ePower Racing Events
2010 Updates Coming Soon!
Welcome to the all new races and race guidelines for the ePower Challenge ’09 !
The ePower Challenge has changed all the power guidelines for its specialized races on Monday and has added a few more events for the e-assist folks to partake in on Saturday and Sunday too. The ebike gang will of course be able to utilize the track during all open track time periods like last year, and this year they will also be able to join up with the regular human powered riders for a couple of the events normally slated for the pure HPV’s.
The ePower Challenge has changed its power guidelines from last year. Instead of making calculated estimations of power consumption for each type of bike and the variables of voltages, battery chemistry, etc they may have, we have adopted a power metering system (the WHAM), that encompasses all those variables and electronically limits the power use. This dynamic revelation affords the participants the ability to utilize a very wide range and combination of power delivery systems. One can use any voltage from 12 volts to a 72 volt system (95 volts maximum continuous) through the device and amperages of up to 90 amps continuous (surges being significantly larger).The battery chemistry and the performance characteristics that vary between batteries no longer needs to be taken into account. For a more complete description of what the WHAM is and does, see the news release below this article.
These are the categories of racing for the ePower Challenge ’09
WH/ mile: Watt hours used per mile (average)
Miles: The distance (1 lap = 2 miles e.g. 20 miles = 10 laps)
Ttl WH: Total watt hours allotted for the entire distance
For definitions of the type of vehicle you are using, please go to the Race Events / Vehicle Classification page. Please note: Velomobiles are classified as Super Street vehicles under the guidelines of the HPRA. Here is the link to the classification page.
The e CAT 1 race will be run first on Monday morning. We will have a short break between the e CAT 1 race and the e CAT 2 race to allow for a “charging period “ and/or for the allowance of a possible HPC event to take place. Rain outs are possible on Saturday or Sunday and the HPC events will need to conclude on Monday as well.
PLEASE NOTE (VERY IMPORTANT): All racers are required to have the necessary connectors/ pigtails, to allow for the installation of the WHAM cutoff device. The WHAM uses fast on (1/4" spade connectors) that come out of the device. There is a wire with a male spade connector that comes out of the WHAM that will need to be connected to a female spade connector that is attached on the postive power lead from your batteries. There is a wire with a female connector coming out of the WHAM that will need to be connected to a male connector coming from your controller. This configuration will also allow you to run your system without the WHAM installed by simply mating the male/female connectors on your lines. Again, this splice needs to take place on your "positive" lead from your highest voltage potential terminal, i.e, if you have a 36 volt system, you will splice into the line where the full 36 volts are present off the positive terminal.
You may need to make a pigtail connection that has on one end either the male or female spade connector, and has a connector of your choice to connect with the splice in your power line. As an example: on my electric trike I have a splice in the line (using a pair of Anderson power pole connectors), between my positive terminal and where it goes into the controller. I then make two pigtails consisting of an Anderson connector on one end, a 6” piece of 10 gauge wire (don’t make this shorter than 6”, it is best to not have the splice connections too close to the board), and then a spade connector on the other end for each pigtail. Pretty cheap and easy and you can certainly use less expensive parts as connectors that will work fine.
There is one very thin wire coming out of the WHAM. The end where it is connected to the board is hard wired to the board and the other end is terminated with an alligator clip. The wire will be about 12” long. This wire needs to be connected to your negative battery terminal, the same terminal as where you have your full negative potential connections (again as an example, if you have a 36 volt system, this connection needs to be made on the same negative terminal where the battery potential can see the entire 36 volts). You will need a small guage wire attached to your full negative terminal with a sufficient length to mate up and clip to the alligator clip going to the WHAM. This small wire is not for completing the full power connection, it is a negative point for the WHAM to operate correctly, so your wire from your negative terminal to this wire does not need to be a heavy gauge wire.
Please also note the voltage limitation stated in the third paragraph, this is also important to bear in mind.
Cost of entry into the ePower Challenge is $25, pay at the race site. We can’t take credit cards so it’s cash or a check please. Helmets and one rear view mirror are required.
If you have any questions, please email them to the HPC committee.
LIGHT’ EM UP!!
ePower Challenge 2009
Now we have a much better solution!
The best way to even out the field and have accurate, consistent governing of the races, was to employ a power meter. A universal device that would adapt to a wide variety of voltages, amps, amp hours and also not concern itself with battery chemistry either.
The best answer (and I had a tremendous amount of help and offerings from other sources, thank you guys), came from a local electronics engineering business that custom made me a solution. Pat Nystrom of Nystrom Engineering and Consulting, created a unique device that met and exceeded all the “feature/performance” parameters I needed. It is the Watt Hours Allotted Meter, or, “WHAM”.
WHAM is an inline power meter that will be positioned between your power source and your controller. It will act like a “normal” power meter in that it will measure the volts and amps flowing through it, and will calculate the watt hours being used at that moment as well as cumulatively. The device will handle ebike voltage systems from 12 volts to 72 volts (95 volts cont max), and will handle 90 amps continuous through it (surge amps around 150). Therefore a racer can use a wide variety of voltages, chemistries, and amp hour sizes of batteries. This offers a huge window of systems to participate, as well as definitely addresses the issue of having more than enough juice onboard so as to not cause some potential damage to your batteries by draining them so much.
The meter will be programmable to allot a set amount of watt hours to flow through the meter, the various watt hour limits being subject to the various race division limits. When the watt hour limit has been reached, the power to the controller will be CUTOFF. Analogous to a low voltage cutoff protection, the juice will stop flowing. Prior to shutting down, the device will give audible clues as to how much of “the tank” you have left. The audible sounds will be emitted at 1 minute intervals ( or less, to be determined) with a varying number of notes to indicate your power consumption. 100 – 75% watt hours available (one note). 75 – 50% (2 notes). 50 - 25 % (3 notes). 25 – 1% (4 notes). 1 – 0% (a Euro police siren sound).
Regen systems won’t be affected by the WHAM nor will it affect the WHAM. The WHAM has its own power supply, it doesn’t drain the ebike supply. Another feature is that the device will also download the users race profile, giving opportunity to assess and adjust power consumption.
The WHAM will be externally wired with 3 lines, all of which will be terminated with a standard “fast on” ¼” male lug. The two main power lines will act as a splice between the POSITIVE side (very important, it is not the negative side!) of the power source and the controller. A third smaller gauge wire with a male lug will need to attach to the negative terminal of the voltage supply. Therefore, each participant is “responsible for and required to” affix female lugs into their system to accommodate the WHAM device.
Due to the ability to create better and more concise racing divisions, I will be making entirely new power / distance categories for the ’09 ePower Challenge. Also please note, that again like last year, divisions will be made for various amounts of “aero” enhancements that are applied to each vehicle. For a description of the “aero” categories, please refer to the vehicle classification page. Look for announcements (soon) regarding the revised racing categories at the HPC website or at a variety of forums that discuss HPV and electric assist topics, such as the place you reading this now!
Cheers,
Tom Breedlove
Director of the HPC and ePower Challenge
ePower Challenge 2008 Rules
Greetings All,
The Oregon Human Powered Vehicle group, who organizes and runs the Human Power Challenge event in Portland, Oregon, is proud to announce we have secured insurance and the tracks permission to add an electric assist racing category to our venue!
The Human Power Challenge is an event that was developed to showcase the proficiency of the recumbent style of bicycle, not that we don’t embrace all types of cycling (uprights are all very welcome to join in the fun), it was simply that an oversight was committed many years ago to exclude recumbents in any “official” bike race. The HPC event is unlike any other venue in the country, primarily due to the fact we have several racing formats available to the racing enthusiast (drag racing to time trialing), and that we have the honor of holding our event on a world class Indy car race track, Portland International Raceway (PIR). PIR, which by the way, just received a brand new resurface this last fall in time for this years racing season. And as a bonus to our all around “clean weekend of racing”, we hold our event in conjunction with an Electrathon America event that occurs at the same time. Very cool!
So you can see, we are very much into the mindset that revolves around alternative transportation. Being an ardent advocate of e-assist cycling, it has been a goal of mine to help bring this new mode of personal transportation into the general public’s “awareness radar,” giving this cool means of getting around a platform on which to be seen.
I have followed the forums regarding the topic of e-assist racing and have observed the variety of suggestions put forth by the community, and have settled on a “starting point” on which to build from. The ePower Challenge (tentative name), will be a venue built upon the premise that these types of vehicles are “power assist” bicycles, not electric motorcycles. I understand and appreciate the folks that want to develop the ultimate power bikes (that’s cool, it’s all good), but at this venue we are going to be advocates of showing off to the public the viability and forward thinking aspects of how personally and socially empowering these types of vehicles are, and thus will be setting limits on how much “assist” you can derive from your electrical beastie. Of course, the surest way of keeping everyone on an even playing field would be to hook up a watt/hour meter on every bike and limit the usage to a certain amount for a certain distance of race. You would then get to figure out your own “consumption” formula (volts, amps drawn, etc), but until the race gets lots’o extra $’s to outfit each racer with such a device, we’ll need to have some rough justice applied.
There will be two race distances; you may compete in either or both. The first (eCAT 1) will be 6, 9, or 12 laps around the track, based upon your watt hours available. The second (eCAT 2) will be 10, 15, or 20 laps, again, depending upon your power set up. (see below for further explanation on these guidelines). These will be races of governed attrition; with next to pretty much full throttle and a reasonable amount of human input, they should prove to be interesting contests.
A few simple rules to start out by:
- No drafting allowed. This may make it to the races in the future, but let’s start it out this way.
- You are allowed to stop and make road side repairs during the race. Pull off to the side so as to not present a danger to fellow riders. If there is an incident that requires medical assistance or help due to a significant vehicular compromise, we will have course marshals observing the races and will aid accordingly. There are no penalties for road side activities; it is simply a time loss to the competitor.
- Stopping in the pit area for making repairs and adjustments is allowed. Time loss is the only penalty.
- Battery issues: (1) If your entire battery system needs to be replaced due to a compromise, you may do so after the completion of the first lap, in the pit area. Rider must pedal in to the pit from whatever point on the track you are at. (2) Single cell replacements can be made at any time. (3) If your system has been set up such that it has only a partial amount of the amp hours allowed in that category, you may stop to disconnect the first set and connect the second set, but this procedure may only be done in the pit area. The supplemental pack must be carried by the contestant during the race so as to simulate the weight conditions that others will have if they have a pack that contains all the watt hours in one pack. This is to not discourage contestants from participating due to their current set up. Some folks may think this might be an advantage (fresh pack), but of course there will be the time loss due to the swapping out of batteries.
*****NOTE******
All battery replacement/repair issues must be done in the pit area!
All vehicles will be checked for voltage levels at the start of the race and a visual confirmation of the battery manufacturer amp hr rating must be available for inspection. Racers must also wear a nationally approved cycling helmet, have at least one side mirror mounted on helmet or bike, and have two independent brakes. One last thing, in accordance to the agreement stipulated on the insurance, we will also be limiting the motors used to conform to a 750 watt continuous power rating that should be visibly marked on the motor casing, no switchero of stickers folks. Too many of us know what to look out for. The 750 watt limit is to “honor” the Fed output limit and will showcase to the public what amazing things can be done with that amount of assist. Of course you can certainly use a less powerful motor, it could be an advantage!
eCAT 1 category (shorter race)
eCAT 2 category (longer race)
You have the option to pick ANY voltage you like (or have), be it 24 to 72, more, whatever. And simply multiply that voltage of your pack by the amp hour rating of the batteries, to give us an approximation of your watt hour capability. So you can run a high 72 volt system with lower amp hour batteries or lower voltage and greater amp hour batteries, to get you to the watt hour limit of your category/division race.
The schedule: because we have for years utilized the track primarily on Saturday and Sunday for the HPV races, Monday has always been open for rain out days. Therefore, Monday morning will be the race day for both eCAT 1 and the eCAT 2 races. Please be there by 8:30, the races will take place soon thereafter. We do have open track practice times on both Saturday and Sunday that the assists may test and show off their rigs, as well as lots of time to play around/hobnob on the infield area for those days too.
We know this is short notice (because we just received the final approvals last week) but we want to get this out there this year anyway. The Human Power Challenge and now the ePower Challenge will be held on Memorial Weekend, May 23th through the 25th, in Portland, Oregon. The cost this year will be $20 for the weekend of fun. Registration will be taken at the race site on any day of the weekend. More than likely, the OHPV will take a bath financially for trying this new venue this year, but we are hoping that we are opening a door to an exciting and creatively viable approach to personal transportation, and racing of course!