ULVAC Inc recently announced that it has created and launched a very innovative battery-charging system for power-assisted bicycles by putting together a solar generator, a small wind power generator and a battery charger.
Called “Hybrid Cycle Pit,” the power-assisted bicycle charging station will be installed beside the baseball field in Chigasaki City Park, Japan. It will be into operation starting July 10, 2011.
The charging mechanism of the Hybrid Cycle Pit is composed of a small 1.0 kW wind power generator (upwind, horizontal axis, propeller type), a 1.6KW solar power generator and a battery pack. The last one contains a discharging and charging control system, a lithium-ion back-up battery and a battery charger.
The battery charging system is equipped with eight solar panels on the canopy of the battery charger in which bicycles are placed.
The Hybrid Cycle Pit is capable of charging a total of ten electric bicycles a day and up to five bicycles at once.
[via EnergyHarvestingJournal]
