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The UK has just announced their plan to obtain British-built solar-powered reconnaissance #drones called the Qinetiq Zephyr.
The Zephyr’s propellers are powered by a pair of brushless 450W electric motors similar to electric bike motors and provide nearly the same power output of electric bike motor systems from Bosch, Bafang, Yamaha, and others. Since the Zephyr is designed to stay in the sky for up to two weeks at a time, charging its batteries from solar panels on its wings during the day and using battery power at night, the electric motors in the Zephyr have been designed with reliability in mind. Advances stemming from the research and development of the Zephyr’s motors could translate into big increases for electric bike motors in the future.
The battery pack on the Zephyr is a 3,000Wh unit made from a lithium sulphur chemistry, which offers 2-4X the energy density of the lithium batteries that are used on electric bikes today. The pack was designed and built by Sion Power, a battery company in Tuscon, Arizona, and its partner Airbus.
Lithium sulfur could be the battery chemistry that doubles the range of electric bikes within 5 years; Sony, which was the first company to commercialize the lithium-ion battery, has promised to bring lithium sulfur batteries to market by 2020.
The Zephyr is built using carbon composite materials, which are similar to the carbon fiber frames used on electric bikes. These composite materials offer lots of strength and with minimal weight, and the use of the material has allowed the Zephyr, which sports a 72-ft wingspan, to weigh just 117 lbs.
If similar materials were used more often in the construction of electric bikes, it could result in a decrease in frame weight of up to 10 lbs.
Aerospace technology, including the use of carbon fiber, has already trickled-down to the auto industry. Bicycles have also benefited quite a bit from aerospace technology, but the technologies shown in use on Qinetiq Zephyr are a clear indicator that there are big technological advances yet to come that will make their way from high-cost aerospace applications all the way to electric bikes. If Sony and other battery makers stick to their production schedule for lithium sulfur cells, we can look forward to seeing plenty of 40-lb, 100-mile electric bikes on the road just a few years from now.
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Range: 40+ miles Varies depending on conditions
Speeds: Up to 40 miles per hour
Bike: Carbon frame 29er, SOLO T800 UD weave
Battery: 2016 48V 12Ah 4a Hailong battery with Samsung Sanyo 18650 cells
Motor: 48V, 1000W Cassette brushless hub motor
Post time: Feb-14-2017