Design and Implementation of a Test Bench for Regenerative Braking Evaluation on E-Bike Motor

A test bench for evaluating e-bike motors with the purpose of assessing their regenerative capability is presented and implemented, while the main design choices are discussed. The test bench is specifically designed to emulate the driving cycle of a Light Electric Vehicle (LEV), and it includes peculiar characteristics, such as 1) an appropriate inertia in order to account for the LEV's inertia, and 2) an active load, which simulates the descent slopes along with the cyclist's torque. Prior to a brief addressing of the typical issues regarding regenerative braking in LEVs, the test bench's design process is explained, and the manufactured system is detailed. After the inherent test bench friction quantification, the developed testing system is employed to characterize a commercial e-bike electric drive, and its capability of recharging the battery pack by harvesting energy is also examined.