Our inventor, with the help of the money of our venture investor and international management, transplants the world to a new mode of transport.
There was such a famous private patent expert Yan Lvovich Kolchinsky, - says Vasily Shkondin, the inventor of a new electric motor and founder of the Ultramotors company. - In the late 1980s, everyone laughed at me, except him. He was the first to say that my invention was revolutionary, and from him I received my first business lessons. Firstly, he came up with the name "Shkondin's motor-wheel", and secondly, he told me: "Do like Bubka." Bubka did not jump immediately to the super record, but added one centimeter a year and was the world champion for almost ten years. Now Shkondin's company is on the way to the first record in the electric bike market.
In the summer, electric bicycles from the Ultra Motor company with an original engine created by Russian inventor Vasily Shkondin will appear on the roads of India for the first time. Ultra Motor is ready to bring to the market other models of "transport of the future" at any time, and the Flintstone Technologies and Russian Technologies funds, which financed the development, expect to receive fivefold profits in a few years.
Soon the British engineering company Ultra Motor (hereinafter UM), created by the English investment fund Flintstone Technologies and the venture capital fund Russian Technologies, will launch its first project. She is going to bring to the market a new electric motor, which in the West is called "Shkondin's wheel motor." Its creator, Vasily Shkondin, is the development director of UM and works in its Russian division. He heads the innovation department based in Pushchino near Moscow, where they are engaged in fine-tuning wheel motors and creating prototypes of vehicles based on electric traction.
According to Shkondin, the UM laboratory has already collected samples of almost all types of vehicles with an engine controlled by an electromechanical trigger: from a wheelchair to an electric car. “These are prototypes of the transport of the future,” says Shkondin. “For a long time, there have been developments aimed at weakening the dependence of transport on raw materials and increasing its environmental friendliness. So far there is no electric vehicle market: samples of electric vehicles are more expensive conventional cars, although in many technical indicators they lose. But soon, vehicles with electric and hybrid engines will become cheaper and more technically advanced, and Ultra Motor will be one of the first companies to bring a mass product to the market. ”
Anticipating the near-term global boom in the field of electric transport, UM decided that it would be better to start developing a promising market right away by creating a niche for themselves. This niche could be the Indian market, to which by the end UM plans to bring the Shkondin engine for an electric bike with the code name Cycles UM.
The highlight of the situation is that there are few e-bicycles in India, although more than 300 million people use ordinary bicycles there.
The Russian Technologies Venture Fund is part of the Alfa Group. It was created for the commercial development of promising Russian technological projects. The amount of capital is $ 20 million, the average investment is $ 1-3 million. One of the previous projects of Russian Technologies is a joint investment with Intel Capital in the company Electro-com, which is developing PLC technology for accessing the Internet through electric networks. The Russian Technologies fund became a shareholder of Ultra Motor in April 2004, investing $ 1.1 million and receiving a 44% stake in the company.
Shkondin wheel motor
Vasily Shkondin back in 1975 set himself the goal of creating an engine that would surpass traditional electric motors in the field of transport. This idea came from a journalist by training, an employee of the Institute of the Russian Language named after AS Pushkin while working on his philological dissertation "Variation of lexical and grammatical units in the Russian language."
“I saw that no one had ever dealt with the variation of technical units,” says Shkondin. “Only a few types of electric motors have been invented, and they are used everywhere, from power plants to meat grinders. Even while serving in the army, I realized that even in traction motors it is possible to use the principle of a magnetron - a pulse-pause system, which is used in radar stations. "
Shkondin started working on the idea - he made motors at home in the kitchen. He created the first example of a pulse-inertial motor in the early 1980s. Then Shkondin worked at the Pedagogika publishing house and the Soviet-Canadian publishing house Kniga Printshop, where his schedule was rather sparing. “I tried to devote all my time to improving the impulse technology,” says Shkondin. “I worked at the publishing house just to have money for a living. As a result, over the course of ten years, I made about 70 engine variants that could be used in different types Vehicle".
The original principles of unipolar and alternating impulses embedded in the Shkondin engine, created inside the motor by an electromechanical trigger, are confirmed by a dozen Russian and international patents, which the inventor received. While driving, the trigger allows some of the electricity to be returned to the battery. This significantly improves the efficiency and ensures the superiority of the motor in the transport sector. In addition, it has not 10–20 nodes, as in other electric motors, but five, and there is no external electronic control... The use of a small number of parts in the Shkondin engine increases its reliability, and the prime cost turns out to be two times lower than that of other types of electric motors.
First, the inventor installed the engine on a wheelchair, then on a bicycle, a scooter and a motorcycle. “The motor showed itself very well in the operation of these vehicles, - says Shkondin. - An additional advantage was the fact that with the motor they could drive without a gearbox, gears and transmissions. Thus, the safety margin increased significantly. "
Shkondin began exhibiting his engines at exhibitions in the early 1990s, when he realized that he had moved from the level of a home-grown "left-handed" to serious invention. The Russian took the grand prix at the salons of inventions in Brussels, Seoul, Geneva, Paris, Hanover, Orlando and other exhibitions, but few people showed commercial interest in his engines.
“Only once, in the mid-1980s, did the employees of a Russian company suggest installing a motor on wheelchairs,” Shkondin says. “I agreed, and now wheelchairs with my engine are produced in Russia, although that version of the motor is already outdated. In fact, the guys just stole my invention. At first we agreed that I would join the company as a shareholder. But after the first engines were installed on the wheelchairs, the company disappeared. Then the people who worked there founded new companies and again started producing wheelchairs with the same engine. But I was not going to chase after them and demand deductions of funds - I was glad that even an outdated motor model was successfully applied in practice. "
The turning point for the Shkondin engine came in 2002, when the inventor exhibited it at the Moscow International Salon of Industrial Property "Archimedes-2002". Shkondin was approached by representatives of the British venture investment fund Flintstone Technologies, which is looking for promising russian technologies to create a business on their basis and bring it to global markets.
“We saw that the Shkondin motor had amazing commercial advantages: simplicity, reliability and affordability,” says Ian Woodcock, founder and CEO of Flintstone Technologies. “These are the ideal factors for creating any viable product on the market.”
The foundation invited the inventor to England. For six months, the Shkondin motor was tested in the laboratories of Oxford and Southampton universities. British scientists have confirmed all the patents specifications and came to the conclusion that the engine of the Russian inventor surpasses others in dynamism by 50%, and in operational efficiency by 30%. After that, Flintstone Technologies offered Shkondin to conclude a partnership agreement on cooperation. So in the fall of 2003, Ultra Motor was founded, the co-founders of which included Flintstone Technologies, which contributed £ 1.4 million, and Shkondin, who invested his intellectual property in the company.
Electrovelonisha
It was assumed that the main scientific activity of UM will take place in Russia, where the company will create an innovative development department. Therefore, Flintstone Technologies began looking for a Russian co-investor. In April 2004, the offer to become one of the shareholders was accepted by the Russian Technologies venture fund, which bought 44% of UM shares for $ 1.1 million. Flintstone Technologies also owns 44%, and Vasily Shkondin - 12%.
“Unlike Flintstone Technologies, we do not start projects from such an early stage when there is only a prototype of a product, but no business plan and business model,” explains Joe Bowman, senior fund investment manager and member of the UM board of directors from Russian Technologies. .– Before joining the project, we conducted our own technical expertiseto understand how unique the invention is. Like any venture fund, we wanted to estimate the size of the potential sales market and the share that we can take. And the study of the situation convinced us that in the future we can enter the entire electric transport market, which, we believe, will become a key industry in the transport sector in the next ten years. "
However, there is no electric vehicle market so far, but since the appearance of the wheel-motor in Japan in 1994, the electric bike market has been developing rapidly. Now they are produced by all world manufacturers of light vehicles, many of which have transferred their production to China and Taiwan. According to Vladimir Yermishev, general director of the Electro scooter company, which sells electric bicycles, the demand for them in the world is constantly growing. For example, in the United States, in the first year of sales, about 250 thousand cars were bought, in the second year - already 1.5 million. According to forecasts, in seven to eight years, the annual volume of global sales of electric bicycles could reach $ 6-10 billion at a price of $ 500 to $ 1,000 apiece. The cost takes into account the "filling": the motor-wheel, where the engine is located, rechargeable batteries and an electronic control unit.
Shkondin already had an almost ready-made model of a competitive bicycle - he was chosen as the first product that UM could start promoting. But first, it was necessary to define a specific market and bring experimental samples to a level where the bicycle could be manufactured on an industrial scale.
According to Bowman, Flintstone Technologies and Russian Technologies considered it logical to enter the market of any of the Asian countries, which are called “states with a two-wheeled economy” due to the prevalence of cycling. Market research has shown that there are many e-bike manufacturers in China, which are unlikely to allow a newcomer to enter the market. Vietnam and other countries did not suit due to the underdevelopment of their economies. But India met all the conditions. There are manufacturers of electrical devices in this country that could make motors, and many local companies that produce, according to Ian Woodcock, up to 10 million bicycles annually. And the demand for this transport is huge: in India, the bicycle is almost the main means of transportation and earning money.
However, electric bicycles are not popular among Indians because they are considered too expensive. According to the World Bank, the average annual income of an Indian is less than $ 480, which is equal to the cost of the cheapest electric bike model. Nevertheless, UM, Flintstone Technologies and Russian Technologies considered that the company's prospects in developing the market of this particular, one of the poorest countries in the world, were colossal. Calculations have shown that the most main drawback the project - the small purchasing power of the local population - can be overcome. According to Igor Bogorodov, Director of Management at UM, the price of the Cycles UM electric bike with a Shkondin motor will be two times lower than that of foreign analogues.
Indian interest
Russian Technologies and Flintstone Technologies started looking for partners in India. According to an expert on international markets, President of the consortium "Inforus" Andrei Masalovich, Indians cannot be easily persuaded to deal with a foreign product if they do not see a unique technological innovation in it. However, the foundations and UM managed to interest the company Crompton Greaves, an Indian manufacturer of electrical products with an annual turnover of $ 2 billion.
In the summer of 2004, preliminary agreements were reached with Crompton Greaves. Then major bicycle traders Avon Cycles Private and TI Cycles of India agreed to cooperate with UM. The model with the Shkondin engine, proposed by UM, suited the Indians in all respects.
“Many motors start to malfunction in India, where there is high humidity, dustiness, and the average air temperature reaches 50 ° C,” says Shkondin. “In addition, as a rule, all foreign electric bicycles have an electronic control unit. If it breaks down, the bike won't run at all. And our engine does not heat up, is not afraid of dust and moisture and works without external control. "
The additional examination of the Shkondin motor, which was carried out by the Indians, took several more months, which postponed the launch of the project planned at UM at the beginning of 2005. But after the final letter of intent signed with Crompton Greaves in early March, Bowman said the date for the bicycles to go to the Indian mass market has become more certain. Cycles UM should be on sale this fall. And beforehand, as noted by Vasant Devaya, the general manager for the introduction of new products of TI Cycles, at the beginning of the summer the company expects to launch a large-scale advertising campaign and release a trial batch of the model in order to see the reaction of buyers.
“We chose the UM model because we were convinced that it has environmental advantages over others and at the same time is much cheaper than them,” says Devaili. “This can be a strong advantage when moving to other markets. We do not exclude that after a while TI Cycles will even start exporting products to China, where it can compete with locally made bicycles. After all, the potential of the Chinese market is enormous, more than 500 million people use bicycles in this country. "
Now the UM innovation department, under the leadership of Shkondin, is finalizing the engine for Cycles UM to meet Indian requirements. “They asked that the electric bike could not move faster than 25 km per hour, because otherwise the license to use the vehicle would be required,” explains Shkondin. “Another condition is to strengthen the car so that not only the owner, but also someone can ride on it. from his family. So we decided to adapt the engine to a more powerful mountain bike. ”
The future of Ultra Motor
Joe Bowman and Ian Woodcock state that mastering indian market - just the beginning of UM activity. The ultimate goal of Flintstone Technologies and Russian Technologies is, according to Joe Bowman, to bring UM to an IPO while achieving maximum return on investment, which is estimated to be four to five times the cost.
According to Woodcock, it is likely that the first public listing of UM shares could be made on the London Stock Exchange. It is there that the shares of Hardide Ltd. will soon appear. with an expected price of $ 23 million - one of the previous projects of Flintstone Technologies, begun in mid-2004 and based on innovative technologies in the chemical industry, also proposed by Russian scientists.
UM shareholders expect that in a few years, other products of the company will enter the market, which will significantly increase the value of UM when it goes public. For example, now the employees of the innovation department are bringing the “quad-engine” to the optimal form, which was patented by Shkondin in 2002. Its power is only 500-600 W, but at the same time, as the inventor says, it easily pulls the Zhiguli at a speed of 25 km / h. Development in progress hybrid engine, which works not only from electricity, but uses energy from the combustion of wood alcohol.
According to Shkondin, a very interesting proposal came from a French company, which intends to order a batch of electric vehicles from UM for city services - the gendarmerie, courier post and medical care... An all-wheel drive car weighing 350-400 kg and carrying capacity of 270-300 kg on one battery charge can travel 250-300 km and at the same time easily bypass city traffic jams, since its width is only 100 cm. UM also continues to improve engines for mountain bikes, wheelchairs , three-wheeled bicycle carriages for the elderly, electric loading cars and other machines.
“For now, the company, which is just starting to work actively, focuses on specific market needs, although it will soon begin to shape them itself,” says Shkondin. “Now a bicycle is in demand in India, and we are making it. But if it is necessary to quickly develop and offer an electric car for mass production, then there will be no problems - samples of motors for it are made and tested in the company's laboratory. "
INideo:
Found a mistake? Highlight it and press Ctrl + Enter to let us know.
Record navigation
On the very border of the Moscow region, beyond the Oka River, 80 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road, there is a charming "science town" Pushchino. Seriously pompous - "science city" - it somehow does not suit him, just a little more than 20 thousand inhabitants. They, however, account for as many as 9 research institutes and the Radiophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And one inventor is Vasily Shkondin. Where genius is hiding We are waiting for Vasily Vasilyevich in the parking lot of the Protein Institute - there he rents premises for a laboratory workshop. "Frost and sun is a wonderful day." A fresh foreign minivan appears, with Shkondin himself driving. Invites you to follow him. We drive along the winding paths of the institute and finally we park on a tiny area in front of the back of some large one-story building that resembles a medium-sized workshop. We get to know each other - at first glance (and at the second, too) the inventor does not pull at 1941 birth. The pre-prepared image of the "unrecognized genius" melts like a park in the wind. We are greeted and sniffed by a medium-sized hound. From the eyes you can see that he is not a puppy for a long time, he is a serious friend and he is Shkondin's first surprise. The inventor claims that the dog is 22 years old. He read the distrust on my face and called the assistants as witnesses - as it turned out, he nailed to the workshop as a very small puppy in 1992, from the first day of the lease. I thought - maybe the institute is not engaged in research on the structure and functions of protein, but long ago decided the question of how to overcome old age? And Shkondin is suspiciously youthful and energetic ... Inside a small, no more than 100 sq. m, a room divided into three spaces, the atmosphere of a typical bike shop. Wherever you look - frames, wheels, scooters and a solid three-wheeled bike. Closely ... A huge antediluvian milling machine takes up a lot of space. And only after looking closely, you notice that the wheels are unusual - there are discs inside the rims, outwardly something like boxes from a film strip. Testers, magnets and some other completely unfamiliar parts dominate on desktops. Technique on the verge of fantasy Weighty three-seater and three-wheeled rickshaw bike, with huge soft seats, a heavy frame, wide wheels and completely devoid of any fairings designed to save fuel and energy (shoe box aerodynamics, or even worse), on 14 liters of fuel able to overcome 1400 km without refueling - the merit of Shkondin's motor-wheels. Consumption - 1 liter per 100 kilometers. Big and powerful motor thrown away, installed a small and weak gasoline, which is designed to compensate for mechanical losses and recharge the batteries. The dynamics are brutal. It remains to create a structure with noble shapes, originally designed for the Shkondin wheel motor, and a revolution in the automobile industry will be inevitable. It was possible to test in practice not the newest and most "simple" development of Vasily Vasilyevich - a bicycle with a motor in the rear wheel and several batteries. Shkondin looked at me doubtfully, at the snow and ice, switched the engine to low speed (up to 40 km / h), instructed: - The brakes are normal, do not turn the pedals. Here is the throttle, like on a motorcycle. I perched on the saddle (minus 22 ° C, a thick sweater and sheepskin coat are not the most comfortable clothes for "running trials" of cycling equipment) and turned the throttle handle towards myself. With difficulty he parried the desire of the great to stand on the rear wheel and overturn the rider. From behind I hear Shkondin's scream: "Caution !!!" Desperately I brake - less than a meter is left to the brick wall ... Only then I realized, realized what power is hidden in these Shkondinsky motor-wheels. I got used to it, made a few laps, dreamed - oh, I would have such a miracle - to cut across Moscow in the summer. Vasily Vasilyevich often flies on it to his dacha in the Tula region. It is not very far, a little over 30 kilometers. The advantage of its motor-wheels over all others is not only low weight, many times large distances of runs on small and completely ordinary acid batteries (he also showed ultra-modern batteries, they will be installed on new models), but also a colossal thrust, a moment of force expressed in newton meters (Nm). Uphill, like on imported electric bicycles, you don't need to pedal. Motor-wheels for bicycles and scooters at maximum electrical power, comparable to a compact coffee grinder, have a torque of up to 65 Nm - confirmed by tests at MPEI. For information: for a gasoline internal combustion engine of a small car (the same "Zhiguli"), this figure is 70 Nm. And the efficiency is 30%.
In the farm of the inventor Vasily Shkondin in the Pushchino science town near Moscow, everything is still the same. Himself - the embodiment of energy. Only the long-lived dog does not meet - he died at the 23rd year of life. He was replaced by the hefty "yard terrier" Fock, who took care of the inventor's workshop and with his bass constantly intervened in the conversation. Where are the Chinese against the Russian Lefty ... It seems that it has become even tighter on the legendary 100 sq. meters rented from the institute. Wheels, bicycles, scooters ... Plaster hangs from the ceiling like burdocks and periodically falls. Nearby, behind the wall, a room of 370 sq. meters, light, much more comfortable. But moving is akin to a fire, and on the desks of process engineers there is a wild heap of devices, diodes, magnets and many small parts. It's scary to touch - you won't find the ends. At the entrance to the laboratory workshop, there is a slightly gutted motorcycle scooter. Vasily Vasilyevich explains: - This electric motorcycle was brought from Shanghai, there it is a squeak of fashion. The maximum speed is not motorcycle - 45 km / h, the range on one charge - 45-50 km. We are now installing our own motor-wheel, it is 10 kg lighter, the current source remains the same - there is no point in reworking, the apparatus is assembled and manufactured perfectly. As a result, we get a speed of over 80 km / h, the range has increased to 130 km. I had to put my own speedometer - the old, native, digitized up to 45 km / h. Mentally, looking at the electric motorcycle, licked his lips. With the Shkondin wheel motor, this is no longer a toy, but a normal vehicle, and even firing from a traffic light up to maximum speed in a matter of seconds. Very comfortable, low center of gravity is provided due to the proper placement of the batteries. Shkondin laughs: "You can put a bear in the circus, in the arena." They want to take the upgraded electric motorcycle back to China and demonstrate its new capabilities to the director of the manufacturer. I was worried: - They will copy, the Chinese are masters in this area! “No, they won't be able to do anything without us,” Shkondin soothes. Sadly something else, and Vasily Vasilyevich voiced the problem: - If we start to compete with them, then never in mass production We will not bypass China.
We have the simplest aluminum casing of a bicycle motor-wheel turned on a machine at a price equal to a whole Chinese electric bike - fully equipped, with batteries and a motor. An ungainly electric bike got rid of the thoroughbred Germans. The electric motorcycle was taken out so that it would not interfere with rolling out the tricycle (three-wheeled vehicle) into the world and allowing the journalist to "grab" it along the long institute paths. The tricycle was made from an ordinary ATV, instead of two rear wheels fitted one motor-wheel, threw out the motorcycle engine and transmission (it is not needed!), installed the batteries. First, Vasily Shkondin saddled him - I photograph. Standing beside gray-haired master Volodya quietly, under his breath, mutters: "Well, to hell with him, you can kill ..." The device passes to me. Minus one wheel behind the stability has not added, you have to brake before turning, but on the straight - delight! Instant racing speed - just hold on. The designer explains that they made the tricycle to demonstrate the capabilities of large diameter wheels. In general, all of Shkondin's wheeled vehicles make you concentrate - a huge moment of "frail" motors, by the standards of internal combustion engines, requires gentle and careful handling of the handle or the gas pedal. The engine with a capacity of only 300 watts produced 70 newtons per meter at the stand - a thrust comparable to a motor of a small passenger car... History of disabilities In the 80s, Shkondin, having a diploma from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, worked as a director of a publishing house. And he earned money by organizing concerts of his friend, singer and composer Vladimir Miguli (which brought more). And he spent everything he earned on a dream - he created the most efficient motor in the world. Since childhood, a fanatic radio amateur made devices, served in the army at air defense radar stations. It is recognized that exactly design features The radars gave him the idea to create an "electromotive". He assures us that hundreds of models were born in the garage and in the kitchen, before the very first development ready for mass production - a self-propelled wheelchair - was embodied in hardware. But the time for implementation was unfortunate - 1990. Perestroika, meetings, the collapse of industry. This stroller is still on the move, traveled all over the world with the inventor, collected a whole mountain of medals and diplomas from the most prestigious exhibitions. In the early 90s, it was shown in the government of the Russian Federation. “Look, the tires are worn down to the cord, it is impossible to buy new ones, this size is not produced now,” explains Shkondin. I respectfully touch the “bald” rubber and ask: - Really, nobody needs a self-propelled wheelchair today? - Still as needed! Finally signed a contract, they will do it. It was this wheelchair (more precisely, his original electric wheels) that became the first in a series of inventions stolen from Shkondin. Then it was made by NPO Kompozit from Korolev. Shkondin came to the State Committee for Inventions - "What to do?" They were advised to urgently cede the license to the Americans. He gave in and earned 600 thousand dollars. For 1991, the amount is fantastic. The Americans refused to pay the money and offered real estate - they bought the inventor a house in Cyprus, an apartment in Moscow and a dacha not far from Yasnaya Polyana. They knew the situation in the country, they knew that cash could be snatched away. The overseas company is doing well now. Taking advantage of V. Shkondin's starting patent, they invested $ 90 million and produced 15 thousand electric bikes for the US Army and 10 thousand for the police. When American soldiers in full military gear are shown on television rushing across the desert on electric lights, you should know that without Russian brains such a picture would have been impossible. Vasily Vasilyevich is familiar with this technique: - They have developed the first generation of my motor-wheels, especially their application. But I already have much more advanced and powerful designs. Now samples of electric bikes have been prepared for our power structures, only the Ministry of Internal Affairs will need about 10 thousand pieces. Motor wheels for them are being prepared for serial production at several factories. NASA's golden cage I ask Shkondin: "Is the engine speed limited?" - In theory, yes. But in practice, what we have is enough. For example, we are now making a car wheel. It requires, say, 1600 rpm, the speed of the car in this case will be about 190 km / h - nonsense. The McLaren group addressed - they need 400-460 km / h. No problem, that's about 2500 rpm of the wheel motor. Czech businessmen dream of getting their hands on Vasily Shkondin's technologies. They persuade: “Whenever you come to us, you won't want to work anywhere else. There will be a laboratory and whatever you want. We will agree on the price! " Brothers Slavs felt the opportunity to wipe their nose to the whole world. For the Czechs, the industry has considerably subsided in the post-Soviet years, the owners of the enterprises are mainly German concerns. A couple of months ago I brought my new outwardly unprepossessing electric bike to Germany, on a wretched Chinese frame - the main thing is a motor-wheel. The Germans looked, laughed, offered to compete with their "coolest" models from "Audi". After the first "arrival" of the Russian miracle, the Germans abandoned the comparison competition and immediately offered Shkondin a contract for $ 6 million. In my presence, Shkondin received a phone call from the United States with persuasion: "Come, we will make a motor-wheel for the rover, the money is colossal." Refuses: “I understand - prestigious, interesting. But I am 72 years old, and I do not want to be confined to one thing, ideas are still seething. " Explains already to me: - I do not want to get into the "golden cage". Here I am a free man. NASA won't let you do anything else. What didn't I see there? I don't like America. Knowing my passion for fishing, they offer a yacht and go out to sea for tuna, they say: "Then you, Vasily, will change your position." I will not change. You need to do your own, domestic. Russia has everything for this. In the defense industry, there are super-strong magnets, not like the Chinese ones with which I work. There is room for development. A promising direction - aircraft engine Turboprop aircraft engine is made necessarily with a reduction gear reducer - the speed of rotation of the turbine - about 10 thousand rpm. The propeller, or propfan, is effective in the range of revolutions from 1 to 2 thousand per minute. The rotational speed of the main rotor of the helicopter is even lower, up to a maximum of 700. The Shkondin engine just falls into this niche, giving out huge torque practically from a standstill without any gearboxes. It can be the ideal propulsion system for a variety of aircraft. The helicopter pilots have already "sniffed out" about this and visited the inventor. The benefit is fuel efficiency, even if you have to use a traditional power plant to recharge the batteries and power the Shkondin engine. Yes, the traditional one, but ten times less power than is required today to lift an apparatus heavier than air into the sky. We would not "oversleep" a promising direction. Under the roof of Airbus (Airbus), AeroComposite Saintonge is already finalizing and testing the E-Fan electric aircraft. This is a two-seater aircraft from composite materials, over half a ton in weight, is equipped with a pair of electric motors with a total capacity of 60 kW and two lithium-polymer batteries. Flight time on one charge is 1 hour. A 4-seater version with a hybrid propulsion system is being developed, which will be able to stay aloft for 3-4 hours. Fortunately, European aircraft manufacturers are not familiar with V. Shkondin's technologies. He is confident that two motors of his design, 10 kW each, will easily pull a 4-seater aircraft. Install propellers instead of rims and tires - and the transmitted force will correspond gasoline engine with a capacity of about 300 liters. from. Everything has been counted, it's just that the inventor and his team have not gotten their hands on this topic yet. But here it should already "smell" of government funding or participation of a fairly large enterprise familiar with aviation technologies and interested in creating power plants a new type. Then there will be a chance to wipe the nose of arrogant Europe and the rest of the world. But nobody saw the walkers from the United Engine Corporation (UEC) visiting Vasily Shkondin.
Views: 72116It is quite common to see a metal disc inside the axle of a bicycle wheel today. It is not difficult to guess that this is nothing more than a bicycle electric motor - a motor-wheel - an invention of the scientist Vasily Vasilyevich Shkondin. Several decades ago, it seemed quite incredible to convert an ordinary bicycle into an electric one with the help of a small set of electrical components, and therefore it is worth giving credit to a Russian scientist who has been actively introducing his main invention into the transport industry - a pulsed-inertial electric motor-wheel for more than 20 years.
The history of labor achievements of a person who has received awards for inventions related to electric transport technologies more than once deserves special attention of our readers. Pretty successful attempts combining the engine with the wheel together, so that there was no need for a transmission, were undertaken back in the XІX century. On April 14, 1900, a Lohner-Porsche electric car with electric motor-wheels was seen at the Paris World Expo. This propulsion system in the car was implemented by none other than the young engineer Ferdinand Porsche - worldwide famous manufacturer cars in the 19th century. People liked the design of Porsche's motor-wheels so much that starting in 1911, not only cars, but also trolleybuses, dump trucks, and railway locomotives began to be equipped with wheel electric motors of the Lonera-Porsche system. True, with the development of gasoline engines, motor-wheels began to be found in cars much less often, but the idea itself - such a development simply could not be forgotten. Then why did the motor-wheels begin to be used only in large-sized vehicles and did bicycles go a little way? Didn't two-wheeled vehicles deserve attention? The fact is that it was quite difficult for the designers of that time to achieve a combination of the high performance of a bicycle motor-wheel and its low weight. As a rule, the motor-wheels found on the vehicles of the 19th century were rather cumbersome, but in principle, we didn't have to bother with weight, because these electric motors were installed on rather large, weighty vehicles. A tiny bicycle is quite another matter ... Between 1860 and 1895, several versions of electric bicycles were created, among which there were also models with motor-wheels. In 1895, Ogden Bolton received a patent for the development of a constant current brush-commutated motor, embedded in the interior rear wheel... Attempts to equip bicycles with motor-wheels were made more than once, but due to the fact that bicycle electric motors were quite weighty and did not provide a sufficient torque indicator, this invention was in oblivion for quite a long time.
It was possible to create a cheap electric bicycle motor-wheel of very small size and light weight, but with excellent torque, and even with only one single rotating part, it was possible in the 1980s. engineer Vasily Vasilievich Shkondin. Having set himself the goal of creating an engine that significantly surpasses traditional motors in terms of performance, an employee of the Institute of the Russian Language. AS Pushkin, a journalist by education V. Shkondin collected a working sample of a pulse-inertial engine. The principles of unipolar and alternating impulses were subsequently confirmed by a number of patents issued in the name of the inventor.
V. Shkondin's invention was truly revolutionary, because he was the first in many years to solve the problem of establishing an ideal balance between a bicycle and an electric motor. At the World Salon of Inventions "Brussels - Eureka - 1990" Vasily Shkondin was awarded the title of person of the year, and for his development of a wheelchair for a wheelchair he received a gold medal. Somewhat later, the Russian inventor received awards at exhibitions in Brussels, Geneva, Saule, Hanover, Paris. But sadly, world fame knocked on the door of Vasily Vasilyevich not immediately, few people showed commercial interest in his creations. The scientist's inventions were regularly patented, but for quite a long time the matter did not reach mass production. Having received no support at home, Shkondin headed west. In 1992 Shkondin received a patent for his invention in the USA. In the mid-1990s, appeals to representatives of foreign countries bore fruit - the assembly of electric bicycles based on the Shkondin engine was established in Cyprus. In 1997, the World Bank became interested in the program of electrification of V.V.Shkondin's bicycle transport, which, starting in 1998, decided to equip rickshaws in Bangladesh with motor-wheels of its development, but it did not get beyond the release of a small edition of electric tricycles. But in 2003, the Russian scientist was waiting for true happiness - his invention was highly appreciated by the English company Flintstone Technologies, which, without hesitation, decided to make significant financial investments in the development of electric vehicles with motor-wheels Shkondin, as she saw in this invention significant commercial advantages. To implement this project, the company "Ultra Motors" was even created, whose statutory capital at the time of its foundation was almost a million dollars. In this company, Vasily Shkondin, as expected, took the position of technical director. According to unofficial data, Flintstone Technologies owned more than 44% of the shares of the newly formed company. As they say, happiness is never superfluous ... In the same significant year for Shkondin, 2003, another financial "injection" took place in the implementation of his development - the company "Russian Technologies" also acted as an investor, placing "high hopes" on Vasily Vasilyevich's project , estimated at more than one million dollars. The Indian company "Crompton Greaves" is also interested in environmentally friendly and efficient motor-wheels. In 2005, she started producing the motor-wheels of the Vasily Shkondin system for the purpose of completing them with bicycles, scooters, tricycles, wheelchairs, loading electric cars.
V. Shkondin positions his main invention as a motor-wheel. Although the brushed electric motor itself can be modified and used in all sorts of electrical engineering, its main purpose is to expand the possibilities of bicycle transport. In order to understand the features and principle of operation of the Shkondin wheel motor, it must first of all be compared with a standard motor. direct current and a brushless electric motor.
Brushless version of the Shkondin wheel motor
Shkondin received several patents for his inventions, but most importantly, the Russian scientist considered the possibility of using an engine without a collector (brush-collector unit) in an electric vehicle. The Shkondin electric motor is a combination of magnetic tracks that dynamically change parameters when switching the windings of electromagnets.
Scheme of windings and brush assembly of Shkondin motor-wheel
Initially, Vasily Vasilyevich tested his engine in a wheelchair, after which he decided to install a motor-wheel on a bicycle, scooter, motorcycle and even a car. As noted by the developer, the motor proved to be excellent in all configuration options. Since the electric motor, integrated into the inner space of the vehicle wheel, no longer had a gearbox, gears and transmission, it turned out to be much stronger and more durable.
As for the design, the Shkondin electric motor is arranged quite simply - it consists of only 5-6 main parts. The design of this impulse inertial electric motor is somewhat similar to the electric generator of John Searl, therefore, understanding the principles of the latter, one can easily figure out the operation of the Shkondinov motor-wheel. The main elements of the wheel motor are an internal stator with a circular magnetic drive and an external rotor. On the stator, at the same distance from each other, 11 pairs of magnets of neodymium-iron-boron composition are placed, forming 22 poles. On the rotor, separated from the stator by an air gap, there are 6 horseshoe-shaped electromagnets arranged in pairs and shifted by 120 ° in relation to each other. Due to the fact that the distance between the poles of the rotor electromagnets is equal to the distance between the stator magnets, when one of the poles of the electromagnets comes into contact with the adjacent poles of the stator magnets, there is no contact between the poles of other electromagnets with the poles of the magnets. When the position of the poles of the magnets relative to each other changes, a gradient of the magnetic field strength is created, which, in fact, is the source of the formation of the torque. It turns out that at a certain point in time, the torque forms five rotor electromagnets and 20 stator magnets.
Other components of the Shkondin motor-wheel design are a distribution manifold fixed to the stator housing, consisting of separate conductive plates, isolated from each other, the number of which is equal to the number of electromagnets, and current collectors with current collection elements. Each of the plates is connected to one of the coil leads of two adjacent electromagnets. Each of the electromagnets has two coils with sequentially opposite winding direction. The principle of creating the winding of these electromagnets is as follows: if one coil is wound clockwise, then the other is performed counterclockwise. The windings of the coils of neighboring electromagnets are connected in series, and the leads of the opposite ones are connected to each other. The number of turns in the windings of opposite electromagnets can be different.
The operation of the Shkondin electric motor is based on the action of the forces of electromagnetic attraction and repulsion observed during the interaction of the rotor electromagnets and neodymium stator magnets. When an electromagnet passes between the axes of neodymium magnets, a magnetic pole of the same name is formed with the pole of the magnet, which it has already managed to overcome, and opposite to the pole of the magnet to which it moves. In other words, an electromagnet is repelled from one magnet and attracted to another - the next one in the direction of rotation. This electromagnetic interaction ensures the rotation of the rim. If the electromagnet reaches the axis of the magnet, then it is de-energized, since this is where the current collector is located. The use of a kind of "pauses" allows you to significantly save the energy of the vehicle batteries, feeding the engine only when it is beneficial. The speed of rotation of the motor-wheel directly depends on the amount of electricity supplied to the conductive plates.
The efficiency of the electric motor is 83%. When creating thrust in the electric motor, back emf is not observed, however, at idling the design of the electric motor-wheel allows the most efficient way to return part of the energy to the batteries due to the formation of a back-emf, and not only at the moment of braking, thus significantly increasing the range electric bike (energy recovery function).
The outer body protective part of the Shkondin electric motor has holes for threading the spokes and connecting to the rim of the bicycle wheel.
Vasily Shkondin assumed the possibility of positioning the rotor, both from the outside of the stator and from the inside (figure 1, figure 2). As for the design of the engine, its shape can also be changed from wheel-like, say, to a cylinder, like the one that is popular among a number of DC motors. The last point is especially important, since it makes it possible to use electric motors of the constructive development of Vasily Shkondin not only during assembly land transport, but also air, space. In addition to the electric motor, Vasily Vasilyevich assembled several options for generators that could be used in parallel with electric motors. When the electric motors provide the spatial movement of the vehicle, the electric generators will provide the generation of electrical energy to power the storage batteries, thus increasing the efficiency of the electrical installation up to 90%. Among the technological developments of Shkondin, the symbiosis of an electric motor and a generator, complemented by a solar battery, stands out.
Shkondin electric motor with a stator inside the rotor
Shkondin electric motor with a rotor inside the stator
As for the advantages of Shkondin motor wheels, they are characterized not only by their low weight and affordable price, but also with a higher performance than an electric motor of a standard design. Shkondin's invention, with a relatively simple design, is characterized by a free inertial movement, high speed rotation. So, on a 300W electric motor, released according to his idea, you can accelerate without pedals to 25-30 km / h at flat road... The speed of movement across the terrain from slopes of 8 degrees will not be entirely low - about 20-22 km / h. Support for the energy recovery function during braking and descending allows you to return up to 180W of energy to the batteries.
Thanks to the use of a small number of parts, it is possible not only to increase the reliability of the Shkondin motor-wheel, but also to reduce its cost almost twice as compared to other types of electric motors. Unlike most electric motors for bicycle transport, equipped with an electronic control unit, shkondin wheel motor does not require an external control device. This electric motor is absolutely not afraid of saws, moisture, has no property to heat up during operation.
Simplicity of execution, low cost production, operation and repair, excellent quality characteristics make Shkondin's motor-wheels a weighty and valuable product. Currently, work is underway towards widespread implementation this electric motor into the mechanism of work different types transport: electric bicycles, electric scooters, electric vehicles, water and air electric transport. This development allows us to weaken the dependence of vehicles on raw materials and increase their environmental friendliness.
Huge and thick 26 "rim, 4mm spokes like a motorcycle. Great option for heavy tricycles, pedicabs, fat-bikes ....
The set includes a controller (Polaris, 12 transistors, current up to 40 amperes, voltage up to 60 volts), if you want to buy without it, then the price is 3000 rubles cheaper!
A few words about Shkondin itself and the history of its invention: shkondin patent to the "Shkondin wheel motor". It is a wheel with a brushed DC motor in the center:
At Shkondin, each winding is "by itself". In the picture we see 6 electromagnets (EM), they are combined into 3 pairs of diametrically opposite EMs. Each pair has their own brushes.
When the EM poles are opposite the magnets, then the force of their interaction is directed radially and there is no point in spending electricity on this force. Here is a "pause".
When the EMs have moved a little to the side, a tangential force arises, useful. Then we apply current to the windings.
Efficient use of "pauses" allows EMs to be supplied in "energy-advantageous" positions. This provides both energy savings and high torque.
In the patent, Shkondin directly indicates the essence of his invention: " ... which allows, by placing permanent magnets on the rotor, to simplify the design, increase power and speed due to the supply higher current and improve the thermal regime.".
In other words, the main word in the invention is "simplify" brushed motor control.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our engine "modern motor-wheel Shkondin", completely repeats the essence of the invention, but on modern level development of technology, when instead of a collector and brushes, modern microprocessor control through a controller is used.
Just like in the Shkondin wheel invented in 1984, here are the same three independent windings and in the same way, depending on the angle of rotation, one winding is always off!
Let us recall the scope of application of such a motor-wheel, in total there are two options:
1. If you want to drive very fast, you need to apply about 80-100 volts to the wheel.
2. If you want to drive very slowly, you need constant start-stop, uphill or very slow speed. Then 36-48 volts is enough and you can never overheat (or otherwise) break this motor-wheel.
But if you do not have 100 volts and if you do not need a constant "start-stop" .... then there is no point in buying this wheel either!
Much better suited for easy and even movement on asphalt
The Shkondin wheel motor is a modification of the electric motor of the bases based on the principle of operation of a linear accelerator. Disc plates are attached to the drive wheel axle. The axle, in turn, is fixed with a rotor wheel, on which permanent magnets are located around the perimeter. When rotating in a stator with fixed solenoids, short current pulses act on them, and an alternating magnetic field is created. The movement is controlled by a relay trigger that creates current pulses of the required strength and sequence. This electromechanical device, modestly named in the patent for it "Shkondin's trigger", as the inventor explains, "intercepts the unused parts of the impulses and drives them back into the battery." Due to this, a much smaller part of the initial battery charge is spent on heating the windings and other extraneous purposes, and the efficiency of the engine increases significantly.
An engine of this type was invented in the 80s by Yan Lvovich Kolchinsky, but he failed to introduce it into production, Vasily Shkondin continued the idea of \u200b\u200bsuch an engine and in 1991 he managed to patent it. The Shkondin engine has a number of drawbacks, such as, for example, poor thermal conditions, inconvenience of adjustment, but the designers are looking for ways to eliminate these drawbacks.
The main advantage of the Shkondin electric motor over simple electric motors is that a vehicle on such an engine can cover a much greater distance than on a conventional electric motor with the same battery capacity. Also, the Shkondin engine is quite simple, it consists of only 5 nodes, for this reason it is much cheaper than simple e-mails. engines.
The video shows an interview with Vasily Shkondin to the NTV television company, in which he explains the principle of operation of the engine and its advantages ...
In the next video, Vasily Shkondin demonstrates two electric bicycles, the first sample accelerates to 70 km / h, and the second can travel 100 km on one battery charge !!!
- Similar articles
Login with:
Random articles
- 05.10.2014
The basis of the device is two integrated switches of the K190 series on field-effect transistors with an insulated gate. One of them (DA3) commutes signals in the left channel, the other (DA4) - in the right. The control signals that open the channels of the switch transistors are formed by a device made on the DA1 transistor assembly, VS1-VS4 SCRs and SZ-Sb capacitors. When you touch your hand with a finger, ...
- 08.11.2014
The TA8208H microcircuit is designed for use as automotive UMZCH. The TA8208H chip has the MUTE function (pin 6 of the chip). When the microcircuit is switched on in a bridge circuit, it is necessary to add a 1000pF capacitor between pins 2 and 4. The nominal supply voltage of the microcircuit is 13.2V, below is a table of voltages at the microcircuit terminals at the nominal supply voltage. output …
