A photovoltaic system suitable for the battery pack charging of an electrically power assisted velocipede

Abstract

The paper describes the designing, sizing, realization and setting up of a complete system suitable for the management of an electrically power assisted velocipede using a photovoltaic module for the charging of the batteries. In the work an overview on the sustainable mobility needs and on the commercial electrically power assisted velocipedes is presented and the "Ecolapa" prototype, set up in the SDELab laboratory of Palermo University, is precisely described underlining the designing, implementation and setting up phases of the photovoltaic charging system settled up on the velocipede. Moreover tests oriented on the setting up of the whole system and validation tests on the prototype are presented with the aim of determine the growing up of performances, with particular attention on the autonomy, by using the management system here proposed. The results show haw is possible to reach an increase of the 30% of the "Ecolapa" prototype autonomy by using the, by the Authors conceived, management system.