control during the operation of the bicycle.
The mechanical coupling includes the proper welding and arrangements of all these components especially the
motor and batteries on the framework of the bicycle. This would ensure that it retains a steady standing frame
and maintain its balance when in motion.

BATTERY

Fig 1.1 Block diagram of the

MOTOR
CONTROLLER
CIRCUITRY

BICYCLE
WHEEL
ROTATION

ELECTRIC
MOTOR

CHAIN AND
SPROCKET

Electric bicycle construction process

1.5 REPORT ORGANIZATION

This project contains five (5) chapters described as follows:
The first chapter includes the introduction and the problem definition of the implementation of the design and
construction of an electric bicycle. It also discusses the motivation, aims and objectives of the study including
the methodology which would be used in the implementation.
The second chapter will present the critical analysis of the literature or a segment of the body of knowledge
through summary, classification and comparison to prior research studies, reviews of literature, and the
theoretical articles in the study.
The third chapter will discuss the systems design; this would explain the several design processes that would be
used in the implementation of the project.

The fourth chapter will contain the system implementation and Testing; this would explain the actual
implementation of the project making use of all the processes to achieve the purpose of the design and also the
testing of the project with real life values.
The fifth chapter, which is the concluding part of the study, would contain the summary, achievement,
recommendation and conclusion.

CHAPTER TWO
INTRODUCTION
As seen from Chapter 1, the electric bicycle is not a new technology in engineering but has only sought better
approaches. This chapter entails the theoretical background and concepts necessary for the proper understanding
of the scope of the work carried out in this project and from this to better the design and construction of the
proposed Bicycle. It comes from studies of various academic texts, internet write-ups and samples of existing
and related project. The information from this review assisted in situating the project in its present context.

2.1 HISTORY OF THE ELECTRIC BICYCLE

Electric bicycle is a bicycle with an electric motor attached to the rear wheel of the bike which generally assists
the rider while he or she is peddling. Usually, electric bicycles get their power to drive and run the electric
motor from energy stored in electric batteries that are located somewhere within the electric bicycle. These
batteries are usually rechargeable by plugging them into a regular household outlet and the batteries are usually
stored in a charger when doing so.

Sometime around the year 1898, electric bicycles were documented within various U.S. patents. On 31
December 1895, Ogden Bolton Jr. was granted U.S. Patent 552,271 for a battery-powered bicycle with a 6-pole
brush and commutator direct current (DC) hub motor mounted in the rear wheel, there were no gears and the
motor could draw up to 100 amperes from a 10-volt battery. One of the first rear wheel electric drive was
implemented by using a belt along the outside of the bike. It wasnt much longer than that in which other
improvements were made to the electric motor itself which proved significant.

In 1897, Hosea W. Libbey of Boston, invented an electric bicycle (U.S. Patent 596,272) that was propelled by a
double electric motor. The motor was designed within the hub of the crank set axle. This model was later reinvented and imitated in the late 1990s by Giant Lafree e-bikes.

By 1898, a rear-wheel drive electric bicycle, which used a driving belt along the outside edge of the wheel, was
patented by Mathew J. Steffens. Also, the 1899 U.S. Patent 627,066 by John Schnepf depicted a rear-wheel
friction roller-wheel style drive electric bicycle. Schnepf's invention was later re-examined and expanded in
1969 by G.A. Wood Jr. with his U.S. Patent 3,431,994. Woods device used 4-fractional horsepower motors;
connected through a series of gears. Despite these improvements, it was not until the 1990s when massive
changes occurred in electric motor technology as well as battery technology. By 2001, the terms e-bike,
power bike, "pedelec", pedal-assisted, and power-assisted bicycle were commonly used to refer to ebikes. The term "electric motorbike" or "e-motorbike" refers to more powerful models that attain up to 80 km/h
(50 mph).

Since the year 2005, the boom of electric bikes has been phenomenal. Much of this success is due to the fact
that the Asian market has been much more active due to the growing affluence in these countries as well as the
need for cheaper transportation and less dependence on fossil fuels. In many countries such as India for
example, the bicycle itself has been a principal mode of transportation that is very cheap and easy to use. Now,
electric bicycles being much cheaper and pollution free are being used in place of fossil fuel.

Some of the less expensive e-bikes used bulky lead-acid batteries, whereas newer models generally used NiMH,
NiCd, and/or Li-ion batteries, which offered lighter, denser capacity batteries. Performance varies; however, in
general there is an increase in range and speed with the latter battery types.

By 2007, e-bikes were thought to make up 10 to 20 percent of all two-wheeled vehicles on the streets of many
major Chinese cities. A typical unit requires 8 hours to charge the battery, which provides the range of 25 to 30
miles (40 to 48 km) at a speed of around 20 km/h. Today, there are literally hundreds of electric bicycles on the
market and in the last several years, the electric bike motor as well as the batteries has gotten much more
advanced and more capable.

2.2 REVIEWS WITH REFERENCE TO EXISTING WORKS

2.2.1 ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICYCLE

The project was named Electric Assisted Bicycle and involved a team consisting of Joe LaPointe and Gregory
Huh with each researcher assigned unique tasks throughout the design and implementation stage. The project
was a university project and was funded by the Center for Engineering Education and Practice, College of
Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan-Dearborn. The researchers designed an electric
assisted bicycle that extended the range of a typical rider. The system consisted of three source of power: the
human effort of the rider peddling the bicycle, electric motor running off a 12-volt lead-acid battery, and a solar
panel that can charge the battery when there is adequate sunlight.
The power module was controlled by a microprocessor, so that one can operate the bicycle at a preset speed
(cruise control). The power control module on the motor will reverse the current in the motor if the speed of the
bicycle is more than the desired speed. This current reversal charges the battery, and thus provides regeneration
not only when braking but as well as when going downhill, or when the rider pedals harder than the set speed.
The final system has features that will appeal to a broad spectrum of users. Those who ride the bicycle for
exercise can do so either by disabling the electric assistance or by exerting more effort to generate electric
power and charge the battery. Those who would otherwise not use the bicycle to move around the city, can do
so, confident that there will be power assistance when they grow tired, or when facing an uphill climb. The
constant speed operation will also provide a sense of comfort, especially when coming down steep slopes.
Their major motivation was its energy efficiency advantage. This was due to several factors. First, the overall
system efficiency taking into account the production of electric power, transmission and distribution, local
storage in batteries and conversion of electric power to mechanical motion is estimated to be approximately
50%, while combustion engine vehicles are 15 to 25 percent efficient. Secondly, about 10 percent of the energy
used combustion engine vehicles during idling; electric vehicles consume no energy during idling.
The goal of the project was designing and building an electric bicycle, powered by a 12-volt battery, with an
operating range between 28 to 33 miles. This goal was attained by adding features designed to minimize the
power consumption of the system. All the components used for obtaining the goal of the project were small
enough to fit on the bicycle.

The first feature was to add pulse width modulation. The advantage of pulse width modulation over the use of
adding gears to the system is the fact that with gears torque is gained, but distance efficiency is lost. Pulse width
modulation allows the motor to operate at a variety of speeds. In order to obtain the pulse width modulation, a
microprocessor can be used to trigger the motor. Since the microprocessor puts out a 5-volt signal at 2 mA, and
the motor runs off of 12 volts at a current of 20A, a motor controller must be obtained to handle the voltage and
current specifications.
To control the speed of a D.C. motor, a variable voltage D.C. power source is needed. However, if a 12-V
motor was taken and energized, it will start to speed up: motors do not respond immediately so it will take a
small time to reach full speed. If the power is switched off sometime before the motor reaches full speed, then
the motor will start to slow down. If the power is switched on and off quickly enough, the motor will run at
some speed part way between zero and full speed, this is exactly what a p.w.m. controller does.

If the motor is connected with one end to the battery positive and the other end to battery negative via a switch
(MOSFET, power transistor or similar) then if the MOSFET is on for a short period and off for a long period as
in A, the motor will only rotate slowly. At B, the switch is on 50% and off 50%. At C, the motor is on for most
of the time and only off a short while, so the speed is near maximum. In a practical low voltage controller, the
switch opens and closes at a frequency of 20 kHz.
This is far too fast for the motor to even realize it is being switched on and off: it thinks it is being fed from a
pure D.C. voltage. It is also a frequency above the audible range so any noise emitted by the motor will be
inaudible. It is also slow enough that MOSFETs can easily switch on at this frequency. However, the motor has
inductance. Inductance does not like changes in

Fig 2.1
MOSFET
operation
current.
When
implement
ing the
system
with a microprocessor, an RC circuit will be used; it as a buffer between the microprocessor and the controller
circuit.

2.2.2 IMPROVED AND EFFICIENT ELECTRIC BICYCLE SYSTEM

The project work was named An improved and efficient Electric Bicycle System with the power of real time
information sharing and involved a team consisting of Chetan Mahadik, Sumit Mahindrakar and Prof.
Jayashree Deka. The work was published in the multidisciplinary journal of research in engineering and
technology from K.J College of Engineering Pune, India.
Many different components were considered in the design of the electric bicycle with several additional
features. The power source for the system was given by a dry cell battery. The output of the dry cell battery was
48-V. There were multiple forms of charging source considered such as AC voltage through an outlet, solar
energy and mechanical pedal charging system. The source of battery charging was through the photovoltaic
solar panel which is light in weight. The solar panel output was 12V and 20 watt. A mechanical pedal charging
system was used and dynamo used for the charging system. A dynamo is an electrical generator that produces
direct current with the use of a pedal. A dry cell battery block was connected with a controller block. The
controller was used to regulate the amount of applied power on brushless DC motor. Also, there are many
functions for this controller like over current protection, under voltage protection and also a throttle was used to
control the speed of the brushless dc motor. These functions were beneficial to the system and also provided a

solution to any troubleshooting and damages that occurred. The following were considered as the major
materials:
(i) Brushless DC (BLDC) motor: This is a synchronous motor consisting of armature windings on the stator and
permanent magnets on the rotor. The stator of a BLDC motor consists of stacked steel laminations with
windings placed in the slots and these stator winding can be arranged in two patterns i.e. a star pattern or delta
pattern. The major difference between the two patterns is that the star pattern gives high torque at low RPM and
the delta pattern gives low torque at low RPM. There are many advantages of BLDC motor such as better speed
versus torque characteristics, high dynamic response, high efficiency, long operating life, noiseless operation,
higher speed ranges.
The Hall sensors are embedded into the stationary part of the motor. Here, hall sensors are connected with hall
sensor magnet to detect the position of rotor. In BLDC motors, the phase windings are distributed in trapezoidal
fashion in order to generate the trapezoidal waveform. The commutation technique generally used is trapezoidal
commutation where only two phases will be conducting at any given point of time.
Typically BLDC motors have three-phase windings that are wound in star or delta fashion and need a threephase inverter bridge for the electronic commutation. The brushless motors are generally controlled using a
three-phase power semiconductor bridge. The motor requires a rotor position sensor for starting and for
providing proper commutation sequence to turn on the power devices in the inverter bridge.
(ii) PIC Controller: The motor controller technique used to control the electric bicycle system was a PIC16F72
controller. There are different functions of this controller such as under voltage protection, over current
protection, power supply control, also to drive and control the Brushless dc motor. Different signals were
transmitted to the pins of the PIC controller to drive and control the brushless dc motor, such as current
detection signal, motor speed control signal, capacity detection system. The PIC16F72 controller has 28 pins,
22 I/O pins that are user configurable on a pin-to-pin basis. There are 35 numbers of instructions in this PIC
controller with the operating frequency set at 20 MHz. Also, in this controller were three I/O ports such as
PORTA, PORTB and PORTC and three Timers: Timer0, Timer1 and Timer2. In the pin diagram, RA1, RA4
and RA5 pins were used for speed control and current detection signal. The current detection signals were used

here because of any heavy current situation such as when the electric bicycle is running on heavy load thereby
causing an increase in the current of the motor which will cause damages to the winding and components of the
motor. Also required was the current detection signal for controlling the current, under voltage protection was
required to avoid low voltage supply, which affects the normal running operation of the bicycle.
(iii) Dynamo: A dynamo is an electrical generator that produces power with the use of a commutator. In this
electric bicycle, the dynamo was placed on the front wheel of the bicycle and dynamo commutator was
connected at the front wheel of the bicycle. If the bicycle is running then the commutator is rotating and
therefore generates the power. In the dynamo, we use a rotating coil of wire and magnet, so it converts
mechanical rotation into an electric current on the basis of Faradays law of induction. A dynamo is a simple
generator that is used to convert mechanical motion into electrical motion with the help of a magnet. It consists
of a powerful magnet and pole on which its coil rotates. The rotating coil cuts the line of magnetic force,
thereby inducing current to pass through the wire. The mechanical energy produced by the rotation is thus
converted into electrical current in the coil.
(iv) Solar panel: Here we also use solar panel for generating power. In this bicycle a 20-W solar panel is used
and is connected to a 12-V battery this configuration was used for charging the battery. The solar panel converts
energy from sunlight directly into electricity through utilization of photovoltaic effect. The solar panel is
electrically connected as a module with sheet of glass on top to allow light to pass. This solar panel module was
in a series configuration to provide an additional voltage.
In solar panel, photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by silicon material. If sunlight is
absorbed by silicon then electrons would be excited, if electrons are excited they dissipate the energy and it
travels through the cell until it reaches an electron. These electrons are only allowed to move in a single
direction.

2.2.3 THE DESIGN, SIMULATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELECTRIC

BICYCLE
The project was an undergraduate independent study project by Ben Rogowitz and supervised by Dr. Allison
Kipple, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Nothern Arizona University
In this project a buck converter was selected due to its high efficiency. The controller was based on an MSP430
microcontroller, and then converted to a high speed Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controller. The customary
10 Amp-hr Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery was replaced with a 13.5 Amp-hr Lithium Iron Phosphate
(LiFePO4) battery to achieve the final powerful design.
Therefore, a 750-W scooter motor with an appropriate chain sprocket was selected, along with accessories to
integrate the motor with the existing bicycle. Originally, an MSP430F2012 microcontroller was chosen as the
key component of the motor control circuit, primarily due to previous experience with the device. A generic 10Amp diode, two MOSFETs (model #IRF3710 with 100-V, 57-Amp ratings), and line regulators were also used
within this circuit. However, the high inrush current from the batteries fused the line regulators in this design,
subsequently destroying the microcontroller.
The microcontroller was then replaced by a high speed PWM Integrated Circuit (Texas Instruments model
#UC3823), and the MOSFETS were replaced by IGBTs (Mouser #40N60A4, 600-V, 75-A ). In addition, a buck
converter (Texas Instruments TL2575HV-15, 60-V) with an integrated switch was used in place of the line
regulator to provide a constant 15-V for the controller and other circuit components. A few supporting circuit
elements were also updated.
There were three iterations for the battery component in this design. Initially, two battery packs were composed
of inexpensive NiMH batteries (1.2-V, 10 A-hr per cell, 3-A charge rate and 30-A discharge rate). Two packs
of 25 cells were soldered together (after 6 hours) to create a 30-V input. Unfortunately, the batteries did not
meet their manufacturers ratings; they overheated at the rated 3 Amp charge, and the array voltage would fall
from 30 to 7 Volts under the rated 10 Amp load. After a couple of months, the batteries could no longer hold a
charge.

A second battery pack was created with 8.6-V, 3.3 A-hr NiMH batteries. This pack performed well, holding its
voltage with a current draw over 30-Amps. However, an LiFePO4 battery system was received (13.5 A-hr, 52V, 60-A current limited, with short circuit protection). Unfortunately, when the limits of the new battery system
were tested, a diode failed, and IGBTs then failed under high voltage. The diodes were then upgraded to ultrafast models (Mouser BYT79X-600-127, 600-V, 30-A, trr = 30 ns), the failed IGBTs were replaced, and the final
version has worked well ever since.
A MATLAB Simulink model of the electric bicycles final power system design was created. The motor spins
at 50 rpm per volt, and the 36-V / 1800 rpm condition was simulated. A resistance of 0.2 and inductance of
200 H were assumed.
Although the simulation did a reasonable job of modeling the real world, the actual system behaved quite
differently.
In addition, the current flowing through the MOSFET closely resembles an impulse response when the device is
turned on, but the simulation did not predict this. The simulation also did not account for the rise and fall times
of the IGBT when it was operating in a triode region, when the resistance would increase. Therefore, even
though the simulations were educational and provided useful information, they did not completely represent the
physical system.

2.3 LEGALITY OF ELECTRIC BICYCLES

Many countries have enacted electric bicycle laws to regulate the use of electric bicycles. Federal regulations, in
most countries, now allow up to 20 mph before the electric bicycle will be classified as an unregistered
motorcycle. This is actually a very rational and reasonable law and it promotes the development and the usage
of good electric bicycles as it enables users of all ages to fully utilize and enjoy the benefits of the electric
bicycle with safety precautions in mind.

However, confusion still remains regarding the various laws involving electric bicycles. This stems from the
fact that while some countries have national regulations, the legality of road use is left to states and provinces,
and then complicated further by municipal laws and restrictions. Furthermore, there is a range of classifications

and terms describing them "power-assisted bicycle" (Canada) or "power-assisted cycle" (United Kingdom) or
electric pedal-assisted cycles (European Union) or simply "electric bicycles". In Nigeria, the Ministry of
Transport doesnt regulate the electric bicycle as the electric bicycle technology is not a common means of
transportation yet in Nigeria

2.4 THE FEATURES THAT MAKE UP THE ELECTRIC BICYCLE

There are many different components in an electric bicycle. The major components are a bicycle, brushless DC
motor, motor controller, dry cell battery.

2.4.1 BICYCLE
A bicycle is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one
behind the other and usually propelled by pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain and having handlebars
for steering and a saddle like seat. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of
the automobile were initially invented for use in the bicycle including ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chaindriven sprocket and tension-spoked wheels. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist or bicyclist. They are till today the
principal means of transportation in many regions. They also provide a form of recreation and have been
adapted for use as childrens toys, general fitness, military and police applications, courier services and bicycle
racing. The bicycles invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing
modern industrial method.
An electric bicycle (e-bike) is a bike with an electric motor that supports pedalling. A battery powers the motor.
With the same amount of energy from the cyclist the e-bike has a higher speed compared to a conventional
bicycle. In other words, the cyclist on the e-bike needs to give less energy to reach the same speed as the cyclist
on a conventional bicycle.

2.4.2 VEHICLE BRAKING

It is very crucial to discuss the available and possible breaking systems to be applied in the electric bicycle. This
constitutes the mechanism employed for bringing the motion of the bicycle to a stop. The two major
mechanisms are

Regenerative braking

Friction-based braking

2.4.2.1 REGENERATIVE BRAKING

In order

to achieve the regenerative braking, it is essential that (i) the voltage generated by the machine should exceed
the supply voltage and (ii) the voltage should be kept at this value, irrespective of the machine speed
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows down a vehicle or object by converting its
kinetic energy into another form, which can either be used immediately or stored until needed. This contrasts
with conventional braking systems, where the excess kinetic energy is converted to heat by friction in the brake
linings and therefore wasted.

The most common form of regenerative brake involves using an electric motor as an electric generator. In
electric railways, the generated electricity is fed back into the supply system. In battery electric and hybrid
electric vehicles, the energy is stored chemically in a battery, electrically in a bank of capacitors, or
mechanically in a rotating flywheel. Hydraulic hybrid vehicles use hydraulic motors to store energy in form of
compressed air.

2.4.2.2 FRICTION-BASED BRAKING

This employs the method of applying brake pads to the wheel of the vehicle to restrict the movement or the
wheel. It generates a lot of heat and leads to the wearing and tearing of the brake pads.

Friction based-based braking systems are susceptible to brake fade when used extensively for continuous
periods, which can be dangerous if braking performance drops below what is required to stop the vehicle.

2.4.2.3 REGENERATIVE BRAKING WITH FRICTION-BASED BRAKING

The regenerative braking has some limitations, which make it necessary to be used in conjunction with
traditional friction-based braking. The reasons are highlighted below:

The friction brake is a necessary back-up in the event of failure of the regenerative brake.

The regenerative braking effect drops off at lower speeds; therefore the friction brake is still required in
order to bring the vehicle to a complete halt. Physical locking of the rotor is also required to prevent
vehicles from rolling down hills.

Most road vehicles with regenerative braking only have power on some wheels (as in a two-wheel drive
car) and regenerative braking power only applies to such wheels because they are the only wheels linked
to the drive motor, so in order to provide controlled braking under difficult conditions (such as in wet
roads), friction-based braking is necessary on the other wheels.

The amount of electrical energy capable of dissipation is limited by either the capacity of the supply
system to absorb this energy or on the state of charge of the battery or capacitors. Effective regenerative
braking can only occur if the battery or capacitors are not fully charged. For this reason, it is normal to
also incorporate dynamic braking to absorb the excess energy.

Under emergency braking, it is desirable that the braking force exerted be the maximum allowed by the
friction between the wheels and the surface without slipping, over the entire speed range from the
vehicle's maximum speed down to zero. The maximum force available for acceleration is typically much
less than this except in the case of extreme high-performance vehicles. Therefore, the power required to
be dissipated by the braking system under emergency braking conditions may be many times the
maximum power delivered under acceleration. Traction motors sized to handle the drive power may not
be able to cope with the extra load and the battery may not be able to accept charge at a sufficiently high

rate. Friction braking is required to dissipate the surplus energy in order to allow an acceptable
emergency braking performance.

For these reasons, there is typically the need to control the regenerative braking and match the friction and
regenerative braking to produce the desired total braking effect.

2.5 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this project is designed to improve the ordinary bicycle and make it more efficient. The electric
bicycle is a hybrid and so it can run electrically and can also be pedaled thereby still retaining the exercise
people drive from riding bicycle. In the near future, the electric bicycle would be use all over the world because
of its numerous advantages.

CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
INTRODUCTION
This Chapter majors in the design considerations before implementation. The first step that must be taken in
design is to accurately and explicitly specify the requirements of the design.
The design task involves the selection of the different components of the electric bicycle with appropriate
specifications and the supporting circuit necessary for the smooth operation of the bicycle.
All circuit diagrams developed have been comprehensively documented in this chapter.

3.1 PROJECT PROCEDURE DESCRIPTION

230-V AC is supplied to charge the electric bicycle battery from a 13-A switch socket outlet. The 230-V AC
supply passes through the charging circuit which contains a step-down transformer 230/15-V AC, and this is
converted to DC by the bridge rectifier (rectification). The output voltage value is filtered and smoothened by
large capacitors, then regulated by the voltage regulating component (LM317T) to produce a 13.8-V dc.
The battery output supplies the micro-controller which is PIC18F1320, but the micro-controller utilizes 5-V,
hence the 13.8-V input is regulated by the LM7805 voltage regulator to power the micro-controller. This then
controls the motor using a LED for indication of switching and speed change. Two relays are connected to the
micro-controller to vary the motor speed, when one of the control button is turned on it switches relay 1 and the
second control button when turned on does likewise.
The motor is rated at 40 Watts with speed 1 at about 25 rpm and speed 2 at about 50 rpm and the number of
teeth for the drive gear is 46 while that for the driven gear is 17. Hence for speed 1 at 25 rpm, the bicycle will
drive at 67.65 rpm and for speed 2 at 50 rpm the bicycle will drive at 135.3 rpm.
The details of these descriptions are well detailed in this chapter.

3.2 DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

TRANSFORMER / RECTIFIER CIRCUIT
Input voltage: 230 V ac
Output voltage: 15 V dc
BATTERY
Input Voltage: 13.8 V dc
Output Voltage: 12 V dc
MOTOR
Motor voltage rating: 12 V dc
Frequency: 50 Hz
Motor power rating: 40 W/0.05 hp
Motor speed (No-Load): 45/65 5RPM
Motor speed (Load, Speed 1): 20/30 5RPM
Motor speed (Load, Speed 2): 40/60 5RPM
Weight: 2.1 kg
MICRO-CONTROLLER
Input voltage: 5 V
OTHER
Gear ratio: 1:3

Control Technology: PIC18F1320

DC SUPPLY

MICROCONTROLLER
SPEED
CONTROL

Fig 3.1 Block diagram of the system

DC MOTOR

MECHANICAL
ROTATION
OUTPUT

13.8-V output

Fig 3.2 Circuit Diagram

3.3 THE POWER SUPPLY UNIT

Power supply is one of the basic requirements for all electronic appliances. Most electronic devices require dc
power sources to be able to function. Batteries are one form of dc source; they are not large and are free of
ripples. However, their voltage output is low, frequent replacements are needed due to discharge and they are
more expensive than conventional dc power supplies. Most importantly, alternating voltage conversion to dc
voltage is possible and very advantageous since ac power supply is economical to produce.
For the execution of this project, a 230-V AC supply from the mains was utilized to provide a 15-V DC output.
The 15-V DC output was regulated to 13.8 V by current limiting resistors, this was in turn used to power the
micro-controller (PIC18F1320) which required only 5 V as its input to control the electric motor rated at 0.05
hp

13.8-V DC
output
(constant
output supply)

230-V
AC
Mains
Input

Transformer
230/15 V AC

Rectifier
15-V pulsating

Filtering

DC

Voltage
Regulation
15/13.8 V
dc

Fig 3.3 Block diagram of the power supply unit

3.3.1 TRANSFORMATION
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by the use of
electromagnetic induction. It is a static (or stationary) electro-magnetic passive electrical device that works on

the principle of Faradays law of induction by converting electrical energy from one form to another.
Transformers are capable of either increasing or decreasing the voltage and current levels of their supply,
without modifying its frequency, or the amount of electrical power being transferred from one winding to
another via the magnetic circuit.
There are two types of transformer namely:
Step-up transformer: Provides an output voltage that is higher than the input voltage.
Step-down transformer: Provides an output voltage that is lower than the input voltage
For the execution of this project, a step-down transformer was used to step down a 230-V supply to a 15-V
supply which is an unregulated and alternating voltage.

3.3.2 RECTIFICATION
Rectification is the process of converting an alternating ac voltage to a pulsating dc voltage. In this application
of rectification, a full wave bridge of four diodes incorporated into a single electronic was used. During the
positive half of the input voltage cycle, D1 and D4 are forward biased; D3 and D4 are reverse biased. During
the negative half-cycle, D2 and D3 are forward biased.

Fig 3.4 Full wave bridge rectifier

In the full-wave rectifier, there is a voltage drop of 1.4 V which is as a result of the 2 diodes which are always
present at the conduction path of each cycle. When a voltage greater than 1.4 V is across the rectifier circuit, D1

and D4 are forward biased and current starts to flow through D1 to the load and to the ground, then up from the
ground through D4 to the lower part of the transformer.
At this stage, D2 and D3 are reversed biased and thus only negligible leakage current will flow through. This
implies D2 and D3 do not allow current to pass through in the opposite direction and thus the diodes behave like
a switch.
At the opposite half cycle, D2 and D4 are now forward biased, thus current flows out of the lower part of the
transformer through D2 to the load and then to the ground and also up from the ground to the upper part of the
transformer through D4, D1 and D3 are now reverse biased.
Rectification analysis
= maximum value of voltage
= average value of load voltage
= peak value of half wave
= root mean square value of the output voltage
= 12-v
x 2

= 12 x 2 = 16.971-V
=

= 16.971-V (2 x 0.7) = 15.571-V

= (2 x
=

= 9.913

2 = 11.01-V

Allowable ripple factor = ( ^2 -

^2)

Allowable ripple factor = ( (11.01)^2 (9.913)^2

(9.913) = 0.483

The output of the rectifier is a rippled DC which can damage digital circuits. Therefore, a filter circuit is
introduced to smoothen the ripple.

3.3.3 FILTERING
This is also known as smoothening and can be defined as the removal of pulsations found in the output voltage.
Smoothening is performed by an electrolytic capacitor which has a large value connected across the supply to
act as a reservoir, sending current to the output when changing DC (dotted line) and the smoothed DC (solid
line). The capacitor charges rapidly near the peak of the changing DC, and then discharges as it supplies current
to the output.

Fig 3.5
Smoothening
Filtering increases extensively the average value of DC voltage to almost the peak value (1.4 x RMS value).
Smoothening is not perfect due to the capacitor voltage reducing a little as it discharges, providing a small
ripple voltage. For most circuits, a ripple which of 20% of the supply voltage is acceptable and the equation
below gives the required value for the smoothening capacitor. A large capacitor will provide fewer ripples at its
output. The value of the capacitor must be doubled when smoothening half-wave DC.
Selecting a filtering capacitor

Allowable ripple factor = 20% of ripple effect,

= 12V

x 2 = 12 x 1.414 = 16.968 V

(no load voltage) =

The ripple voltage,

x Ripple % = 16.968 x 0.20 = 3.3936 V

The time interval for charging pulses (T)

Ripple frequency =

= 2f, where f = 50 Hz

Time (t) = 1/2f = 1/(2 x 50) = 0.01-s = 10 ms

Therefore,
C=(

x t) / (

where C = capacitance {in microfarads (F)}

= 0.5-A
t = 0.01-s
C = (0.5 x 0.01) / (3.3936) = 1473 F
Voltage rating of the capacitor =

x 2 = 16.968 x 1.414 = 23.99 V

Hence, the best choice practically will be a 100- F, 24-V capacitor. However the magnitude of the ripple
voltage can be further cut down if a capacitor with a larger value is used, this would cause a reduction in the on
time of the conducting pair of diodes which automatically makes the surge time of the diode excessive.

3.3.4 VOLTAGE REGULATION

A voltage regulator is designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage level. It provides the functions of
pass element, voltage reference, and protection from overcurrent in one package. It may use an

electromechanical mechanism, or electronic components, depending on the design; it may be used to regulate
one or more AC or DC voltages.
The voltage regulator has the primary function of keeping the terminal voltage of the DC supply constant when
the ac input voltage to the transformer changes or the load varies. For the purpose of this project, an IC voltage
regulator LM317T was used for voltage regulation at the power supply unit to regulate the voltage from 15 V to
13.8 V to charge the battery and the LM7805 was used to regulate the voltage output from the battery from 12
V to 5 V that was used to power the micro-controller.

3.4 BATTERY UNIT

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy. It consists of a number of
voltaic cells; each voltaic cell consists of two half-cells connected in series by a conductive electrolyte
containing cations and anions.
The 12-V lead acid battery was selected for the actualization of this project due to its following advantages:

Improved energy density (up to 40 percent greater than nickel-cadmium cells) which can be translated
into either longer run times from existing batteries or reductions in the space necessary for the battery.

Elimination of the constraints on cell manufacture, usage, and disposal imposed because of concerns
over cadmium toxicity

Simplified incorporation into products currently using nickel cadmium cells because of the many design
similarities between the two chemistries.

3.5 THE MICRO-CONTROLLER UNIT

Peripheral Interface Controller or Programmable Intelligent Computer (PIC) is a family of the modified Harvard
architecture microcontrollers made by Microchip Technology, derived from the PIC1650 which was originally
developed by General Instrument's Microelectronics Division.

PICs are popular with both industrial developers and hobbyists alike due to their low cost, wide availability,
large user base, extensive collection of application notes, availability of low cost or free development tools, and
serial programming (and re-programming with flash memory) capability.

The PIC architecture has the following features:

Separate spaces for code and data (Harvard architecture).

A small number of fixed-length instructions.

Most instructions are single-cycle (2-clock cycles, or 4-clock cycles in 8-bit models), with one delay
cycle on branches and skips.

One accumulator .

All RAM locations function as registers as both source and/or destination of math and other functions.

A hardware stack for storing return addresses.

A small amount of addressable data space (32, 128, or 256 bytes, depending on the family) which could
be extended through banking.

Data-space mapped CPU, port, and peripheral registers.

ALU status flags are mapped into the data space.

The program counter is mapped into the data space and is writable.

Their advantages include the following:

Small instruction set to learn

Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architecture

Built-in oscillator with selectable speeds

Easy entry level, in-circuit programming plus in-circuit debugging PICKit units available for less than
$50

Inexpensive microcontrollers

Wide range of interfaces including IC, SPI, USB, USART, A/D, programmable comparators, PWM,
LIN, CAN, PSP, and Ethernet

Availability of processors in DIL package makes them easy to handle for hobby use.

Their Limitations include the following:

One accumulator

Register-bank switching is required to access the entire RAM of many devices

Operations and registers are not orthogonal; some instructions can address RAM and/or immediate
constants, while others can use the accumulator only.

3.5.1 PIC18F1320 MICRO-CONTROLLER

This microcontroller has nano-Watt (nW) Technology, which features six enhanced power-managed "software
controlled" modes, power consumption as low as 0.1 micro-amps (A) in standby mode and a wide operating
voltage ranging from 2 volts to 5.5 volts which makes this device ideal for battery managed applications. This
device also encompasses a new low-current watchdog timer, a 2-speed start-up from a reset or sleep mode and a
new fail-safe clock monitor that is used to detect an external clock failure. This powerful 10 Million Instruction
Per Second MIPS (100 nanosecond instruction execution) yet easy-to-program (only 77 single-word
instructions) CMOS FLASH-based 10-bit microcontroller packs Microchip's powerful PIC architecture into
an 18-pin package and is upwards compatible with the PIC16C5X, PIC12CXXX, PIC16CXX and PIC17CXX
devices and thus providing a seamless migration path of software code to higher levels of hardware integration.
The PIC18F1220 features a 'C" compiler friendly development environment, 128 bytes of EEPROM, Selfprogramming, an ICD, capture/compare/PWM functions, 7 channels of 10-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D)
converter, Addressable Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (AUSART) and Advanced Low Power
Oscillator controls. All of these features make it ideal for battery powered and power consumption critical
applications including instrumentation and monitoring, data acquisition, power conditioning, environmental
monitoring, telecom and consumer audio/video applications.

Its features include:

Low-Power Features include the following

- RUN: CPU on, peripherals on
- PRI_RUN: 150 A, 1 MHz, 2V
- Timer1 Oscillator: 1.1 A, 32 kHz, 2V
- Watchdog Timer: 2.1 A
- Two-Speed Oscillator Start-up

Peripheral Features
- High current sink/source 25 mA/25 mA
- Three external interrupt
- Enhanced Capture/ Compare/ PWM (ECCP) module
- Compatible 10-bit, up to 13-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter module (A/D)
- Supports RS-485/RS-232 and LIN 1.2

Special Microcontroller Features are

- Priority levels for interrupts
- 8 x 8 Single-Cycle Hardware Multiplier
- Programmable period from 41 ms to 131s
- 100,000 erase/write cycle Enhanced FLASH program memory typical
- 1,000,000 erase/write cycle Data EEPROM memory
- Self-reprogrammable under software control
- Single supply 5V In-circuit Serial Programming via two pins
- In-Circuit Debug (ICD)

Oscillators
- Four Crystal modes

- Two external RC modes, up to 4 MHz

- 8 user-selectable frequencies
- Secondary oscillator using Time1@ 32 kHz
- Fail-Safe Clock Monitor

Fig 3.6 PIC18F1320 Pinout description

Electrical characteristics

Maximum output current sunk by any I/O pin = 25mA

Minimum output current sourced by any I/O pin = 25mA

Fig 3.7 PIC18F1320 Outer structure

3.6 OTHER COMPONENTS UTILIZED

3.6.1 RESISTORS
A resistor is a two-terminal electronic component that produces a voltage across its terminals that is
proportional to the electric current passing through it in accordance with ohms law
V=IxR
The formula for calculating resistance is given by
R = V/I
The function of the resistor in both the charging and control/switching circuits is for current limiting.

3.6.2 CAPACITORS
A capacitor, which is a passive electronic component, consists of a pair of conductors which are separated by a
di-electric. A capacitor has good similarities with a battery, but charges and discharges more efficiently. An
ideal capacitor is characterized by a constant capacitance C, defined as the ratio of charge +/- Q on each
conductor to the voltage V between them. i.e
C = Q/V
Large capacitors are used in the battery charging unit for filtering and elimination of pulses, while they are used
in the micro-controller unit for the oscillator.

3.6.3 SWITCHING CIRCUIT (RELAY)

This is the part of the circuit under the control of the micro-controller. The function of this circuit is to switch
on/off the external load and regulate it to its different speeds. When mains power supply is available, the load is
powered and the signal sent to the micro-controller.
Electromechanical relays are electro-magnetic devices that convert a magnetic flux generated by the application
of a low voltage electrical control signal either AC or DC across the relay terminals, into a pulling mechanical
force which operates the electrical contacts within the relay

Fig 3.8 Relay Components

The 12-V, 30-mA relay with a coil resistance of 300 was used
Choosing the base resistor
V+ = 12 V (relay voltage from regulated dc supply)
= 0.7 V (silicon)
= 5 V (from micro-controller)
= (collector resistance)
V+ =

where
= collector current
= base current
= input voltage
V+ = supply voltage
= collector-emitter voltage = 0-V (at saturation mode)

3.6.4 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (ULN2003)

The ULN2003A is a high-voltage, high-current Darlington transistor array which consists of seven NPN
Darlington pairs that feature high-voltage outputs with common-cathode fly-back diodes for switching inductive
loads.

The drivers can be paralleled for higher current capability, even stacking one chip on top of another, both
electrically and physically has been done. Generally, it can also be used for interfacing with stepper motor,
where the motor requires high ratings which cannot be provided by other interfacing devices.

Features include

500-mA rated collector current (single output)

50-V output

Includes output fly-back diodes

Inputs compatible with various types of logic

Applications include
In driving

Relays

Lamps
LED displays
Stepper motors

Fig 3.9 UNL2003 Pinout diagram

Fig 3.10 ULN2003 Outer structure

3.6.5 LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED)

This is a forward-biased P-N junction that emits light through spontaneous emission by a phenomenon termed
electroluminescence.
In this project, a LED was used for the indication of switching and control speed. The different indicators that
were established include
- Light ON: This would indicate that the motor is off
- Light OFF: This would indicate that the motor is on, it can be indicated in either form as below:

(i) Slow Twinkle: This would indicate that the motor is on speed 1.
(ii) Fast Twinkle: This would indicate that the motor is on speed 2.
The value of the resistor R is obtained using the equation
R=(
where:

)/ I
= supply voltage

= LED voltage (usually 2 V, but 4 V for blue and white LEDs)

Hence, since the LED used in this project was blue, then

=4V

I = LED current
It is ideal to choose a LED whose current is less than the maximum current allowed, so as to prevent damage to
the LED; resistor R acted as a current limiting resistor and was connected in series with the LED

3.6.6 GEAR
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part to transmit
torque, in most cases with teeth on the one gear being of identical shape, and often also with that shape on the
other gear. When two gears mesh, and one gear is bigger than the other (even though the size of the teeth must
match), a mechanical advantage is produced, with the rotational speeds and the torques of the two gears
differing in an inverse relationship. When two gears mesh, the smaller gear usually rotates faster than the larger
gear though the larger torques gear is still proportionally greater.
In transmissions with multiple gear ratios such as bicycles, motorcycles and cars, the term gear refers to a
gear ratio rather than an actual physical gear.

Fig 3.11 A 76 teeth Gear

3.6.6.1 GEAR RATIO

The gear ratio of a gear train, also known as its speed ratio, is the ratio of the angular velocity of the input gear
to the angular velocity of the output gear. The gear ratio can be calculated directly from the numbers of teeth on
the gears in the gear train. The torque ratio of the gear train, also known as its mechanical advantage, is
determined by the gear ratio. The speed ratio and mechanical advantage are defined so they yield the same
number in an ideal linkage
3.6.6.2 GEAR TRAINS WITH TWO GEARS

The simplest example of a gear train has two gears and that is the type used for the implementation of this
project. The "input gear" (also known as drive gear) transmits power to the "output gear" (also known as driven
gear). The input gear will typically be connected to a power source, such as a motor or engine. In such an
example, the power output of the output (driven) gear depends on the ratio of the dimensions of the two gears.
Mathematically, if the input gear GA has the radius rA and angular velocity A , and meshes with output gear GB
of radius rB and angular velocity B , then

............................(i)

The number of teeth on a gear is proportional to the radius of its pitch circle, which means that the ratios of the
gears' angular velocities, radii, and number of teeth are equal. NA is the number of teeth on the input gear and NB
is the number of teeth on the output gear. The following equation is formed:

(ii)

This shows that a simple gear train with two gears has the gear ratio R given by

..(iii)

This equation shows that if the number of teeth on the output gear GB is larger than the number of teeth on the
input gear GA, then the input gear GA must rotate faster than the output gear GB.

For the implementation of this project, a 46-teeth gear was used as the drive and a 16-teeth gear as the driven;
hence the ratio would be 1:2.8, therefore from equation (iii) above, we have

Gear ratio = 50 = 17
46
Hence,

= 135.3 rpm

From this deduction, we can observe that the gear attached to the bicycle (driven gear) would rotate about 2.8
times faster than the gear attached to the motor (drive gear).

3.7 CONCLUSION
This chapter discussed the system design and processes required for the realization of the project.

CHAPTER FOUR
IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING
INTRODUCTION
This Chapter discusses the project implementation, construction and the various testing methods adopted. It
introduces the mechanism used in running the bicycle and the testing methods applied.

4.1 IMPLEMENTATION
The Project construction was divided into the following three (3) main categories:

Construction of the speed controller circuit.

Mounting and welding of devices.

Electrical wiring of the system.

4.1.1 SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

This entails the coding of the speed and switching control circuit on the PIC18F1320 micro-controller before
burning of the codes.

Fig 4.1 Interface of the compiler (mikroC PRO for PIC)

4.1.2 HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION

The hard ware implementation of this project entails the mounting, welding of devices and the electrical wiring
of the system.

4.1.2.1 MOUNTING AND WELDING OF DEVICES

Prior to construction, a moderately sized bicycle which could withstand the weight of the modules that was to
be constructed on it is required.

Fig 4.2 Bicycle prior to mounting of electrical features and mechanical coupling

Fig 4.3 Mounting of an additional sprocket for motor driving

Fig 4.4 Sprocket Coupling on the back wheel

Fig 4.5 Gear connection of the sprocket and motor via a power chain

Fig 4.6 Mounting of the d.c motor and battery on the bicycle

4.1.2.2 ELECTRICAL WIRING OF THE SYSTEM

This involves the electrical wiring of all the battery, speed controller and the motor together

Fig 4.7 Package for power supply unit, micro-controller unit circuits

4.2 TESTING
This section is concerned with the tests that were carried out to verify and monitor the operation and
performance conditions of the electric bicycle. This involves the following tests as they relate to this system:

Unit Testing

Integration Testing

System Testing

4.2.1 UNIT TESTING

The electric bicycle composes of different units coupled together to make up the whole system. Tests on units
independent of one another were carried out such as the resistance and capacitance values before circuit
connection, the d.c motor to ensure the required revolutions per minute on no-load, the d.c battery to ensure the
required voltage output, the speed and switch controller and the bicycle itself to ensure optimum operating
conditions before the various components were mounted on it.

4.2.1.1 POWER SUPPLY UNIT TEST

The power supply unit consists of a switch, step-down transformer rated 230/12 V, a diode bridge, a capacitor
and a voltage regulator output. All tests were carried out at the various outputs of these components to ensure
the required wave form in cases of a.c or pulsating d.c and the expected voltage output as the case maybe.
All outputs were tested with a multi-meter and oscilloscope

4.2.1.2 MICRO-CONTROLLER UNIT TEST

Micro-controllers are powered with 5 V dc with their output also at 5 V, the battery voltage that should be
feeding the micro-controller is to be a little above 6 V dc. The micro-controller also acts as a switching,
controlling device and was monitored to ensure it performed its switching, controlling function for every time
the control button was pressed.

The different switching, control levels were indicated in this project using a blue-colored LED.

Fig 4.9 LED indicator at OFF

Fig 4.10 LED indicator at ON

4.2.1.3 MECHANICAL BICYCLE TEST

The bicycle itself was tested mechanically to ensure optimum operating conditions of the wheels, tyres and
brakes e.t.c before the various components were mounted on it.

4.2.2 INTEGRATION TESTING

Integration testing was carried out to evaluate the interaction between distinct and separate modules or stage of
the project. This was necessary as the project involved integration of several components and binding them
together to form a complete system. The successful interaction between these units ensured the successful
implementation of the system all together.
The integration tests in this project include the following:

The test was about connecting the power supply unit to the battery, the battery connected to the microcontroller unit then to the motor

The test was about the coupling of the motor to the rear wheel

4.2.3 SYSTEM TESTING

System testing was done to test the complete bicycle. This test involved the complete operation of the system
based on the interaction between the several modules. This involved riding the bicycle electrically with the aid
of the d.c motor, the battery and the varying the system speed using the speed controller.

4.3 OVERVIEW OF TESTING INSTRUMENTS

The implementation and testing phase required the use of several testing instruments and equipment such as

OSCILLOSCOPE: The oscilloscope is a device that is used to generate the waveforms of

corresponding component outputs. It was used to determine and confirm the pulse signals generated by
the circuit for a.c and pulsating d.c signals.

DIGITAL MULTIMETER: The digital multi-meter is used to measure resistance, frequency, a.c or
d.c voltage and current. It was very critical in the process of implementing the design on the Vero-board
for the measurement of parameters like voltage, current and resistance values of components, continuity
and in some cases frequency measurement.
The digital multi-meter was handy throughout the entire construction as its use couldnt be over
emphasized.

4.4 BILL OF QUANTITY

COMPONENT

UNIT

UNIT PRICE (NGN)

PRICE (NGN)

Bicycle

15,000

15,000

12v dc battery

12,000

12,000

DC Motor

10,000

10,000

PIC18F1320

2,000

2,000

ULN2003 IC

150

150

Relay

250

500

Transformer

250

250

Switch/Control button

30

60

Resistor

10

70

Capacitor

40

40

Voltage Regulator

110

220

Vero board

50

100

Microcontroller

Power chain and Gear

2,000

2,000

Controller case

200

200

Mounting and

5,000

welding
Miscellaneous

5,000

Expenses
Transportation

3,000

TOTAL

55,590

4.5 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the implementation and testing phase were very successful and the design specifications were
fully realized.

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
5.1 MAJOR AIM
The fundamental aim of this project is to incorporate an electromechanical system unto an existing bicycle
frame to power the bicycle without damaging the structural balance and rotor abilities of the bicycle. This
section shall begin with a summary of the approach taken, the challenges faced and the recommendations for
future direction of this project.

5.2 SUMMARY
The present available technology has made it possible for the actualization and the full implementation of the
project. The PIC microcontroller technology was implemented as the control technology over the Pulse Width
Modulation (PWM). The system was developed to serve as assistance and not for full mobility. This technology
is pollution free and is capable of operating with a very low cost.

5.3 ACHIEVEMENTS
The project has been able to realize the following accomplishments:

The normal bicycle pedaling function is retained and fully functional.

The embedded devices were properly customized on an existing bicycle with the frame still intact.

Simplicity of operation: the system operates a simple on/off switch mechanism and for speed control 1/2
depending on the speed required, 1 for a low speed and 2 for a higher

Power transmission efficiency.

5.4 CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED

The challenges encountered during the design and implementations of this project are as follows:

Some of the electronic components got damaged during soldering.

The programming of the micro-controller operation in C# was quite challenging.

Mechanical coupling of the bicycle needed a lot of manual labor and I only had a technician for
assistance.

Difficulty in balancing cost and functionality.

It was not an easy task in determining, for example, the right motor, gear ratio, battery output required as
it required lots of analysis and calculations.

5.5 KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED

I have gained adequate and valuable understanding on how to design and analyze electric circuits with a
fundamental understanding of the various electronic components in an electric circuit.
In terms of the dc motor controller system used which was a micro-controller; I have been able to understand
the fundamentals of a micro-controller and programming in C#
I now have a sound understanding of project management as it entails time, budget available and delivery
according to the initial specifications.

5.6 RECOMMENDATIONS
Even though the system seems to have achieved the basic requirements of an electric bicycle, there is need for
possible further research. Some of the observations include

Incorporation of a hub wheel motor: The hub wheel motor is an electric motor that is incorporated onto
the hub of a wheel and drives it directly. Compared with other conventional motors, its advantages
include the following
(i)

Energy efficiency: This is the biggest advantage of a hub wheel motor. A conventional vehicle
uses mechanical means to transmit power from a centrally mounted engine/motor to the wheels.

Hence, loses occur due to heating from the friction and through the transmission system. An
electric motor mounted directly inside a wheel without any mechanical transmission will avoid
all such losses.
(ii)

Reduced weight: due to the motor being mounted directly inside the wheel, the weight of the
system is reduced because no structural and transmission parts are used.

Solar cell battery charger: the application of a solar cell battery charger can make the electric bicycle
more mobile than it currently is because it gives access to electricity for recharging anywhere theres
sunlight.

Upgrading to a higher voltage system and retaining system weight: A 36-V or even 48-V system would
be more stable and would be a lot better than the 12 V used as the current drawn by the motor will be
low. The 12-V system has a low power and the current drawn was high. Higher current value creates
more heat and a much bigger motor controller. Thus, a system with a higher voltage would draw a lower
current and hence reduce the head produced in the speed control circuit.

5.7 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it should be noted that the Electric Bicycle should not be relied on completely for transportation
as it mainly only serves as an assistance to the pedaling system.

REFERENCES
[1] B.L Theraja and A.K Theraja A textbook of electrical technology S chand & company, India, 2006
[2] B. Kumar and H. Oman, Power control for battery-electric bicycles, National Aerospace and Electronics
Conf., vol. 1, May 2428, 1993.
[3] Ben Rogowitz and Dr. Allison Kipple The Design, Simulation, and Construction of an Electric Bicycle,
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Northern Arizona University
[4] Hope, O.E Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), unpublished B.Eng Lecture Notes. Covenant
University, Ota, 2012.
[5] Joe LaPointe and Gregory Huh Electric Assisted Bicycle, Center for Engineering Education and Practice,
College of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan-Dearborn
[6] History of the Electric Bicycle [online] Available at: <http://elmo03057.hubpages.com/hub/The-History-ofthe-Electric-Bicycle>
[7] Chetan Mahadik, Sumit Mahindrakar and Prof. Jayashree Deka An Improved & Efficient Electric
Bicycle system with the Power of Real-time Information
[8] James, O.S Electric Drives, unpublished B.Eng. Lecture Note Covenant University, Ota, 2012.
[9] Song Jie Hou, Yoichiro Onishi, Shigeyuki Minami, Hajimu Ikeda, Michio Sugawara, and Akiya Kozawa
Charging and Discharging Method of Lead Acid Batteries Based on Internal Voltage Control
[10] PIC Microcontroller [online]: Available at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIC_microcontroller>
[11] Braking [online] Available at:
<en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braking>

[12] Electric Bicycle Laws [online] Available at:

< en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws>
[13] PIC18F1320 [online] Available at:
< http://www.futurlec.com/Microchip/PIC18F1320.shtml>

APPENDIX A
SOURCE CODE
CODE FOR SWITCHING ON/OFF AND CONTROLLING MOTOR SPEED

sbit LED1

at LATB5_bit;

sbit LED1_Direction at TRISB5_bit;

sbit MOTOR_SPEED_2

at LATA3_bit;

sbit MOTOR_SPEED_2_Direction at TRISA3_bit;

sbit MOTOR_SPEED_1

at LATB0_bit;

sbit MOTOR_SPEED_1_Direction at TRISB0_bit;

char blink_counter = 0;

enum STATE{OFF =0, SPEED_1, SPEED_2};

char i;
char machine_state = OFF;

void Interrupt(){
if (TMR0IF_bit){
TMR0IF_bit = 0;
TMR0H

= 0x3C;

TMR0L

= 0xB0;

blink_counter++;

switch(machine_state){
case OFF:
MOTOR_SPEED_1 = 0;
MOTOR_SPEED_2 = 0;
LED1 = 0;

break;

case SPEED_1:

if(blink_counter>6){
LED1 = ~LED1;
MOTOR_SPEED_1 = 1;
MOTOR_SPEED_2 = 0;
blink_counter =0;
}

break;

case SPEED_2:

if(blink_counter>=1){
MOTOR_SPEED_1 = 0;
MOTOR_SPEED_2 = 1;
LED1 = ~LED1;
blink_counter =0;
}

break;

default:
machine_state = OFF;

}
}

void InitTimer0(){

T0CON

= 0x82;

TMR0H

= 0x3C;

TMR0L

= 0xB0;

GIE_bit

= 1;

TMR0IE_bit

= 1;

void main(){
LED1_Direction = 0;//OUTput direction
MOTOR_SPEED_1_Direction = 0;
MOTOR_SPEED_2_Direction = 0;

MOTOR_SPEED_1 = 0;
MOTOR_SPEED_2 = 0;
LED1 = 0;

IRCF0_bit = 1;
IRCF1_bit = 1;
IRCF2_bit = 1;
TRISB4_bit = 1;// configure button pin as input
ADCON1 = 0x70;// port b is all digital
InitTimer0();

while(1){

if (Button(&PORTB, 4, 20, 0)){ // check button STATE

machine_state++;
Delay_ms(500);