Just wondering if its doable - gas to run electric ?

Ok I measured it but just the engine and generator not the tank, control panel or frame and it is appr. 10"W x 16"l x 11"h.I still dont know exactly what the weight of it is but it is a bit on the heavy side.

98cc engine, 4 stroke $199.99 on sale at the retail store for $162 and I only noticed it because I need something to put in our new enclosed trailer and was looking at the small generators but thought about a bike project also.:LOL:

It is part #94678 at harborfreight and I pulled it right up after typing that in so if you want a picture there it is.(I wont do pictures anymore)

Might not be to bad tucked up in a trike with electric powered rear wheels.

If it just had a manually engaged gearbox between the engine and generator for total drive options. (pedal, gas, gas powered electric, electric from batteries) ability to charge itself anywhere if needed although I doubt it would be driveable from gas power and be able to charge at the same time unless it was just trickle charging.
 
I wonder if like a model airplane engine would work. That would be small enough to stick in your pocket.
 
I found this just last night

These guys have made a DC generator from a lawnmower motor and a GM car alternator.

Linky

They hint that an alternator with an external regulator could generate up to 70 volts depending on how fast it spins. If you could find a 40 volt external regulator and a smaller gas motor that would turn it you'd be set.

I wonder if the Honda or other on-the-shelf generators with 120 volt AC output have DC to AC inverters built in. I'll bet a dollar that they do. If so, remove the included inverter instead of inverting your current twice.

Food for thought.
 
A 2 wheel motored Hybrid

As I was cruising around today your thread came to mind. How about a true hybrid. This would be based on the Cheetah frame. Have the electric to start out on them when up to speed, kick on the IC and turn off the electric. The electric could be a right hand chain drive and the IC could be a rack mount Golden Eagle, Staton, or a scrubber set up. Google Cheetah electric bike to see the frame. This would be a build it yourself thing. However you could have a honkin battery and a 40-50 cc engine. You can use the battery for around town and the IC when you head home.
 
If I were to do it I'd want the front and rear hubs electric for the power and the compact/cleaness of it then mount the generator inline with the frame and the engine to the front so I could still pedal (with a widened crank if needed) and at hmmm, what was it 16" long it would take a long custom frame to hold it.

The batteries could go on a rear rack or maybe even over the generator itself, actually there a few good places the batts could go.

I bet something like that, while running on gas would get terrible gas mileage maybe even down to 30 or so miles per gallon and probably weigh around 225-275.With it weighing so much I'd need some seriously heavy duty hubs/wheels and a good solid frame but it would most likely ride like a cadillac at that weight.:LOL:

I'd still want to slide a transmission inbetween the engine and the generator so I could to it all.(pedal, gas, electric from batts, electric from gas generator)
 
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Seems the way to go is to have a drive for the gas engine to power the wheel directly. Its more efficient that way. Then shut it down an run electric when you can. In high demand situations you can run both.

I mean look at whats been successful for cars. As far as I'm concerned it would be foolish to ignore the research that has been done in that area. I don't see any gas generator cars with only electric drive.

Electronics are lighter and cheaper than ever. If you really wanted to I'm sure you could rig up a monitoring system to switch between the three modes automatically. Or if thats not your bag, theres always manual control.
 
Maybe a trike would be a good platform for the first attempt just to make it easier to mount everything.
 
You're right about the trike. It would take a bunch of components. For one thing, you would want a clutch to disengage the IC motor from the driven wheel when you're in electric only mode- and a clutch between the IC engine and generator for gas only mode. Lots of electronics also I would think.
 
Seems the way to go is to have a drive for the gas engine to power the wheel directly. Its more efficient that way. Then shut it down an run electric when you can. In high demand situations you can run both.

I mean look at whats been successful for cars. As far as I'm concerned it would be foolish to ignore the research that has been done in that area. I don't see any gas generator cars with only electric drive.

Electronics are lighter and cheaper than ever. If you really wanted to I'm sure you could rig up a monitoring system to switch between the three modes automatically. Or if thats not your bag, theres always manual control.

There are not cars with pure electric drive but that's the way all railroad locomotives made in the last 60+ years work. On the other hand, locos need to be as heavy as possible.

In my mind I see the 36v front hub kit i've been running every day for ~6 months pulling a modified kiddie trailer with a gas fired alternator on board as well as some lightweight backpacking gear. I can leave my daily driver setup alone but have the option to hitch the trailer and have unlimited range.
 
yep the old tried and true "diesel-electric locomotive" but I think they use the electric just for the shear torque they produce which is what they need to get those heavy train cars moving.
:) I cant imagine how bad someone would smoke a clutch if it was in a train driven by only a combustion engine.

I went back to harborfreights retail store and even the demo generator I had seen was gone off the shelf.
I really do think it would work very well.
Might have to be a late winter project.
 
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