Bicycle Powered Irrigation Pump
Affordable irrigation for small-scale African farmers
Masters Thesis, 2017 - 18
My UC Davis Mechanical Engineering Masters project was to design, develop, and test a low-cost and mass-producible bicycle powered irrigation pump for small-scale African farmers. The pump is intended to be made and distributed by World Bicycle Relief’s Buffalo Bikes program.
Finding the needs in-context
I traveled to Kenya near the beginning of my time working on the irrigation pump to talk to the intended pump users. I recreated a prototype pump from an existing design and set it up with small-scale farmers. I learned answers to important questions that I hadn’t even known to ask. For example, a pump must be usable by children because they often help out on farm. Also, welding is widely available but delivery orders are not.
Power & Efficiency Experiments
In addition to user testing in Africa, I conducted power and efficiency measurements of the bicycle powered pump back at UC Davis. I recorded efficiencies of up to 55%, which approached the maximum efficiency of 66% for similar commercial centrifugal pumps powered by electric motors. In other tests, the bicycle system pumped water at similar or possibly higher flows than existing human-powered pumps.
Redesign
Based on the interviews and efficiency tests, I redesigned the pump to be more functional while also being more affordable. The design uses a different style of pump-to-hose attachment that reduces air leaks, reduces tipping, and simplifies the pump’s setup. The form of the pump and accompanying gearbox are designed without overhangs so that it can be manufactured in plastic.
More Details
For further detail, follow the below links to a 3D drawing of the pump, to my thesis, or to a collection of the whole project.
