PedalPowered Washing Machine

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Pedal-Powered Washing Machine
Design Team Jenny Hu, Radu Raduta, Jessica
Vechakul Mentor Allen Armstrong
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Community Partner
Centre for Bicycle Technology www.mayapedal.com

Mission
To support the basic family economy, through the
design and distribution of bicycle machines,
providing an efficient alternative for the rural
development of Guatemala.
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The Challenge An Alternative to Manual Washing

• Detergent is rough on hands
• Washing is tiring for arms and hands
• Awkward posture cause back pains

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Our Solution Bicímáquina

• Inexpensive, durable pedal-powered washing
  machine
• Users Local entrepreneur or several families
  sharing
• Requirements
• Easy to build and maintain locally
• Simple for women and children to operate
• More comfortable to use than manual methods
• Culturally acceptable in Guatemala

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Design Specifications

• Cleaning Machine-washed clothes must be at least
  as clean as hand-washed (TBD)
• Capacity Minimum 5kg of clothes/load
• Water usage Maximum 15L water / 1kg clothes
• Pedaling time for effective washing comparable
  to time for hand-washing (TBD)
• Power Maximum 100W (comfortable level of
  human-power output)

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Design Specifications

• Manufacturing local (Maya Pedal)
• Materials locally available (bicycle parts,
  wood, oil drums, metal stock, etc.)
• Manufacturing Cost Maximum 300 (comparable to
  other MP machines)
• Maintenance Maximum 25/year

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Developing Design Concepts

• Researched washing physics, existing mechanisms
• Brainstormed designs
• Identified design components (agitators, screws,
  rotating barrel, pedal drive)
• Compared designs to existing Maytag washer with
  pedal drive replacing the motor

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Vertical and Horizontal Axis Rotation
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Other Mechanisms
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Concept Selection
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Crank-Powered Test Stand

• Adjustable stand models horizontal and tilted
  axes
• Evaluation of both concepts through simple
  experiments
• Single best concept to be selected by March 30th

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Tests to be performed

• General operation
• Wash principle
• Required elements
• Operational steps
• Power input
• Required speed
• Required torque

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Local investigation

• Typical wash load
• Normal hand-wash time for a load
• Cleanliness standard expected of machine
• Compatibility of locally-available soaps
• Local clothing dye properties
• Water temperature and heating options
• Local materials available

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Project Timeline
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Questions?