DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRIC WHEEL

Abstract

Owing to the rapid increase in global warming over the past few years, the demand for non-polluting mechanized transportation has grown substantially in lieu of fossil fuel driven automobiles. The least expensive and greenest alternative to cars are bicycles. Even though the rate of technology over the past few years has risen exponentially in all areas and aspects, yet the realm of electric bicycles remains very much unexplored despite the concept of it being around for a long time. The basic principle for the working of an electric bike is that a battery operated/rechargeable DC motor is mechanically coupled with the wheels and provides electromagnetic propulsions which makes the wheel rotate. This ultimately eradicates the need to pedal and eliminates the need for human labor. In our research, we are looking to further economize the basic idea of a complete electric bicycle and boil it down to a single replaceable electric wheel. The wheel, when completed, will replace the front wheel of any standard manual bicycle and turn it into an electric one. We intend to manufacture an entire replaceable wheel itself, but the basic idea and technical workings of the wheel will be somewhat similar to that of the electric bicycle.