This project is an adaptation of an existing human powered hydraulic bicycle designed by Purdue’s Fluid Power Club in 2022. The bicycle is a part of a larger competition, The Vehicle Challenge, sponsored by the National Fluid Power Association. The Vehicle Challenge invites students across universities to study fluid power by designing and building a hydraulic system that uses a human as the prime mover. The bicycle competes in four categories of races – sprint, efficiency, regenerative, and endurance. The challenge includes a formal presentation of all design schematics, calculations, and the final bicycle.
Our team is tasked with designing, building, and testing a pneumatic regenerative system and the electronics system on a human powered bicycle. The pneumatic system will engage a clutch that can be mechanically or electronically actuated. The clutch will activate a regenerative pump in the hydraulic circuit on the bicycle. Our group will work in tandem with Team 27 (Frame and Hydraulics Design) to complete the overall goal; a human powered hydraulic bicycle.
Our group will also be responsible for designing an electrical diagnostics system that displays on a human machine interface. The system will include pressure sensors to monitor the pneumatics and hydraulics and an RPM sensor to track the drive wheel on the back of the bicycle. The diagnostics will be managed by an industry grade programmable logic controller.