Power Generating Treadmill for Large animate prime movers

                                                  

Project Title

Power Generating Treadmill for Large animate prime movers

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

                                                    In the present age, as the word renewable energy source is in trend due to fact that fossil fuels are being depleted and the people living far from cities (rural areas) have no access to electricity. Microgrids can be considered as a way to supply electricity to these electricity deficient areas. Adding the fact, that to build large animal farm, a lot of a space is required. So, they are built far away from populace, preferably near rural areas. So, we need a device that can acts as an exercise machine and can also be used to serve in a way that it can transform the draft work done during exercise of large animal to generate electric power.

In colder climate region, there is a need to protect farm animal from cold weather to prevent them from getting their health impacted negatively. This is due to the fact, that in order to increase their dairy productivity, the farm animals are given medications that weaken their immunity. Thus, the animal needs to be housed. But if we do house them the farm is not large enough for animal to graze around. Thus, their bodies get weakened. So, we need a device that can serve as an exercise machine in a small area.

                                                    We need to design a machine that can serve as an exercise device for the large cattle and also as a power generation source to make a farm and near-by area self-reliant. Here, we need to design a treadmill machine that can generate up to 300-Watt power, & can bear the weight of an approx. 325 kg animal. It should be able to run various loads such as lamps, desk fans, bulbs, etc.

Project Objectives

• To design a treadmill machine which will serve as an exercise machine for the animals which need to be housed during colder climate. So that it will have good impact on their health.
• To generate electrical power from the exercise of the animals so that animal forms may become selft reliant in terms of electricity needs.  

Project Implementation Method

First we decided to work on a prototype human treadmill machine. We obtained non-functional treadmill machine from our supervisor then observed different parts of it need to be replaced. We replaced different parts. Then machine became functional. We walked on machine and attached a small DC machine and a small DC load with it. We calculated the power produced by it. 

Fig 1: Protype after after being repaired

Power measured by DMM is shown in figure

              

Fig 2: Voltage measurement                                   Fig 3: LED Glowing due to walking person

                           

        Fig 4: Current Measurement                                                                                                                                                    

Power is calculated as follows:

 Current = 0.38 A
 voltage = 9.49 volts

 Now, using,
  P = V * I
     = 3.6 watt

Then we decided to scale it up for main machine. 

Parts of Machine:

The machine comprises of following parts:

A basic diagram showing us the part that participate in power generation:

• Walking bed [the part on which belt is placed to support the large animal in walking]
•  
• Belt [on which an animal strides and belt forces the roller to move]
• Roller [rotates during animal exercise]
• Treadmill frame [the structure or body of device]
• Dc generator [that run due to the rotation of roller to produce electricity]
• Capacitor [installed to reduce the voltage fluctuations and thus, making deliverable power constant]

Inverter [a power electronic device that convert ac to dc]

Power Calculations 

                                                                               Fig 5: Showing that power is extracted along horizontal component

Weight = 325 kg
g = 9.8
? = 10 degree
m*g*sin ? = 553.06N

v = 1ms^-1
P = f*v = 553.06 watt

Diagram of whole machine is 

            Fig 6: Showing Horse striding on Machine

Benefits of the Project

• Device will act as a power generating system to make the farms self-reliant in terms of electricity demand.
• As we are are extracting electrical power from muscles of the animal it is a most clean form of energy.
• As there is lack of space to build a sufficiently large farm for cows or horses and during winter. In winter, in many temperate and colder climates, cattle and other livestock need to be housed. So, this device will act as an exercise machine for cattle.
• These machines can be connected with grids so the grid owners can earn profit by selling extra energy.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Machine will be able to generate approximately upto 300 watts of power when the Equine strides at the rate of 1 ms^-1.

Because our DC motor characteristics are 400W, 1450 RPM

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Health

Core Technology

Clean Tech

Other Technologies

Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and Clean Energy

Required Resources

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