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ALL POWERED BY ME

Human Pedal Power Generator


ABSTRACT
BARCELOS, DAREEN U.
CINCO, EDUARDO JR.
A Scientific Investigatory Project
An Entry in 13th District Science Fair and Congress

The intention of this project is to build a straight forward human powered generator from a used bicycle and
defective devices to use it to power light bulbs, cellphones, laptops and other small appliances.
The investigation is concerned with producing an efficient bike generator pedaled by a reasonably fit person
and lessen the electricity chargers that we are paying monthly. Given with ingenuity, the researchers thought of
constructing a device that does generate usable amounts of electricity but easy to understand that can be viewed as a
trinket without a meaningful role in a households energy supply. Nevertheless, some pedal generators are used
regularly to do serious work. The critical factor to making pedal power a viable option is matching expectations with
realistic output.
We have created a user-controlled energy generation system that is free of coal (staying true to the
nature of the group) and, unlike traditional renewables, both reliable and consistent. Over the course of the semester,
we designed and constructed an entirely unique electric generation system that fuses both form and function into a
cost-effective and convenient solution. Using a stationary bicycle to generate electricity and charge a 12 volt battery,
we obtain an output power of approximately 60 watts.
Human Pedal Power Generator is a flood mounted stand with a pedal on each side and a generator
inside. Simply sit in a chair and start pedaling. Conclusions were made based on the findings of the study that human
powered products build interactive and educational displays that can provide an opportunity to experience the
physical energy required to produce electricity. An effective display in which the generator load can be switched
between a compact fluorescent light bulb, which is easy to light up by pedaling, which takes more effort to light
because of its greater energy consumption. So, it is therefore recommended to make and use Human Pedal
Powered Generator.

The objectives and expectations are fairly clear for a research initiative focused on developing a
product, and that is the working product itself. The constraints of this project aside from time are essentially the
budget (low as possible) and design specifications as listed below. One additional side objective, however, is more
professional in nature rather than technical: Teamwork/Collaboration. Working in a team effectively where each
individual has unique skills to offer was another goal as it reflects the environment we expect to work in throughout
our careers.

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction

One way to solve the large energy losses of pedal power generators is not to produce electricity at all
and power devices mechanically, whenever possible. Another way - the only way for devices that cannot be powered
via a direct mechanical connection because they do not rely on rotary motion - is to make the generation of
electricity more efficient.

This can be done by building a pedal powered generator from scratch instead of using a road bicycle,
and/or by ditching one or several electronic components in the power transmission chain. All approaches can be
combined, resulting in a pedal power unit that can power a multitude of mechanical devices and generate electricity
comparatively efficiently. Pedal powered farms and factories: the forgotten future of the stationary bicycle.
If we boost the research on pedal powered technology - trying to make up for seven decades of lost
opportunities - and steer it in the right direction, pedals and cranks could make an important contribution to running a
post-carbon society that maintains many of the comforts of a modern life. The possibilities of pedal power largely
exceed the use of the bicycle.
Pedal power is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot pedal and crank
system. This technology is most commonly used for transportation and has been used to propel bicycles for over a
hundred years. Less commonly pedal power is used to power agricultural and hand tools and even to generate
electricity. Some applications include pedal powered laptops, pedal powered grinders and pedal powered water wells.
Some third world development projects currently transform used bicycles into pedal powered tools for sustainable
development. The articles on this page are about the many wonderful applications for pedal power technology.
Most of us pay our local utilities about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, including taxes and
surcharges. By getting our heart rate up and breaking a sweat for an hour, we could produce 1 cent worth of
electricity. Not much incentive.
With the electricity produced by an hour of pedaling, we could light a 100-watt incandescent bulb for
an hour, or power a 20-watt compact fluorescent bulb for about five hours.
Pedal power is a fun idea that does generate usable amounts of electricity, but its easy to understand
why a human-powered device can be viewed as a trinket without a meaningful role in a households energy supply.
Nevertheless, some pedal generators are used regularly to do serious work. The critical factor to making pedal power
a viable option is matching expectations with realistic output.
While a human-powered generator wont produce the output of a wind turbine or photovoltaic array, it
can produce usable power that contributes to your overall energy needs. If you use less electricity to begin with, the
amount generated by pedal power can meet a larger percent of your power needs.
There are many other possibilities that the researchers can think of for this device. It is much more
powerful than a hand crank generator. The efficiency and variable speed of the output are two features that can be
exploited. Since it requires no fuel, and is not affected by time-of-day or weather, it would make an excellent
Human-powered emergency generator, ready for any blackout.

Also note, if the base unit is being used to power an auxiliary device in addition to producing
electricity, adding a solar panel will result in additional power from the motor/generator! That means whatever
device you are powering would receive the combined power of the Human pedaler and the solar panel. This
combination makes the best of both power sources, as efficiency would be very high, because the solar output would
not suffer the losses of being stored and then extracted from a battery. Charging a battery and then extracting the
same power is less than 80% efficient, and can be much worse. Direct utilization captures that wasted power.
Finally, keep in mind that a tandem setup for the pedals, with the pedals out-of-phase, doubles the
power and smoothes out the power flow. Only one "flywheel" is needed, so this enhancement needs only a simple
pedal/seat addition to the basic unit. With out-of-phase pedals, peak torque is not increased, so other parts of the
system are not stressed. The torque curve for a complete revolution of the flywheel simply smoothes out, while
RPMs stay constant, resulting in twice the power.
In order to design and construct our bicycle power generator, we took a very systematic approach: We
based our capabilities off of a generator we had available to us. This meant calculating the required gear ratio needed
to achieve required output voltages at reasonable pedaling speeds. From there, we built a structural support for the
generator, bike, and extra gears. We were able to accomplish our goals for this project by identifying the key steps to
get there as described above. The results of our design and construction are detailed in this report and have been
verified through simulation and product testing. Through this report, we expect that the reader will be perfectly
equipped to replicate the project and obtain the same results.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The study aimed to produce a human pedal power generator from used bicycle and defective devices.
Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1 sex?
1.2 Age
2. How pedal power generator can be efficient and sustainable?
3.

What is the level of effectiveness of human pedal power generator to generate electricity to become less
robust?

4. Is there a significant difference on the level of effectiveness of the pedal power generator with commercial
generator?

HYPOTHESES
Based from the statement of the problem posited in this study the following hypotheses had been
drawn:
1. Human pedal power generator from scratch instead of using and/or by ditching one or several electronic
components in the power transmission chain. All approaches can be combines resulting in a pedal power unit
that can power a multitude of mechanical devices and generate electricity efficiently.
2. Human pedal power generator is the less robust energy source if you can manufactured batteries as yourself.
Moreover, there are no additional costs for replacement batteries and the device is built to last for a very long
time.
3.

There is no significant difference on the level of effectiveness of the pedal power generator with the
commercial generator.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY


This study ought to make a human pedal power generator from used bicycle and defective devices.
Further, the output of this research maybe beneficial to the people ine the community in different aspects.
Parents find much cheaper and can save money on paying electric charges monthly.
Businessmen give other option to sell aside from valuable generator.
Science teachers will be acquainted of the production of pedal power generator.
Pupils/Future Researchers will be encourage to think of other ways to save electric energy as well as being
physically fit.
Environment can be protected and conserved because defective devices and used bicycle will be recycles,
reused and reduced.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Pedal power is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot pedal and crank
system this technology is most commonly used for transportation and has been used to propel bicycles for over a
hundred years. Less commonly pedal power is used to power agricultural and hand tools and even to generate
electricity. Some applications include pedal powered laptops, pedal powered grinders and pedal powered water wells.
Some third world development projects currently transform used bicycles into pedal powered tools for sustainable
development.
The study aims to produce an improvised generator on transferring energy from the human source
through the use of foot pedal and crank system.

Gatherin
g Of
Materials

Process

Production
of Pedal
Power
Generator

Input

Human
Pedal
Power
Generator

Outpu
t

Figure 1
Research Paradigm
The Input box shows gathering of different materials: used bicycle, inverter, bicycle stand, 12V motor,
battery charger and wires for electrical connections and various bike parts and tools. The process box contains the
production of the pedal power generator. This project was done according to the planned process. The last box is the
Output which shows the end product, the Human Pedal Power Generator.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The dimension of the study shows the literature and studies collected were found to have similarities
and differences with the study in focus. This provides the researchers background on different topics that were
discussed in the study.
A. RELATED LITERATURE
A bicycle, often called a bike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle,
having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe and, as of 2003, more than a billion have been produced
worldwide, twice as many as the number of automobiles that have been produced.[2] They are the principal means of
transportation in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for use as
children's toys, general fitness, military and police applications, courier services, and bicycle racing.
The basic shape and configuration of a typical upright, or safety bicycle, has changed little since the first chaindriven model was developed around 1885. [3] But many details have been improved, especially since the advent of
modern materials andcomputer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for many
types of cycling.
The bicycle's invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern
industrial methods. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of the automobile were
initially invented for use in the bicycle, including ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chain-driven sprockets, and tensionspoked wheels.[
The word bicycle first appeared in English print in The Daily News in 1868, to describe "Bysicles and trysicles" on
the "Champs Elyses and Bois de Boulogne." [5] The word was first used in 1847 in a French publication to describe
an unidentified two-wheeled vehicle, possibly a carriage.[5] The design of the bicycle was an advance on
the velocipede, although the words were used with some degree of overlap for a time.[5][6]
The dandy horse, also called Draisienne or Laufmaschine (German, lit.: running machine), was the first human
means of transport to use only two wheels in tandem and was invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais. It is
regarded as the modern bicycle's forerunner; Drais introduced it to the public in Mannheim in summer 1817 and in
Paris in 1818.[12][13] Its rider sat astride a wooden frame supported by two in-line wheels and pushed the vehicle along
with his/her feet while steering the front wheel.[12]

Michaux's son on a velocipede 1868


The first mechanically-propelled, two-wheeled vehicle may have been built by Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish
blacksmith, in 1839, although the claim is often disputed.[14] He is also associated with the first recorded instance of
a cycling traffic offense, when a Glasgow newspaper in 1842 reported an accident in which an anonymous
"gentleman from Dumfries-shire... bestride a velocipede... of ingenious design" knocked over a little girl in Glasgow
and was fined five shillings.[15]
In the early 1860s, Frenchmen Pierre Michaux and Pierre Lallement took bicycle design in a new direction by adding
a mechanical crank drive with pedals on an enlarged front wheel (thevelocipede). Another French inventor named
Douglas Grasso had a failed prototype of Pierre Lallement's bicycle several years earlier. Several inventions followed
using rear-wheel drive, the best known being the rod-driven velocipede by Scotsman Thomas McCall in 1869. In that
same year, bicycle wheels with wire spokes were patented by Eugne Meyer of Paris. [16] The French vlocipde,
made of iron and wood, developed into the "penny-farthing" (historically known as an "ordinary bicycle",
a retronym, since there was then no other kind).[17] It featured a tubular steel frame on which were mounted wirespoked wheels with solid rubber tires. These bicycles were difficult to ride due to their high seat and poor weight
distribution. In 1868 Rowley Turner, a sales agent of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company (which soon became
the Coventry Machinists Company), brought a Michaux cycle to Coventry, England. His uncle, Josiah Turner, and
business partner James Starley, used this as a basis for the 'Coventry Model' in what became Britain's first cycle
factory.[18]
The dwarf ordinary addressed some of these faults by reducing the front wheel diameter and setting the seat further
back. This, in turn, required gearingeffected in a variety of waysto efficiently use pedal power. Having to both
pedal and steer via the front wheel remained a problem. J. K. Starley (nephew of James Starley), J. H. Lawson, and
Shergold solved this problem by introducing the chain drive (originated by the unsuccessful "bicyclette" of
Englishman Henry Lawson),[19] connecting the frame-mounted cranks to the rear wheel. These models were known
as safety bicycles, dwarf safeties, or upright bicycles for their lower seat height and better weight distribution,
although without pneumatic tires the ride of the smaller-wheeled bicycle would be much rougher than that of the
larger-wheeled variety. Starley's 1885 Rover, manufactured in Coventry[20] is usually described as the first
recognizably modern bicycle. Soon the seat tube was added, creating the modern bike's double-triangle diamond
frame.
Further innovations increased comfort and ushered in a second bicycle craze, the 1890s Golden Age of Bicycles. In
1888, Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop introduced the first practical pneumatic tire, which soon became universal. Soon
after, the rear freewheel was developed, enabling the rider to coast. This refinement led to the 1890s
invention[21] ofcoaster brakes. Drailleur gears and hand-operated Bowden cable-pull brakes were also developed
during these years, but were only slowly adopted by casual riders. By the turn of the century, cycling clubs flourished
on both sides of the Atlantic, and touring and racing became widely popular.
Bicycles and horse buggies were the two mainstays of private transportation just prior to the automobile, and the
grading of smooth roads in the late 19th century was stimulated by the widespread advertising, production, and use
of these devices.[22]

Women on bicycles on unpaved road, USA, late 19th Century

A penny-farthing orordinary bicyclephotographed in thekoda Automuseum in the Czech Republic

Bicycle in Plymouth, England at the start of the 20th century


From the beginning and still today, bicycles have been and are employed for many uses. In a
utilitarian way, bicycles are used for transportation, bicycle commuting, and utility cycling. It can be used as a 'work
horse', used by mail carriers, paramedics, police,messengers, and general delivery services.
The bicycle is also used for recreational purposes, such as bicycle touring, mountain biking, physical
fitness,
and
play. Bicycle
competitionincludes racing, BMX
racing, track
racing, criterium, roller
racing, sportives and time trials. Major multi-stage professional events are theTour of California, Giro d'Italia,
the Tour de France, the Vuelta a Espaa, and the Volta a Portugal.
Bicycle use can be seen by the police for surveillance, while the military uses bicycles for scouting,
troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol. See also: bicycle infantry. Bikes can be used for entertainment and
pleasure, such as in organised mass rides, artistic cycling and freestyle BMX.
In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical
energy for use in an external circuit. The source of mechanical energy may vary widely from a hand crank to
an internal combustion engine. Generators provide nearly all of the power for electric power grids.

The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by an electric motor, and
motors and generators have many similarities. Many motors can be mechanically driven to generate electricity and
frequently make acceptable generators.
Before the connection between magnetism and electricity was discovered, electrostatic generators were used. They
operated on electrostatic principles. Such generators generated very high voltage and low current. They operated by
using moving electrically charged belts, plates, and disks that carried charge to a high potential electrode. The charge
was generated using either of two mechanisms: Electrostatic induction and the triboelectric effect. Because of their
inefficiency and the difficulty of insulating machines that produced very high voltages, electrostatic generators had
low power ratings, and were never used for generation of commercially significant quantities of electric power.
The operating principle of electromagnetic generators was discovered in the years of 18311832
by Michael Faraday. The principle, later called Faraday's law, is that an electromotive force is generated in an
electrical conductor which encircles a varying magnetic flux.
He also built the first electromagnetic generator, called the Faraday disk, a type of homopolar
generator, using a copper disc rotating between the poles of a horseshoe magnet. It produced a small DC voltage.
This design was inefficient, due to self-cancelling counterflows of current in regions that were not
under the influence of the magnetic field. While current was induced directly underneath the magnet, the current
would circulate backwards in regions that were outside the influence of the magnetic field. This counterflow limited
the power output to the pickup wires, and induced waste heating of the copper disc. Later homopolar generators
would solve this problem by using an array of magnets arranged around the disc perimeter to maintain a steady field
effect in one current-flow direction.
Another disadvantage was that the output voltage was very low, due to the single current path through
the magnetic flux. Experimenters found that using multiple turns of wire in a coil could produce higher, more useful
voltages. Since the output voltage is proportional to the number of turns, generators could be easily designed to
produce any desired voltage by varying the number of turns. Wire windings became a basic feature of all subsequent
generator designs.
Independently of Faraday, the Hungarian Anyos Jedlik started experimenting in 1827 with the electromagnetic
rotating devices which he called electromagnetic self-rotors. In the prototype of the single-pole electric starter
(finished between 1852 and 1854) both the stationary and the revolving parts were electromagnetic. He also may
have formulated the concept of the dynamo in 1861 (before Siemens andWheatstone) but didn't patent it as he
thought he wasn't the first to realize this.[1]

The dynamo was the first electrical generator capable of delivering power for industry. The dynamo
uses electromagnetic induction to convert mechanical rotation into direct current through the use of a commutator.
An early dynamo was built byHippolyte Pixii in 1832.

Woolrich Electrical Generator inThinktank, Birmingham


The Woolrich Electrical Generator of 1844, now in Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, is the
earliest electrical generator used in an industrial process.[2] It was used by the firm of Elkingtons for
commercial electroplating.[3][4][5]
The modern dynamo, fit for use in industrial applications, was invented independently by Sir Charles
Wheatstone, Werner von Siemens and Samuel Alfred Varley. Varley took out a patent on 24 December 1866, while
Siemens and Wheatstone both announced their discoveries on 17 January 1867, the latter delivering a paper on his
discovery to the Royal Society.
The "dynamo-electric machine" employed self-powering electromagnetic field coils rather than
permanent magnets to create the stator field. [6] Wheatstone's design was similar to Siemens', with the difference that
in the Siemens design the stator electromagnets were in series with the rotor, but in Wheatstone's design they were in
parallel.[7] The use of electromagnets rather than permanent magnets greatly increased the power output of a dynamo
and enabled high power generation for the first time. This invention led directly to the first major industrial uses of
electricity. For example, in the 1870s Siemens used electromagnetic dynamos to power electric arc furnaces for the
production of metals and other materials.
The dynamo machine that was developed consisted of a stationary structure, which provides the
magnetic field, and a set of rotating windings which turn within that field. On larger machines the constant magnetic
field is provided by one or more electromagnets, which are usually called field coils.
Large power generation dynamos are now rarely seen due to the now nearly universal use
of alternating current for power distribution. Before the adoption of AC, very large direct-current dynamos were the

only means of power generation and distribution. AC has come to dominate due to the ability of AC to be
easily transformed to and from very high voltages to permit low losses over large distances.
Through a series of discoveries, the dynamo was succeeded by many later inventions, especially the
AC alternator, which was capable of generating alternating current.
Alternating current generating systems were known in simple forms from Michael Faraday's original discovery of
the magnetic induction of electric current. Faraday himself built an early alternator. His machine was a "rotating
rectangle", whose operation was heteropolar - each active conductor passed successively through regions where the
magnetic field was in opposite directions.
Large two-phase alternating current generators were built by a British electrician, J.E.H. Gordon, in
1882. The first public demonstration of an "alternator system" was given by William Stanley, Jr., an employee
of Westinghouse Electric in 1886.[9]
Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti established Ferranti, Thompson and Ince in 1882, to market his Ferranti-Thompson
Alternator, invented with the help of renowned physicist Lord Kelvin.[10] His early alternators produced frequencies
between 100 and 300 Hz. Ferranti went on to design the Deptford Power Station for the London Electric Supply
Corporation in 1887 using an alternating current system. On its completion in 1891, it was the first truly modern
power station, supplying high-voltage AC power that was then "stepped down" for consumer use on each street. This
basic system remains in use today around the world.

A small early 1900s 75 kVAdirect-driven power station AC alternator, with a separate belt-driven exciter generator.
After 1891, polyphase alternators were introduced to supply currents of multiple differing phases.
Later alternators were designed for varying alternating-current frequencies between sixteen and about one hundred
hertz, for use with arc lighting, incandescent lighting and electric motors.
As the requirements for larger scale power generation increased, a new limitation rose: the magnetic
fields available from permanent magnets. Diverting a small amount of the power generated by the generator to an
electromagnetic field coilallowed the generator to produce substantially more power. This concept was dubbed selfexcitation.

The field coils are connected in series or parallel with the armature winding. When the generator first starts to turn,
the small amount of remanent magnetism present in the iron core provides a magnetic field to get it started,
generating a small current in the armature. This flows through the field coils, creating a larger magnetic field which
generates a larger armature current. This "bootstrap" process continues until the magnetic field in the core levels off
due to saturation and the generator reaches a steady state power output.
Very large power station generators often utilize a separate smaller generator to excite the field coils
of the larger. In the event of a severe widespread power outage whereislanding of power stations has occurred, the
stations may need to perform a black start to excite the fields of their largest generators, in order to restore customer
power service.
B. RELATED STUDIES

Pedalling a modern stationary bicycle to produce electricity might be a great work-out, but in many
cases, it is not sustainable. While humans are rather inefficient engines converting food into work, this is not the
problem we want to address here; people have to move in order to stay healthy, so we might as well use that energy
to operate machinery. The trouble is that the present approach to pedal power results in highly inefficient machines.
There are two ways to power a device by pedalling. You can power it directly through a mechanical
connection - as was the case with all pedal powered machines for sale at the turn of the 20th century. Or, you can
pedal to generate electricity, which is then used to power the device. In the 1970s, most research was aimed at direct
mechanical power transmission. Today, the interest in pedal powered machines is almost exclusively aimed at
generating electricity, for instance for charging cell phones and laptops - products that did not even exist in the
1970s.
With one exception (the 'Fender Blender', a pedalled powered machine to make smoothies), the only
pedal

powered

machinery

that

is

now

commercially

available

in

the

western

world

(offered

by Windstream, Convergence Tech and Magnificent Revolution) are stands to fit your bike to, connected to an
electric motor/generator and a battery - a combination that can quickly convert your regular road bicycle into an
electricity generator. These are also the pedal powered machines which are used for educational and arts projects,
like powering a music concert, a cinema projection or a supercomputer, or teaching kids the difference in energy use
between, for instance, an incandescent light bulb and an energy saving lamp.

In
an effort to raise awareness about energy use and global warming, the BBC even made a TV-programme in which an
entire household was powered via these generators, with 80 cyclists generating up to 14 kW. These multi-person
pedal power generators were pioneered in the 1970s by the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT).
There are several problems with the present-day approach to pedal power. First of all, it is important
to know that generating electricity is far from the most efficient way to apply pedal power, due to the internal energy
losses in the battery, the battery management system, other electronic parts, and the motor/generator.
These energy losses add up quickly: 10 to 35 percent in the battery, 10 to 20 percent in the
motor/generator and 5 to 15 percent in the converter (which converts direct current to alternate current).
(Sources: 1/2/3). The energy loss in the voltage regulator (or DC to DC converter, which prevents you from blowing
up the battery) is about 25 percent (sources: 1/2).
This means that the total energy loss in a pedal powered generator will be 42 to 67.5 percent (calculation example for
highest loss: 100 watt input = 80 watt after 20% loss in motor/generator = 57.5 watts after 25% energy loss in
voltage regulator = 37.5 watts after 35% loss in battery = 32.5 watts after 15% loss in converter = 32.5 watts output =
efficiency of 32.5% or energy loss of 67.5%).

Furthermore, there will be an additional slight loss as the battery stands idle, and the charge efficiency (also
known as "charge acceptance" or "coulombic efficiency") of the battery will deteriorate over time. And to make the
calculation complete, you should actually also include the energy loss in the electrical device that you are powering
(we won't do that here).

An energy loss of 42 to 67.5 percent of naturally means that it takes 42 to 67.5 percent more effort or
time to power a device (say, a blender) via electricity compared to powering the same device mechanically. This can
be considered an acceptable loss if you are using solar panels or a wind turbine connected to a battery as an energy
source, but it becomes rather problematic when you have to deliver the energy yourself.

If
you produce 100 watts of power and 42 to 67.5 percent is lost in the conversion, there is only 32.5 to 58 watts left to
power the device. If you power the same device mechanically, you deliver 100 watts straight to it. You thus have to
pedal 2 to 3 times as hard or as long if you choose to take the intermediate step of generating electricity and storing it
in a battery.

It does not stop here. The second problem with the present approach to pedal

power is that it uses a traditional bicycle on a training stand instead of a pedal powered machine built from scratch as was the case at the end of the 19th century. Of course, using a traditional bicycle has its advantages, but again it
should be realized that this approach is considerably less efficient.

One reason is the use of a so-called friction drive - the rear bicycle wheel acts upon the small roller of
the motor/generator. While chain and belt drives (used in late 19th century pedal powered machines) have an
efficiency of up to 98 percent, a friction drive is only 80 to 90 percent efficient (and wears much faster). This energy
loss should be added to the 42 to 67.5 percent efficiency loss calculated above, which rises to 48 to 73.5 percent.
Low tyre pressure will further decrease efficiency.
It should be noted that there is also energy loss in the bicycle itself: your pedals are not attached to the
rear wheel itself. You turn a sprocket, which turns a chain, which turns a sprocket, which turns the rear wheel. So, on
top of the efficiency loss of the friction drive should be added the efficiency loss of a chain drive (plus the energy
loss in the derailleur, if your bike has one).

Connecting a bike chain directly to the generator would prevent the energy loss of the friction drive, but it
implies that you have to adapt the bicycle - destroying the whole concept of today's commercially available pedal
generators.
Additional energy losses can occur when using a road bicycle to generate electricity. For example, the
picture accompanying the Windstream generator shows a racing bicycle. This is a very bad choice, because the
position of a rider on a racing bike is aimed to reduce wind resistance. Tests on ergometers (stationary bikes used to
measure the power output of cyclists) have shown that pedalling in such a position is only about 80 percent as
effective compared to a normal upright position, again resulting in considerable energy loss.
On the road the rider position on a racing bicycle is beneficial because of the large importance of air
resistance. However, on a stationary pedalling machine this position has no advantage whatsoever. The popular
mountain bike is equally disadvantageous because of the corrugated tyres, which of course lower the efficiency of
the friction drive. In short, while using a road bicycle to generate electricity has the advantage that you can use your
own bike, this does not mean you can use just any bike.

Another important drawback of using a common road bicycle is the absence of a flywheel - a heavy
disc made of concrete, wood or steel that continues to generate power after it has been put in motion. In a pedal
powered machine built from scratch, like the ones used at the turn of the 20th century, the flywheel applies the
function of the rear bicycle wheel in the training stand (although the flywheel is mostly placed at the front of the
machine). The pedaller powers the flywheel, and the flywheel powers the machine (which can be a mechanical
device or a motor/generator to produce electricity).
Why is a flywheel advantageous? Because there is an important difference between riding a bicycle
on the road and pedalling a stationary machine. If we are pedalling, the power exerted by our feet on the pedals is
inconsistent. It peaks every 180 degrees of crank rotation, and because the two cranks are placed 180 degrees out of
phase this results in two power peaks per turn of the crank. Similarly, there are dead spots in between at the top and
bottom position of the pedals (to be correct this minimum torque is not zero but about one third of the maximum).

On a bicycle, this uneven exertion has little effect because of the inertia of both bike and rider. But on
a stationary pedal powered machine, this natural pedalling rhythm results in jerky motion and additional stress on
parts.

Because of its large mass and rotational speed, the flywheel evens out the difference between power
peaks and dead spots. Evening out the power input means that the rider tires less quickly and can thus generate more
power. The obvious disadvantage of a flywheel is that it is heavy - from 10 to 80 kg for stationary pedal powered
machines - and thus not exactly mobile.
However, these machines can last at least 100 years (pedal powered machines surviving from the late
19th century are still in use), while the battery of the electricity generator has to be replaced every few years.
If we ignore the embodied energy of other parts than the battery (both training stand and electronics),
and take a life expectancy of 4 years for the battery (rather optimistic), a pedalled powered generator would require
an embodied energy of 937,500 Wh over the course of 100 years - 6.7 to 22.5 more than a mechanical unit.
Moreover, it is easy to make the frame for a mechanical pedal powered machine from scavenged materials, bringing
the embodied energy down to almost zero, while this is an impossibility for the batteries. Never mind that in
addition, the toxicity of the materials is another thing to consider.

One
way to solve the large energy losses of pedal power generators is not to produce electricity at all and power devices
mechanically, whenever possible. Another way - the only way for devices that cannot be powered via a direct
mechanical connection because they do not rely on rotary motion - is to make the generation of electricity more
efficient.

This can be done by building a pedal powered generator from scratch instead of using a road bicycle,
and/or by ditching one or several electronic components in the power transmission chain. All approaches can be
combined, resulting in a pedal power unit that can power a multitude of mechanical devices and generate electricity
comparatively efficiently
Pedal powered farms and factories: the forgotten future of the stationary bicycle

If we boost the research on pedal powered technology - trying to make up for seven decades of lost
opportunities - and steer it in the right direction, pedals and cranks could make an important contribution to running a
post-carbon society that maintains many of the comforts of a modern life. The possibilities of pedal power largely
exceed the use of the bicycle.

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the research design, the research instruments, and the data gathering procedures,
materials and methods producing the human pedal power generator.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This study used the single design method of research. Single group design is composed of only one
group, the experimental group. It was considered as Experiment Group to test the effectiveness of human pedal
power generator.
PLACE OF THE STUDY
The study was conducted in school and at the researchers residence.

LENGTH OF TIME
The research was conducted from June August 2015.
SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY
Respondents of the study were selected students, teachers and relatives of San Carlos Elementary
School. The researchers were able to get a total of 30 respondents. The researchers determined the 30 respondents by
getting the population frame of the school and the Slovins formula was used to get the sample population needed.
The sample population was selected using through random sampling. The breakdown is presented in
Table 1.

Table 1
Frequency Distribution of Respondents
Respondents

Population Frame

Sample Population

Percentage

Teachers
Students
Relatives
TOTAL

18
30
15
63

10
15
5
30

33.33
50.00
16.67
100

Distribution of Respondents

50
40
30
20
10
0

Relatives
Teachers
Students
Students

Teachers

Relatives

Figure 2
Frequency Distribution of Respondents
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

The researchers had considered of using used bicycle and defective devices. They were enthused to do
this project bring environmental technology projects to schools. They thought it would be a low-cost, fun way to
provide students with engineering experience. "The exercise component was what made the project engaging," they
said. Plus, they adds, "They like the project has a lot of room for customization."
They asked the help and suggestions of their Science Teacher since they have experienced on how to
do the process. They made several trials with different quantity or ratio of materials. Each trial was given comments
and suggestions of some teachers and relatives which led them to the accuracy and effectiveness of Human Pedal
Power Generator.
The questionnaires and interview methods were used to gather the necessary data. The researchers ask
some of the students, teachers and relatives to use the human pedal power generator.
To guide the researchers in gathering data accurately and objectively, the following components were
used: how effective is the quality of human pedal power generator, how useful is the device to the needs of the
people, how safe is the device for the people who will use it, how suitable is the device for its purpose and how
helpful is the device for the people who will use it.
A. Materials
The following materials were used in making the human pedal power generator:
Bicycle stand
Bicycle frame
12V scooter motor
Inverter
Wires for electrical connections and various bike parts and tools
Spray paint
Light bulb
B. Equipment
The following tools helped the researchers in making pedal power generator:
Pliers
Screw driver
Glue gun
Knife or cutter
Scissors
C. 1. Procedure
a. Collection of Scrap Materials
All materials were collected from the school, defective devices of the researchers and Bonjos
Electronic Shop.
b. Preparation of Materials Utilized in making Human Pedal Power Generator
The used bicycle was brought to the technician for further examination and suggestion.
D. 2. General Procedure
The following steps were done by the researchers:

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