I have salvaged a motor from a treadmill to make a stationary bike generator.
Motor Specs:
180 VDC -4500 Rpm 1.3 Hp 6 amp
I mocked up a bike trainer and using the rollers from treadmill and was able to output 100-160 VDC unloaded, and using a 50 cm piece of Nichrome wire I was measuring 20-30 VDC @ 2-3 amps. But the current fluctuates.
I am trying to work out what I would need to safely charge a deep cycle battery which I understand I will need a controller or circuit to reduce voltage and manage battery charging, but not sure what that would look like.
The generator will be placed in a communal space for people to help power the campsite, so it would need to be idiot proof.
Thanks
Edit: 1: Battery hasn't been finalized most probably a 120 Ah 12v AGM Deepcycle Marine battery
2: Disregard what load will be coming off the battery as it should not interfere with what can be put into the battery
Best Answer
Please confirm how you are going to rotate the motor. And at what speed/rpm? The motor is of quite high power & you can get the desired voltage range by rotating it slowly also. My suggestion is to use a 24v battery or 2x12v as the nominal voltage is touching 30volts. I suggest to use a solar charge controller of 10A which supports both 12 & 24 volts (can be used for multiple applications if not giving desired output). Be sure to check input voltage range before buying charge controller or try to add a LED voltmeter/rpm meter for input so that you can avoid over voltage. If you can share what is going to run in the battery, i can suggest better solution. How much watt is the load or how much current the load required? Edit: You can use dummy load (search online) so that over voltage can be avoided. Or hook up a LED with zinner diode & some resistors so that light will glow if the voltage is exceeding charge controller's input range & you can stop pedaling. Best option is to choose a charge controller which has auto shutdown feature for your ease & project safety.