DEVELOPMENT OF A PEDAL-POWERED WATER PUMP

Many off-grid and remote areas struggle to secure reliable water access, facing challenges like high costs and dependence on external energy sources which forces rural households to rely on unsafe water sources that increase the risk of diseases. This project therefore seeks to address this pressing issue through the development of a pedal-powered water pump as a viable alternative. The design basically consists of a pedal crank mechanism and a centrifugal pump firmly held together by a solid metal base. The pedal crank mechanism incorporates two triple cranksets to maximize rotational speed and efficiency and the centrifugal pump is coupled with the pedal crank system to convert the rotational motion generated by a user into fluid kinetic energy. The force dynamics and performance of the system was evaluated using standard relations for Torque, Velocity Ratio and Power transmitted. Whereas pump output flowrate was evaluated using formula for hydraulic power of centrifugal pump. Results from tests showed that a flowrate of over 20 l/min at zero suction depth and a flowrate of 4.24 liters/min at maximum suction depth of 7 meters with a pedaling cadence of 85rpm was achieved. The results showed that the performance of the machine will vary depending on how deep the water level of the source is and also by how much effort the user of the machine will put in. Some limitations to the design include compatibility for users of all ages and sizes and difficulty in sustaining a steady pedaling speed and power input by users. However, appropriate recommendations were made to remedy these limitations.