See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308033286

Design of a Bicycle Peddle Operated Grain Mill

Technical Report · April 2015

CITATIONS READS

0 749

1 author:

Amos Waweru
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
1 PUBLICATION 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Design and development of a sunflower seed oil expeller View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Amos Waweru on 13 September 2016.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

DESIGN OF A BICYCLE PEDDLE OPERATED

GRAIN MILL

Author

Amos Waweru

BSc. Biomechanical and Processing Engineering,

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Abstract

The socio-economic factors of production affect many people living in villages especially in

developing countries such as Kenya. Human muscle power can be good alternative to meet the

energy requirements for performing many economic activities like grain milling. Pedaling is

the most efficient way of utilizing power from human muscles. A pedal operated grain mill is

a machine that consists of a chain drive and a roller shaft that turns the rotors in the processing

unit. In the processing casing, the grains are crushed to produce flour. The machine is

economically viable, can be used by common people, save time otherwise spent in traditional

hand cranking of stone wheels and can be adopted for human-powered process units which

could have intermittent operation without affecting the end-product.

1|Page
 INTRODUCTION

Grains such as maize, wheat, millet, sorghum and others are widely produced cereals

in the world, most of which is destined for human consumption thus its contribution to energy

intake is significant. The processing of grains to flour is generally carried out in flour mills.

Flour obtained from such grains like maize is a staple food in many countries. The majority of

milling equipment in Kenya are operated electrically. As far as manual process is concerned

flour is or was produced by hand cranking the heavy stone wheels which is physically

demanding through its energy and postural requirements. It may also lead to clinical and

anatomical disorders which may affect the operator’s health. The mill works at high speed and

takes advantage of the smaller effort required when the operator is using his legs rather than

his arms to drive it. A second person is needed to feed the mill by hand. The designed grain

mill can be machined and assembled to be used over brief periods to meet the daily needs of

householders. Due to various limitations, the intensive use of the mill over long periods is

limited.

The mill’s output is dependent on the fineness of the product needed and the amount of

energy exerted by the operator. The mill makes use of a high-speed grinding action which is

broadly similar to that used by conventional powered hammer mills. The operator turns the

pedals at a normal brisk cycling speed. The cycle wheel in turn drives a roller shaft on its outer

edge at a speed of more than 4000 revs per minute. Fixed rotor arms are fitted to this shaft and

the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening mesh controls the

fineness of the grinding process. For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the

fineness of the product required. The mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize,

millet and sorghum and on legumes such as soya beans.

A person can generate four times more power (1/4 horsepower (hp)) by pedaling than

by hand cranking. At the rate of 1/4 hp, continuous pedaling can be done for only short time

2|Page
about 10 minutes. However pedaling at half of this power (1/8 hp) can be sustained for around

60 minutes. Maximum power produced with legs is generally limited by adaptions within the

oxygen transportation system. On the other hand the capacity for arm exercise is dependent

upon the amounts of muscle mass engaged and that is why a human being can generate more

power by pedaling than hand cranking (Tiwari, 2011). Pedal power enables a person to drive

device at same rate as achieved by hand cranking but with less efforts and fatigue.

The power that can be produced by an average healthy person is a maximum of 75 W

(Modak, 1997). Thus, in the design of the drive system the energy transmitted by the chain will

be taken as 75 W at a cadence of 60 rpm. The drive system ought to change the speed ratio to

reach an ideal speed of 4000 rpm for the mill’s processing unit.

Need for bicycle pedal operated grain mill

The main objective is to design & develop a machine which uses human power as

source of energy to drive the machine. It basically consists of a simple bicycle mechanism.

In many developing countries like Kenya, the gap between the ever increasing demand of

power and its generation has prepared a daily busy schedule of load shedding (power cuts or

black outs). There are millions of people in remote villages in Kenya who live day to day

without reliable power supply. And thus to fulfill their demand of flour there are conventional

hand cranked grain mill without an easy way to power it. This process of hand cranking of

stone wheels is characterized by slow operation, fatigue and low production rate. Pedal power

is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot pedal and crank system

(Kajogbola, 2010). Since the thigh or quadriceps are the largest and most powerful muscles in

the human body it make sense to utilize it for generating as much as energy from human body.

With the body in seat, the legs can provide a pedal work.

A person can generate four times more power (1/4 horsepower (hp)) by pedaling than

by hand cranking. At the rate of 1/4 hp, continuous pedaling can be done for only short time

3|Page
about 10 minutes. However pedaling at half of this power (1/8 hp) can be sustained for around

60 minutes. Maximum power produced with legs is generally limited by adaptions within the

oxygen transportation system. On the other hand the capacity for arm exercise is dependent

upon the amounts of muscle mass engaged and that is why a human being can generate more

power by pedaling than hand cranking (Tiwari, 2011). Pedal power enables a person to drive

device at same rate as achieved by hand cranking but with less efforts and fatigue.

There are millions of people who live day to day without reliable power to complete

daily work. Often these people are living in situations where manual labour allows them to

sustain themselves, but mechanical devices can offer one way to ease the work load .The

international labor organization (ILO) has reported that “The processed grain is one of the most

important elements in the diet of low income groups in developing countries” The ILO found

that appropriate technologies for grain milling keep the employment and local earnings at

sustainable levels. According to United States department of Agriculture, fresh grains as part

of diet reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, including heart diseases and provide many

vital nutrients. Thus it was felt to have some machine which can be operated by common people

without any electric power supply and the result is a bicycle pedal operated grain mill. The

mill’s output is dependent on the fineness of the product needed and the amount of energy

exerted by the operator.

Concept development

The power that can be produced by an average healthy athlete is a maximum of 75 W

(Modak, 1997). A person can generate more or same amount of power for longer time if they

pedal at certain rate. A simple rule is that most people engaged in delivering power

continuously for an hour or so will be more efficient when pedaling rate is in the range of 50 -

70 rpm (Wilson D.G. VITA volunteer). However, research shows that majority of people can

only attain a cadence of 60 rpm and below. Keeping the limitations of human capabilities in

4|Page
mind, the proposed machine consists of three sub systems: (1) The energy unit, (2)

Transmission mechanism (3) The processing unit. The energy unit basically consists of

conventional bicycle mechanism; the transmission mechanism consists of chain drive running

over a pair of sprockets. The chain and the sprockets will be utilized as they are in a typical

bicycle. This is because our designed grain mill will be attached to the rear of any typical

bicycle with minimal adjustments.

The processing unit has a pair of rotors fixed on a roller shaft. This is where the grains get

crushed into powdered form to produce flour. All these units are designed such that they can

be assembled and mounted on a bicycle.

Operating principle

A hammer mill as the name suggests, hammers in the mill grind grains though impact.

The grains are placed into a holding hopper on top of the hammer mill, and a small control gate

allows the grains to tickle down into the grinding chamber through a feeding chute. The

hammers strike the grains and shatter them before they can pass though the screen holding the

hammers. The flour then falls. The hammers are driven by a roller shaft which gets its power

from the chain and sprocket mechanisms between the mill and the pedal.

According to the design of this project, the hammers move at a peripheral speed of

42m/s and the ratio of the driven sprocket to that of the driving sprocket is 1:3. The normal

average cycling speed is 60 rpm. And thus the ratio of the driving wheel to that of the driven

roller is 1:28. Thus the speed of the shaft has been calculated by the design and is found to be

4011.99 rpm.

The mill itself uses a high-speed grinding action which is broadly similar to that used

by convectional powered hammer mills. The operator turns the pedals at a normal brisk cycling

speed. The cycle wheel in turn drives a roller shaft on its outer edge. A fixed rotor arm is fitted

5|Page
to this shaft and the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening mesh

controls the fineness of the grinding process.

For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the fineness of the product required. The

mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize, millet and sorghum and on legumes such

as soya beans.

Full Width Top Feed

The modern hammer mill design must include a full-width top feed in order to achieve

maximum efficiency and minimize the cost of operation. A full width top feed ensures the

entire screen area can be utilized and that the work being accomplished will be evenly

distributed across the full hammer pattern. The full width top feed also permits the direction

of rotation to be changed, allowing two corners of the hammer to be utilized before a physical

change of the hammer is required.

Tear-Shaped Grinding Chamber

A tear-shaped grinding chamber is necessary to prevent material from merely circulating within

the grinding chamber. Most well designed modern hammer mills have some sort of flow

director or diverter in the top of the hammer mill to properly feed the hammer mill (right

relationship of incoming grain to the direction of the hammers) and to positively stop any

materials that are circulating within the grinding chamber. Hammer mills with circular screens

lack this important action and so are more prone to near size material traveling around with the

hammers, increasing product heating and reducing capacity.

Split Screen/Regrind Chamber

The tear-shaped screen should be split in two pieces, with some device at the bottom of the

mill to disrupt the flow of materials within the grinding chamber. This device must be large

6|Page
enough to take products out of rotation and redirect them back into the path of the hammers,

but should not be so large as to subtract from the screen area available for grinding. The

application of a split screen design will permit the user to adjust the screen sizing on the down

side and upside to maximize productivity and product quality.

Outboard Supported Rotor

As noted earlier, the rotor should be supported at each end, preferably with standard

bearings and bearing housings. This will provide a degree of rigidity not available with an

“overhung” rotor design and reduce any problems with rotor shaft “wind up”, even if the mill

operates with an out of balance rotor. Adequate support for the rotor is particularly important

with today’s increased capacity demands, requiring wider machines. The use of standard

bearings and housings is an added benefit to the customer by increasing the availability of

replacement parts should the need arise.

COMPONENTS DEVELOPMENT DETAILS

Drive unit

The transmission of power from human to processing unit is carried out in two stages

namely chain drive and wheel drive. The operators uses his feet & legs to rotate pedal around

the crank axle. The bicycle pedals are fixed to a chain ring (sprocket) with teeth that engages

the bicycle’s continuous chain. The chain then transmits the pedaling action to a cog on the

rear wheel’s hub causing the rear sprocket to rotate and then drive the rear wheel. This is first

stage of transmission. In second stage this power is transmitted to the mill’s rotors through the

frictional contact between the rear wheel and a roller shaft

7|Page
Processing Unit

The processing unit is the one where actual crushing of grains kernels take place. This

processing unit basically consists of a pair of rotors, hopper & the collector. The rotors are

designed they are not heavy to cause early fatigue to the operator but it should be capable of

delivering the required fineness of flour at optimum production rate. The fixed rotor arms are

fitted to this shaft and the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening

mesh controls the fineness of the grinding process.

For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the fineness of the product required. The

mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize, millet and sorghum and on legumes such

as soya beans.

The hopper is mounted at an angle above the rotor arms, in which the grain to be milled

is collected. A chute with a sliding closing lid directs the grains into the rotor arms casing.

Since the intermittent flow is required from hopper to rotor arms and the casing, the provision

is also made to control the flow of grain kernels. The flour collector is fixed below the rotor

arms casing where the flour is collected.

DRIVE SYSTEM

Design and Analysis of the Drive System

The chain and the sprockets will be utilized as they are in a typical bicycle. The chain

design is based on ensuring that the power transmission capacity is within the limits for the 3

modes of failure;- fatigue, impact loading and galling. This is because our designed grain mill

will be attached to the rear of any typical bicycle with minimal adjustments. The grain mill

drive system will make use of a bicycle’s drive system together with frictional contact between

the bicycle’s wheel and a finely knurled roller shaft. The various components in the drive

system include two sprockets, a roller chain, bicycle wheel, roller shaft and ball bearings.

8|Page
Through design calculations, the combination of the above components will reach speeds of up

to 4012 rpm in the roller shaft which drives the rotor arms.

Figure 1.0 Layout of the mill’s drive system

Driving pedal Rotor arms

Knurled ROLLER
SHAFT Ø 26 mm

Driven sprocket, 18
teeth

Driving
sprocket, 44 Chain Bicycle rear
teeth wheel, Ø
711.2 mm

Through the group’s study, it was discovered that in Kenya, various bicycle models have

different size sprockets and wheels. Table 1.1 below shows the typical number of teeth in the

driving and driven sprockets in various bicycle models available in Kenya. The respective rear

wheel diameters have also been recorded. The sprockets were driving roller chains. The type

of turning involved is shock loading. The chain drive will be operation for 1500 hours before

failure occurs through wear.

9|Page
Table 1.1 Sprockets parameters and wheel diameters of some bicycles in Kenya

Number of Teeth in driving Number of teeth in driven Rear wheel diameter (mm)

sprocket (N1) sprocket (N2)

44 18 711.2

44 20 711.2

48 20 711.2

40 18 650

The most effective combination for the analysis of this design project was found to be

the 44 teeth sprocket driving the 18 teeth sprocket which is attached to the 711.2 mm diameter

wheel. This combination results to the highest rpm of the bicycle’s rear wheel. The speed of

the driving sprocket is taken as the speed achieved by the operator which is about 60 rpm.

V.R = N1/N2 = n2/n1

Where V.R – velocity ratio

n1 – speed of driving sprocket (crank) (rpm) = 60 rpm

n2 – speed of driven sprocket (rpm)

N1 – number of teeth of driving sprocket = 44 teeth

N2- number of teeth of driven sprocket = 18 teeth

Thus; 60/n2=18/44 Hence, n2 = 146.67rpm (speed of the driven sprocket).

Thus, the speed of the bicycle’s rear wheel has been obtained as 146.67 rpm.

The driving sprocket pitch angle (α) is: 360/N1= 360/44 = 8.182º

The driven sprocket pitch angle is 360/18 = 20 º

10 | P a g e
From the graphs, the application factor F1 = 1.5 (moderate shocks)

Tooth Factor (F2) = 19/ N1= 19/44 = 0.4318

Thus the selection power is; Selection power = Power *F1 *F2 = 0.075 kW*1.5*0.4318 =

0.04858 kW = 48.58 W.

From measurement, the driving sprocket pitch circle diameter (D) was found to be 0.2 m.

Thus, the chain’s pitch can be calculated as follows:

P = D * sin (180/N1) = 0.2 * sin (180/44) = 0.01426 m = 14.26 mm. The chain used in the

bicycle is ISO 10B.

Where: - P – pitch

N1- Number of teeth of the driving sprocket

D – Pitch circle diameter

The chain’s average velocity (v) = D N/ (60 * 103)

=  *0.2 * 60 (60*103)

= 6.283 * 10-4 m/s

Chain length (l) = ln * P

Where; - ln – number of links

ln = Z(C/P) + {(N1 + N2) / 2} + {(N2 – N1)/ 2 π } 2 * C/P

Where C is the center distance between sprockets = 0.48 m

Number of links (ln) = 92 chain links

Thus’ the length of the chain = 92 * 0. 01426 = 1.312 m

11 | P a g e
Alternatively Chain length (in pitches) = (N1+N2)/2 + (2C/P) + {(N2-N1)/2π }2 P/C

Where C = approx. centre distance = 40 P = 40 * 14.26 = 570.4 mm

(44+18)/2 + (2*570.4/14.26) + {(18-44)/2 π}2 14.26/570.4 = 111.42

Therefore, chain length (L) = 112 pitches

Exact centre distance can be calculated as follows:

𝜋
C=P/(8 )+{2L-N2-N1+√ (2L-N2-N1)2 (𝑁2 − 𝑁1)2 }
3.88

𝜋
C=14.26/8 )+{2*112-18-44+√ (2*112-18-44)2 (18 − 44)2 } = 324.0842 mm
3.88

The speed of the rear wheel is equivalent to the driven sprocket speed because they are

attached to the same hub, thus the rear wheel rotates at a speed of 146.67 rpm. The rear wheel

is in frictional contact with the roller shaft and the two elements diameters are known. Thus,

the speed of the roller shaft can be obtained using the diameter ratios of the two elements as

follows:

Wheel diameter (D) = 711.2 mm

Roller shaft diameter (d) after machining = 26 mm

D/d=N2/N1 711.2/26=N2/146.067 Hence, N2=4011.99 rpm

Roller Shaft speed= 4011.99rpm ≈4012 rpm

The roller shaft speed (4012 rpm) obtained is ideal for turning the rotor arms to produce

a hammer mill effect with short rotors (100 mm in radius) and a small diameter processing unit

casing.

12 | P a g e
Bearings Design and Analysis

The drive system has two bearings supporting the roller shaft which carries the rotor

and rotor arms. The purpose of the bearings is to support the load (rotor, rotor arms and roller

shaft) while allowing relative motion between the elements. The selected bearing should meet

the requirements of loads, speeds and desired life of the particular application. Rolling element

bearing (REB) will be considered for application in this project. Failure in REB is by surface

fatigue. Failure is considered to occur when either the raceway or balls (rollers) exhibit the first

pit. Typically the race fails first. The bearing then give an audible indication that pitting has

begun by making noise and vibration. The user of the mill will be warned about these

developments in the user manual. In this design, both static and dynamic loads will be

considered and evaluated.

Equivalent dynamic load can be calculated as follows:

P=XFr+YFa Where: P=equivalent dynamic load in N, X= radial factor, Fr = radial load

(N), Y = thrust factor, Fa=axial or thrust load, N. X & Y are provided in the catalogues.

Selecting the most suitable bearings from the Manufacturer’s catalogue

The roller shaft (being held by two bearings at equidistant from the centre) rotates at 4012 rpm.

The loading on the roller shaft and bearings can be represented using the following sketch (FIG

1.1)

Two rotors arms are attached to the roller shaft. The volume of the rotor arms is

calculated as follows: 2( L*W*h) = 2 (200 * 20 *3) = 24000 mm3

=2.4 * 10-5 m3

Mass = density * volume But density of steel = 7800kg/m3

13 | P a g e
Thus mass = 7800 * 2.4 * 10-5 = 0.1872kg. Therefore, the weight = 1.872 N (Rotor arms)

Volume of the roller shaft = π * 0.0062 *0.122 = 1.38*10-5 m3

Thus, the mass of the shaft = 1.38*10-5 *7800 =0.1076 kg Therefore, the weight = 1.076 N

FIGURE 1.1

122

Bearing
17 44 51 10

B1 2.948 N B2
Roller Shaft
(Rotor Arms +
shaft load)
Dimensions in mm

Reactions at bearings B1 and B2

At B1, Fr1 = R1= 2.948*0.044 = 0.1297 N Where Fr= Radial load, N

At B2, Fr2 = R2 =2.948N * 0.051 = 0.1503 N X = Radial Factor

P1 = XFr1 + 0 = 0.1297 N P = Equivalent dynamic load, N

P2 = XFr2 + 0 = 0.1503 N

60𝑛𝐿ℎ
Bearing Life , L= Where , n = speed of rotation, rpm (4012 rpm)
106

Lh = expected bearing life, hours (8000 hrs)

Thus, L =( 60*4012*8000)/ 106 = 1925.76 million revolutions

But C= PL 1/3 Since K= 3 for ball bearings

14 | P a g e
Therefore C1 = P1L 1/3 * Load factor

C1 = 0.1297 * 2.5 = 0.3425 N

C2 = 0.1503 * 2.5 = 0.3757 N

The diameter of the roller shaft at the point of fixing the bearing is 12.01mm, say 12mm and

from the catalogues the bearings selected are:

B1 & B2 = code 61801

The bearings also require a bearing housing to hold them by the application of an

interference fit. The internal diameter of the bearing housing should be machined to a diameter

of 20.987 mm so that it can have an interference fit with the 21.0 mm external diameter

bearings. Thus, the bearing and the bearing housing can be described as shown in table 2.1

below:

Table 2.1 Bearing and Bearing Housing

Part Name Quantity Material Size required

003 Bearing 2 12 mm bore (internal di, Width 5 mm, External

d), light series ball diameter 21 mm (D)

bearings with grease

lubricant, shielded,

without flexible seals that

are in contact with the

inner race

001 Bearing Housing 1 65 mm diameter steel rod 200 mm long,

15 | P a g e
 FABRICATION PROCEDURE

The roller shaft is 200mm in length and 30mm in diameter. It is made from mild steel.

The steel bar is fitted in the chuck of a lathe machine and turned to give a smooth 26 mm

diameter shaft. After turning the steel bar is knurled into a coarse diamond knurl. The shaft is

then removed from the chuck and refitted to the lathe, this time supported between the centers.

The peaks from the knurl are skimmed with a sharp tool so that the shaft is returned to its

original diameter. An emery cloth is then used to polish the shaft so that the knurl is smooth

and free from any projections that would wear the tyre. The shaft is also threaded at the end to

fit into the hub.

Figure 2.1 An illustration of the bicycle peddle operated grain mill

16 | P a g e
Figure 2.2 An illustration of the bicycle peddle operated grain mill showing the position

of various components

Rotor

This is the rotating part of the processing unit that reduces the grain sizes by impact.

Procedure

Material used: Mild steel

Dimensions are 200mm in length and 3mm in width. The position of the central hole is

marked with a center punch. The position of the tip of the rotor arm is then marked at each end.

The central hole is ten drilled and cut to length accurately. The hub is turned in the lathe

machine and a small hole drilled on one side of the hub for a split pin. The hub is also threaded

internally in the lathe machine. The hub is accurately placed at the center of the rotor and

welded on to it. The roller and the welded pieces are then bolted together. The rotors used are

two in number and are attached to each other by means of a bolt.

17 | P a g e
Screen Rim

This is a steel sheet that is formed into a loop and holes perforated to form a rim to hold the

screen.

Procedure

Material used: Carbon steel sheet.

Perimeter holes are marked on the surface that will form the outside of the rim. The holes are

then drilled out. The sharp projections that are formed are then carefully removed. The strip is

then rolled to produce a loop which fits closely around the setting disc. The two are then welded

and any excess weld material forming on the inside filed. The mounting holes are drilled.

Screen

This determines the finished product size.

Procedure

Square apertures with mesh sizes of 1 mm are used. Material to be used is stainless steel. Holes

are to be drilled from the outside to the inside, 13mm apart.

Clamps

These are cut outs used to attach the screen to the mill back plate.

Procedure

Four cut outs are made for each corner. The screen is well positioned and clamped tightly with

four cap screws.

Working Mechanism

•Grain is fed into the grain hopper.

18 | P a g e
•The grains are struck by rotors.

•The grain is crushed or shattered by a combination of repeated rotor impacts, collisions with

the walls of the screen, and particle on particle impacts.

•Perforated metal screens covering the discharge opening of the mill retain coarse material for

further grinding, while allowing properly sized materials to pass as finished product.

Rigid Rotor Support

In order to maintain the relative position of the rotor to the grinding chamber (screens and

supporting mechanisms) the foundation of the mill must be extremely rigid since, even under

normal circumstances, a hammer mill will be subject to vibration and shock. A rigid structure

positively maintains the clearances between the hammer tips and the screen through the full

rotation for consistent, efficient processing. This must be accomplished without sacrificing the

accessibility to the grinding chamber, as routine maintenance of the hammers and screens will

be required.

4. If the edges cannot be folded easily, cut out separate pieces for the edges about 29 mm wide

and cut the plate out as a 314 mm square. Then carefully weld on the edges, making sure that

the inside dimension is still 314 mm as before.

5. Cut out from 1.5 mm thick steel sheet, the chute parts. Fold the larger piece to form the

chute. Drill four 6 mm diameters holes in the front plate to match the holes in the chute and

then bolt the chute on. Do not weld it because this will distort the plate.

6. Produce the finger guard and position it inside that chute. Ensure that the guard is fitted to

the correct side of the chute and that the gap at the bottom is 9.5 mm. The finger guard also

prevents grain being knocked out of the mill. Tack weld the guard securely to the inside of the

chute but not to the front plate itself.

19 | P a g e
1 Mill front plate

Material ‘A in (3 mm) thick steel sheet %a in ft.5 mm) thick steel sheet

1. Construct the front plate either by bending over the edges or by cutting the edges out

separately and welding them on later.

2. Mark out the 3 mm thick steel sheet. Drill the holes and carefully mark the positions where

the chute parts must be fitted later.

3. If the edges are to be folded, cut out the plate as it is drawn and, using a strong vice, press

or folding machine, bend the upper and two side edges to form an edge to the plate on the side

away from the chute. Make sure that the inside width is 314 mm. Join the corners with a

continuous weld and file away any sharp edges.

4. Cut out from 1.5mm thick steel sheet the chute parts. Fold the larger sheet to form the chute.

Drill 6mm diameters holes in the front plate to match the holes in the chute and the bolt chute

on.

6. Provide the finger guard and position it inside the chute. Ensure the guard is fitted to the

correct side of the chute and that the gap at the bottom is 9.5mm. The finger guard also prevents

the grain being knocked out of the mill. Tack weld the guard securely to the inside of the chute

but not to the plate itself.

Mill back plate

Material

] 3 mm thick steel sheet

5 mm thick steel sheet

20 | P a g e
1. Mark out the 3 mm steel sheet as shown in the drawing. Drill the various holes and then cut

out the pattern.

2. Fold over the edges or weld separate edges, as described for the front plate, so that the front

plate will fit easily around the back plate. Ensure that the inside width is 305 mm). Lay the

back plate with its edges at the square end, on a flat surface. File away any high spots so that

the surface formed by the three edges is flat and of the same height.

3. Bend the tapered end upwards about 20” at the folding line to provide an outlet chute.

4. When the welding has been completed, file the outside surface to remove any lumps that

have formed during welding.

5. Cut out the steel strip and weld to the back in the position shown. The ends can be used to

support a collecting bag.

Bicycle stand/wheel support plates

Cut to length the pieces of angle steel for items A, B and C. Drill the holes in.

2. Cut the steel strip to length and make items D, E and F.

3. Mark the wheel support plates and cut to size. Drill the two holes shown in each.

4. Remove each rear axle nut from the bicycle in turn, fit a plate on to each d of the axle and

refit the nuts. Measure the distance between the outside of the two plates.

5. Before wielding, set this same distance between the uprights s that the support plate on the

bicycle fit easily between them. Ensure that the bicycle is mounted level on the stand before

wielding.

21 | P a g e
7. Tack the weld above items together to produce a square and accurate structure. Remove the

corners form the items D and E so that the joints are flush and from the ends of B to prevent

injuries to toes during use.

8. Complete the welds to form an ngio structure. Compensate, where necessary for any

warping.

The table below shows the pats of the support structure and the dimensions and material used

for thus section.

PART NO LENGTH [MM] MATERIAL

A 2 510 STEEL

B 1 610 STEEL

C 2 610 STEEL

D 2 510 STEEL

E 2 420 STEEL

E 1 610 STEEL

DISCUSSION

Pedal power is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot

pedal. The thigh muscles are the ones utilized since they are the largest and the most powerful

muscles in the body. A person can produce 186 watts by pedaling for 10 minutes. However,

pedaling at 93 watts can be sustained for 60 minutes. An average healthy athlete can produce

75W pedaling at 50 to 70 rpm.

Varying the screen size, shaft speed or hammer configuration can dramatically alter the

finished particle size of the material being processed.

Fast shaft speed + small screen + large number of rotors = a fine end product

22 | P a g e
Slower shaft speed + larger screen + fewer rotors = a coarse product

The average rpm for a hammer mill is between 2,000-4,012 rpm. The grain miller at hand

produced about 4000rpm. The system can be a good alternative to the one driven by an electric

motor since it uses readily available material and is cheap and easy to put up.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that the drive system is a very important section of the bicycle peddle

operated grain mill. The drive system enables the transmission of power from the pedals

(operated by human muscle) to the rotor arms inside the processing unit. The drive system is

also responsible for ensuring that the ideal speed of the rotor arms (4012 rpm) is achieved. The

speed of the rotor arms affects the peripheral speed which in turn affects the diameter of the

processing unit. The high speed of 4012 rpm dictates that the processing unit can be made small

in size (internal diameter of 205 mm). Less space and more fineness.

The chain drive is a very independent part of the drive system because it is already pre-

designed by the bicycle’s manufacturers. However, additional parameters had to be calculated

to ensure that the chain drive will withstand the average 75 W exerted by the operator at a

cadence of 60 rpm. The bicycle’s rear wheel which is driven by the cog is responsible for

driving the roller shaft. The roller shaft should be polished so that the knurl is smooth and free

from any projections that would wear the tyre. The shaft is also be threaded at the end to fit

into the hub.

Generally, the drive system is the life of the grain mill and any malfunction would result

to the stoppage of the whole grain milling process. The drive system should be well maintained

by carrying out greasing and oiling the chain, bearing and other moving parts.

23 | P a g e
References

Modak, J., & Moghe, S. (1997) Comparison of some bicycle drive mechanisms designed in the

light of transmission angle optimization and J. Papadopoulos Hypothesis, Part II.

International Symposium on Machines and Mechanisms (ISMM '97), September 2-5,

1997.Conference on Modeling and Simulation. New Delhi, India. 8(2): 127-140

Gite, L.P., Pandey, M.M., Shrivastav A.K. & Tiwari, P.S. (2011). Pedal power for

occupational activities: Effect of power output & Pedaling rate on physiological

responses. International journal of Industrial Ergonomics41 (2011); pp. 261-267.

Iyanda, Kajogbola R. A., Kadiri M., Modupe R., & Mahamood M.O. (2010).Design &

Development of pedal powered soap mixer. New York science journal.

24 | P a g e
 APPENDIX

Components and materials List

Part Name Quantity Material Size required

001 Bearing Housing 1 65 mm diameter steel rod 200 mm long

002 Roller shaft 1 30 mm diameter steel rod 200 mm long

003 Bearing 2 12 mm bore, light series Width 10 mm,

ball bearings with grease diameter 32 mm

lubricant, shielded,

without flexible seals that

are in contact with the

inner race

004 Front plate 1 3mm thick steel sheet 380 by 380 mm

005 Back plate 1 3 mm thick steel sheet 380 by 200 mm

006 Screen rim 1 3mm thick steel sheet 760 by 32 mm

007 Rim setting 1 3mm thick steel sheet 210 mm in diameter

008 Screen clamp 1 6 mm thick steel 75 by 25 mm

009 Screen 1 0.4 to 0.7 square wire 620 mm by 25 mm

diameters, stainless steel

010 Wheel support 2 3 mm thick steel 100 by 200 mm

plate

011 Mounting Pivot 1 3 mm thick steel sheet 350 by 65 mm

012 Mounting Pivot 1 6 mm thick steel sheet 100 by 50 mm

backing plate

25 | P a g e
 013 Upper support 2 6 mm thick steel sheet 50 by 320 mm

arms

014 Lower support 1 6 mm thick steel 25 by 300 mm

arm

015 Supporting stand 1 30 by 30 by 5 mm steel 3000 mm long

angle , 6 mm thick steel

016 Rotor 2 20 mm by 3mm steel strip 420 mm long

25 mm diameter steel rod 50 mm long

26 | P a g e

View publication stats