Solar Segway!!

[jryan]

So, I pulled up ebay today and to my amazement the big ad on the main page was "go green". It featured a Segway, a solar panel, a flourescent bulb, and a Toyota Prius. I had a question and maybe someone can answer it and maybe they cannot. The solar panels, when I was reading the descriptions claim they can power any batteries (well one of them did)!

My question is this: Is there any way to hook one of those solar panels up to a Segway battery? If so, it would allow for virtually limitless glides. I mean, if it worked right I could glide from Madison to Fest!! If it kind of worked, then you could increase the range tenfold!! Maybe it is not possible, I figured I would throw it up in the air!



Jeremy Ryan

[KSagal]

You can charge a segway battery with solar power. The problem lies in the fact that the amount of surface of photo voltaic cells needed is much larger than you want...

I don't have the actual square feet involved, but it was discussed in the past... I would imagine you would need to have a 1/4 acre of cells behind you to power the seg for an indefinitely distance (assuming all daytime travel with no clouds or rain...)

You may be able to use a smaller array to charge it during the overday, and then glide during the night...

[jryan]

Originally Posted by KSagal

You can charge a segway battery with solar power. The problem lies in the fact that the amount of surface of photo voltaic cells needed is much larger than you want...

I don't have the actual square feet involved, but it was discussed in the past... I would imagine you would need to have a 1/4 acre of cells behind you to power the seg for an indefinitely distance (assuming all daytime travel with no clouds or rain...)

You may be able to use a smaller array to charge it during the overday, and then glide during the night...

Thank you Karl, others feel free to chime in.... At the price of the solar cells, it would seem like an affordable option to look into, even if you do just get a few extra miles out!!

Jeremy Ryan

[quade]

Originally Posted by jryan

At the price of the solar cells, it would seem like an affordable option to look into, even if you do just get a few extra miles out!!

Actually no. It doesn't pencil out financially at all. When you consider it costs about $0.15 to fully charge an i2 from a wall outlet, I think that if you look into just a solar powered recharge station you'll quickly see that it will take quite a few days of operation in order to break even. Without getting too nitpicky, let's give it a round round number of say 3000 IF you could construct it for $450 (which would be sort of doable).

A solar auxiliary power panel on a Segway? I don't think you're going to find that comes close to working out in reality either.

[jryan]

Originally Posted by quade

Actually no. It doesn't pencil out financially at all. When you consider it costs about $0.15 to fully charge an i2 from a wall outlet, I think that if you look into just a solar powered recharge station you'll quickly see that it will take quite a few days of operation in order to break even. Without getting too nitpicky, let's give it a round round number of say 3000 IF you could construct it for $450 (which would be sort of doable).

A solar auxiliary power panel on a Segway? I don't think you're going to find that comes close to working out in reality either.

Well I guess value would be in the eye of teh beholder. If it recharged whil gliding and lets say gave you 3 extra miles, then it may be worth it. Because who knows, that 3 extra miles could maybe bring you to Wal mart whereas the regular range doesn't. Charge value doesn't factor in. I am talking about what the personal value of the added range means! That is up to you!

Jeremy Ryan

[quade]

Originally Posted by jryan

If it recharged whil gliding and lets say gave you 3 extra miles, then it may be worth it.

I think that you're going to find that those extra 3 miles would require a MUCH larger solar panel than anything you're envisioning. Mounting it, keeping it pointed sort of in the right direction and dealing with the added wind resistance are going to be issues that just don't work in reality.

But I have some time here this morning, let me do a rough order of magnitude and get back to you in a few.

[jryan]

Originally Posted by quade

I think that you're going to find that those extra 3 miles would require a MUCH larger solar panel than anything you're envisioning. Mounting it, keeping it pointed sort of in the right direction and dealing with the added wind resistance are going to be issues that just don't work in reality.

But I have some time here this morning, let me do a rough order of magnitude and get back to you in a few.

Sounds good, I admit I do not know much about solar cells so you are probably right!


Jeremy Ryan

[quade]

Ok, so let's look at what the i2 is capable of, 24 miles with 800 watts of energy.

That's 33.333 watts per mile (BTW, that's not at max speed but what the heck let's just go with it).

You want to go an additional 3 miles so you need to pump 100 watts into the system over the course of, let's call it 3 hours, which as it turns out, means 33.333 watts continuous.

Let's assume the power inverter is 100% efficient, which it clearly won't be but does keep the math clean.

Well, I'm probably not going to be able to find a 35 watt panel, but let's look at a couple of other panels.

Here is a spec sheet for the Duralite 20 Watt Solar Panel. Two of these would do nicely, but look at the dimensions; 24.5 x 20 inches. Each one would set you back about $190, you'd also have to add in the cost of the inverter, so again, this doesn't really pencil out cost wise and the idea of having two 24.5 x 20 inch sails added to the i2 kinda scares me!

[jryan]

Originally Posted by quade

Ok, so let's look at what the i2 is capable of, 24 miles with 800 watts of energy.

That's 33.333 watts per mile (BTW, that's not at max speed but what the heck let's just go with it).

You want to go an additional 3 miles so you need to pump 100 watts into the system over the course of, let's call it 3 hours, which as it turns out, means 33.333 watts continuous.

Let's assume the power inverter is 100% efficient, which it clearly won't be but does keep the math clean.

Well, I'm probably not going to be able to find a 35 watt panel, but let's look at a couple of other panels.

Here is a spec sheet for the Duralite 20 Watt Solar Panel. Two of these would do nicely, but look at the dimensions; 24.5 x 20 inches. Each one would set you back about $190, you'd also have to add in the cost of the inverter, so again, this doesn't really pencil out cost wise and the idea of having two 24.5 x 20 inch sails added to the i2 kinda scares me!

I would assume you are right Quade!! I don't know enough to think otherwise!


Jeremy Ryan

[KSagal]

The 20 watts that were mentioned were at a far lower voltage than is usable... Would that not require even more panels to be put in series just to get the 20 watts at a usable voltage? I think that even with all the other factors taken at face value for your plan, you would need far more than 2 panels to get the result you want...