The Wheel Deal

a bicycle powered water pump

Team 4:
Bobby Hudgkinson Eric Solanyk Alyson Vahling Aaron Jordan Russell Bradley

The Team

Problem Statement
Create a simple and efficient way of pumping water utilizing a human powered bicycle for communities where electricity is unavailable or impractical.

Prospective Users
Isolated community with or without electricity in need of efficient water pumping. Pumps can be adapted to fit individual community needs.

Overview
Stationary pump and bike attached by belt Station positioned over shallow well Mechanical energy produced by pedaling the bike draws water
saves electricity, money, time

Functional Requirements
Pump water 18+ feet Pump 1 gal/min Low maintenance

Initial Design
Pump
Piston pump A gear system will convert rotational energy of bike to power the pump Hoses will attach to pump from the source and the output

Station
User will ride bike up to station, pump, and ride away

How it works
Piston pump oscillates by rotational energy of bike When piston goes down, vacuum is created which pulls in water When piston goes up, water is pushed out

Pump (inside)

Original Design (whole)

Initial Design Review

Docking mechanism for the bike is unnecessary
A permanent bike and station enables more people to use pump

The gear system is inefficient

Design goals better achieved by belt system

Initial design never tested due to design errors

Final Design
Pump
Piston pump A belt will attach rear tire to pump Hoses will attach to pump from the source and the output One way valve at base of source keeps pump primed

Station
Permanent station with bike, pump, hardware

Pump (outside)

Final Product (whole)

Parts
Pump Hardware One-way valve Bike Belt Stand Hoses Acid (to clean pump) Total $12.98 $26.36 $18.48 $14.05 $10.10 $9.05 $91.02

Assembly
Bike and pump welded and bolted to common metal stand Belt attached rear bike wheel and pump wheel Hose runs from well to pump input Hose runs from pump output to desired containment

Assembly

Final Product Description

Pump
Piston pump A belt will attach rear tire to pump Hoses will attach to pump from the source and the output One way valve at base of source keeps pump primed

Station

Belt

Permanent station with bike, pump, hardware Aluminum frame attaches pump and bike Rubber seals create friction between wheels and belt Elastic rope Any rope-like object can be used for belt

Rope must be able to be replace by communities (vines, string, branches, etc.)

Final Product

Testing
Pump was tested on south side of engineering center Source was places at different heights, and measurements of output/time were recorded

Testing

Results
Test Results on Nov. 22
3 2.5 Gallons Per Minute 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 4 8 9 11 15 19 20 21 23 Vertical Distance from Pump GPM

Results
Pump was able to pump at maximum of 23 feet At desired height of 18 feet pump pumped at rate of 2.5 gallons/min

Product Appeal
Efficient means of pumping water Saves energy and resources Uses existing human energy Easy adaptation Practicality

Team Strengths and Challenges

Strengths
Work well together Good brainstorming Rare disagreements Personal creativity

Challenges
Time management Focus

Any Questions?