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“Design and Innovation of Energy saving Electric

Generator powered by Treadmill”

A Thesis

Presented to

The Faculty of the Department of College of Engineering

University of Cagayan Valley

In partial Fulfillment of

The requirement for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

By

ROMAR G. BACCAY

RAJAHNEIL F. BALORAN

JOHN ALEE I. DE OCAMPO

JOHN M. PAGULAYAN

MICHAEL JOHN MELVIE A. UDANI

May 2019
University of Cagayan Valley
Tuguegarao City

Dedication

This study is wholeheartedly dedicated to Almighty God

our Father. Thank you for guidance, strength, power of mind,

protection and skills and giving us healthy life. All of

these, we offer to you.

And to our beloved parents, who have been our source of

inspiration and gave us strength when we thought of giving

up. Who continually provide their moral, spiritual and

financial support.

And lastly we dedicated this book to our brothers,

sisters, mentors, friends and classmates who shared their

words of advice and encouragement to finish this study and

specially to our dean College of Engineering, Engr. Rolando

H. Bulseco for unending support and guidance to us. Thank

you.
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Acknowledgement

First and Foremost, praise and thanks to the God, the

Almighty for his showers of blessings throughout our

research to complete this study.

We would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude

to our dean, Engr. Rolando H. Bulseco and to our adviser,

Engr Emmanuel Miguel for giving us the opportunity to do

this research and providing invaluable guidance through-out

this study.

We are extremely grateful to our parents for their

love, prayers, caring and sacrifice for educating and

preparing our future. We would also like to thank our

brothers and sisters, relatives and friends to be part of

our inspiration.
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Abstract

The modern challenge faced with the global energy

situation is the growing energy demand and the strong

dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels. Human power

generation, which uses metabolized human energy to generate

electrical power, could potentially address both these

challenges. The treadmill, one of the most popular exercise

machines, presently consumes large amounts of energy while

dissipating a majority as heat. The purpose of design and

develop a human powered treadmill generator and determine

its power generation potential. The developed treadmill was

based on a manual flatbed treadmill using an

electromagnetic dynamo generator coupled to a front axle

flywheel. A heavy-duty rechargeable battery pack was used

to store the generated energy and additional components to

measure the generated power were included. The scope of

this system focuses upon a method of generating electrical

energy from the application of specially designed treadmill

with the provision of specially designed washing machine,

which will work when a human runs over a treadmill for

exercise which is an integral part of modern society life.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Front Matter
Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

II. Body
Chapter 1 PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction 1

Background Information 7

Conceptual Framework 8

Objectives 10

Assumption of the Study 11

Scope and Delimitation 12

Significances of the study 14

Definition of Terms 15

Chapter 2 REVIEW OF REALTED LITERATURE

Review of Related Literature and Study 18

Foreign Literature 18

Foreign Study 21

Local Literature 24

Local Study 26

Relevance of the Present Study 29


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Chapter 3 METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Project/Research Design 30

Project Development 31

Operation and Testing Procedure 34

Instruments and Technique used 35

Evaluation Procedure 37

Evaluation Criteria 37

Conclusion of the study 38

Chapter 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

III. Back Matter


Bibliography 40

Reference of the study 40


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Chapter 1

Introduction

We have all heard it many times before that Regular

Exercise is Good for our health. But like many Filipinos,

are busy, doing homework from school, having sedentary jobs

and no longer have time to change the plans for exercise

habits. For us, it is never to late to start. We can start

slowly and find ways to fit more physical activity into our

lives.

Most people lack confidence due to how they look, and

they struggle to do work because of unhealthy lifestyle,

nowadays most of us gets conscious about our health and our

body figure, keeping oneself healthy will enable to do work

and boost confidence, but the most important benefit of

healthy living is a longer life. Everybody wants to be

healthy, we all need a strong and healthy body to be able to

do our work, and do things we want for the rest of the day

but not everyone had enough strength, others are having

sick, while some are disabled person or having a cardio

vascular disease and cancer. Not only a healthy diet keeps


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our body strong we also need to do exercise routines to melt

what we eat and gain lots of benefits from them.

We all know that exercising is one of the best things

to do to prevent these problems that man faces today and no

one can ignore the health benefits of regular exercise and

physical activity, Exercise don’t choose either sex and age.

There are many health benefits of having exercise just like

reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart

disease, the prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Heart

Disease can be achieved by practicing Regular Exercise it

also helps strengthens heart and improves circulation to

increase blood flow. Snoring is the most disturbing noise we

do when we sleep and it is a sign of unhealthy lifestyle,

maintaining healthy diet and exercise is the most effective

solution, it can also improve sleeping habit and make our

body relax well. Along with diet, exercise play an important

role in controlling weight, preventing obesity,

strengthening bones and muscles, this will help the kids and

teenagers build their bones strong. Later in life, it can

also slow the loss of density that comes with the age. For

older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle-

strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity

aerobic activity can help reduce the risk of falling.


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Exercise can lower our blood sugar level and help the

insulin work better, it can cut down the risk for metabolic

syndrome and type 2 diabetes, if we are already having one

of these diabetes Exercise can help us manage it. Most men

struggle to quit smoking, even some women. But we must keep

in mind that Exercise make it easier to quit smoking by

reducing our cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Studies show

that physical activity can reduce the risk of dying early

from the leading cause of death like hearth disease and some

cancers including colon, breast, uterine and lung cancer.

Just by Exercising for 45 minutes a day will increase our

chance to live longer.

Many of us do exercise worldwide and there are lot of

different exercise machines that we are using today, some

are automated and manually operated. In automated machines

it works as a guide that one is being driven in its

capability while in manually operated machine the driver is

that person who works with it, and these exercise machines

are both helpful, however it also carries a down side in

exercising in these machines because exercise muscle power

is wasted during at work.


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Although, we gain lots of benefits from them we also

need think that instead of just exercising alone, we can

produce power for electric supply and the power which is

wasted during exercise maybe used by converting it into

other form of energy. Not only these exercise machines are

wasting our strength but also doing outdoor work out and

indoor work out like Zumba.

The world is changing as we develop new technologies

and the demand of energy is continuously increasing and most

of power plants are depending in our nature which will be a

cause of problem now that our resources are decreasing

including fossil fuels and other relative fuels. These fuels

are used to generate power for electric supply. It is also

the common problem today because fossil fuel is burnt to

produce electricity resulting environmental pollution and

climate change. There are lot of Power Plant’s in the

country, all of them worth billions of pesos to build and

not single one operates without an impact to the

environment. The Hydroelectric Power Plant is one of the

most expensive Plant that is commonly built in Philippines

despite of a great supplier of electricity in the whole


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country the Hydroelectric Power Plant cause a massive flash

floods in cities.

It is also one that causes droughts in some province.

There are lot of expensive power plant built across the

whole world and the environmental consequence is too many

for the world to take.

In view of facts above is needing an alternative

methods of power generation to somehow lessen the demand in

fuels and prevent the pollution, and other environmental

problems. Most of us do exercise worldwide, electricity can

be produced by using manual exercise machines mounted with

Electricity Generators. In this way the energy which is

generated through manual power that can be used to produce

electricity during the exercise. There are many different

designs of treadmill and today there are many developments

and innovations that improve the treadmill design. This

treadmill designed is integrated with an Electricity

Generator in which the Generator is coupled with roller

flywheel through a v-belt drive system.


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The leg power is used in this system to generate the

electricity during exercise and this generated electricity

may be used to store in a battery or can be used to power a

Lamp, Television, Fan or charging our Mobile Phones through

an inverter. The Construction of a treadmill with electric

generator is less expensive than paying an electric bill

yearly, and we all know that saving money is most important

for us Filipinos.
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Background Information

The present invention relates specifically to manual

treadmill. Treadmills enable a person to walk, jog, run and

sprint in a certain space with an endless belt moving over a

front and rear sets of pulleys. Similar with a Treadmill

powered by a motor, a manual treadmill must also counteract

the forward velocity generated by a user so that the user

stays in the same static position on the running surface.

The counteracting force driving the belt is insufficient to

move the belt at the same speed. Stated differently, the

belt moves at the same speed as the user, but in opposite

direction. In this way, the user remains the same relative

position along the treadmill while running. A manually

operated treadmill which does not integrate a motor to drive

the running belt may not incorporate a connection to a

conventional electrical power source. For environmental and

practical reasons there may be some benefit to create a

treadmill which is manually operated but integrates a power

generator to provide the electrical power for the operation

of the treadmill or alternatively generate power for the

operation of other electrically powered products.


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Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of the study uses a cause-

effect relationship which involves two types of variable,

independent and dependent. The Independent variable consist

the following materials and procedures used to build the

treadmill, whereas the aim of the study is to determine the

following Dependent variables; how efficient is the

treadmill, it’s construction and how it works.

The laboratory prototype of the treadmill generator was

based around a manual treadmill, this let the prototype

require no power consumption to operate all power going into

the system would be from the human work. To harness the

power of humans for doing work, treadmills were introduced,

which are a type of mill operated by a person treading steps

of a tread-wheel to grind grain but treadmills are not used

to harness power nowadays, it is now use as an exercise

machines for running or walking.

In order to make the system generate a current we need

a Mechanical energy to converter to produce Electrical

energy that is simply the use of the treadmill.


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In this proposed model, axis of moving belt rotation is

orthogonal to movement of the belt. The rotational force

generated on the treadmill rotating belt axis due to the

application of pressure force on moving belt by user causes

the rotation of moving belt about its belt axis.

Independent Dependent

Materials and Procedures


Used
Energy Saving Electric
- Manual Treadmill Unit Generator Powered by
- DC Generator Treadmill
- Conceptual Design
- Prototype - Exercise Machine
Development - Energy efficiency
- Prototype Testing - Working Prototype
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Objectives

The general objectives of this study is to manufacture a

treadmill with electric generator

Specially, this study will seek to answer the following

questions:

1. To design and develop an Energy Saving Electric

Generator Powered by Treadmill.

2. How efficient is the Energy Saving Electric Generator

Powered by Treadmill?
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Assumption of the Study

The conventional manual treadmill with electricity

generator generates an output of 500w max power. The average

jogging speed of a man is 6 to 9km/h It is assumed that the

flywheel is rotating at 100 rpm welded with a 40t sprocket

and the generator shaft will rotate at 260 rpm when someone

walks or run in the walking belt. The energy that is

generated from it may store in batteries that can be useful

for different applications.

The power coming out of the system was to be collected

in a 12V rechargeable battery. Assuming that the battery

used is a Duracell Powerpack 600 which contained a sealed

lead acid battery and AC power output components for easy

draining of collected energy to electronics such as laptops

and other electrical devices. The internal circuit breaker

was specified to be at 12A which will be determined in the

experiment trials not to exceed the mechanical energy

produced by the treadmill belt motion and it supposed to be

translated to electrical with the use of a DC

electromagnetic generator dynamo of 300W peak capacity.


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Scope and Delimitation

The intention of this study is to identify the benefits

and strengthening the use of treadmill in human body and in

nature. The main purpose of this study is to determine the

methods of energy conservation effort and also to improve

the present treadmill not just for human exercise but also

to reduce the consumption of energy resulting to money

saving.

This study is focused on discussing the Energy Saving

Electric Generator Powered by Treadmill, the Treadmill

Generator is designed as exercise machine that generates

electricity to save money for paying electric bills. This

prototype was chosen for study because it caught an

interesting idea to the eyes of the researchers. This study

will be developed by the researchers to share the thoughts

in understanding the importance of having exercise and also

saving money. The construction of the prototype will take

place at the workshop in our school, and to build a

treadmill generator the time frame of seven working days is

enough to make it a working machine and the first procedure


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will be the gathering of all the materials needed for the

construction.

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To assemble the treadmill with the dc generator we

would need the knowledge on how to use a welding machine by

applying what we learned in ME Elective, joining all the

parts of the treadmill will be the work of a welding

machine, after using the equipment, other parts of the

treadmill generator that is not weldable will be assembled

using a wrench, mallet, screwdrivers and pliers for some

wiring. If some parts of the treadmill won’t fit according

to the its design, a grinder will be needed to cut some

extra pieces. The very first step is to weld the frame of

the treadmill, the second would be the assembly of the

walking belt and the roller, to continue the procedure the

next thing to do would be the attachment of the flywheel

with the v-belt to the dc generator and after that the

wirings in the motor will be connected to a rechargeable

battery or an inverter, the final step would be the

finishing of the prototype, and that would be its painting.

Giving the treadmill a neat and stylish design.


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Significance of the Study

This study will be able to generate relevant innovation

that may serve as inputs, primarily improving the treadmill

with electricity generator. It will be able to create

technology in a double purpose manner. The result of the

study is also to expect to be able to manufacture treadmill

with electric generator improvement of exercise.

The study of the Energy Saving Electric Generator

Powered by Treadmill will benefit all individuals including

kids, teenagers and specially adults. Whether at school,

workplace or fitness gym, the prototype takes a tiny portion

in a small room so it can be placed anywhere that is

desired. This exercise machine will also benefit those

people who prefer to work out indoor rather than outdoor

activity, it will also help those person’s who want to be

fit and strong. In some places where current is not

available this treadmill generator will offer a big help for

those who need lights in their homes, and the most important

thing is that it will able the person save his money from

electrical bills.
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Definition of Terms

The following terms used in this research are

illustrated in how it should be applied. The terms are

defined alphabetical, this important part of the research

paper explain the terms used in the study in which the key

or important terms in the study are clearly defined so that

the reader could understand the ideas written in this study.

The importance of the defined terms listed below enables the

reader to have a common understanding of the words used.

Allowing both reader and the writer be on the same page when

discussing or reading the study.

 Battery.
A unit that creates electrical energy from stored
chemical energy
 Electric Generator.
A device used to generate electricity by
converting mechanical work into electrical energy
 Electrical Energy.
Refers to energy that has been converted from
electric charge that lets work be accomplished
 Energy.
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Refers to the power to do work, such as the
capacity to move an object (of a given mass) by
the application of force
 Energy Conservation.
Refers to reducing energy through using less of an
energy service

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 Energy Saving.
Refers to the fact that does not waste energy and
is efficient
 Falling.
Falls in the outpatient setting are usually
defined as “coming to rest unintentionally on the
ground or lower level, not due to an acute
overwhelming event
 Low Cost.
Relatively inexpensive or not costing as much as
other things of the same type
 Mechanical Energy.
Refers to the ability to do work due to its
position or motion
 Moderate-Intensity.
Define as the physical activity done on a scale
relative to an individual's personal capacity
 Muscle-Strengthening.
Refers to the maximum amount of force that a
muscle can exert against some form of resistance
in a single effort
 Orthogonal.
pertaining to the right angles or perpendiculars
 Pollution.
Pollution is something introduced into the
environment that is dirty, unclean or has a
harmful effect
 Prototype.
Refers to q model, or release of a product built
to test a concept or process
 Sedentary Job.
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Defined as one which involves sitting, a certain
amount of walking and standing is often necessary
in carrying out job duties
 Technology.
Refers to methods, systems, and devices which are
the result of scientific knowledge being used for
practical purposes

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 Treadmill.
An exercise machine generally for walking, running
or climbing while staying in the same place or
position
 Withdrawal Symptoms.
Refers to the unpleasant physical reaction that
accompanies the process of ceasing to take an
addictive drug
 Zumba.
an aerobic fitness program featuring movements
inspired by various styles of Latin American dance
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Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature (RRL) and Related Studies

This chapter presents the literature and the studies

related to this topic. This includes the ideas and

generalization that familiarize information that is similar

to this present study.

Foreign Related Literature

Energy is the driving force of modern societies, and

generation and utilization of energy are essential for

socioeconomic development. Per-capita energy consumption

levels are often considered a good measure of economic

development. In recent years, energy scarcity has become a

serious problem due to depletion of non-renewable energy

sources, increasing population, globalization of energy

intensive economic development, environmental pollution, and

global warming. While in developed countries the energy

problem is one of short-term scarcity or optimum use, an

estimated 40% of the world’s population – or, 2 billion


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people mainly in the less developed countries – do not have

even have access to electricity. Moreover, this number is

expected to double by the year 2050.

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The reasons for this limited access to electricity in

developing countries are the lack of energy sources such as

coal, oil, or nuclear energy, and – even where such sources

exist – the lack of expensive capital to exploit existing

resources. While the costs of renewable energy sources such

as solar and wind energy are falling gradually, these

technologies are still far too expensive for developing

countries, where about half the population has incomes of

less than two dollars a day. In recent years, there have

been many interesting developments in the field of human

power conversion. In the present paper, a method of

harnessing the power of children's play in playgrounds and

public places, on devices such as the seesaw, merry-go-

round, and swing is proposed. During data logging procedure

the average power of a biker varied between 215W to 375W,

data for 24 people, aged from 16 to 61 years old, riding a

bicycle for 17 km (10 miles) were recorded and analyzed.


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The main goal of this study is to demonstrate that the

energy from stationary bikes is worth scavenging by showing

that the energy produced is not negligible. Therefore, to

determine the characteristic of generated energy versus

generator speed (determined by pedals speed) as a functional

characteristic of the system.

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Owing to the linear dependence of energy with Ig

(considering the voltage Vg rather constant), the generated

current (Ig) can be used as a measure of the energy produced

by the system. The measuring process consists of two

indirect procedures: calculus of the generator speed and

evaluation of the produced energy. We calculate the

generator speed using equation, starting from the speed of

the rear wheel measured with a bike computer. The produced

energy is evaluated using a set of bulbs (having different

powers - 8W, 15W, 25W, 40W, 75W) as the generator load. We

have used an increasing load, determining the values of

speed corresponding to each load value: we increase the

speed until p bulbs (totalizing P watts) light up, and we

log the data point as the speed necessary to generate P

watt.

In conclusion human power there is vast scope in

economical use of Bicycle mechanism as an alternative energy


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Source thereby renewable energy generation as well as

exercising for good health cause.

(http://www.ijettjournal.org/Special%20issue/ICGTETM-

2016/ICGTETM_2016_paper_119.pdf)

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Foreign Related Study

Nearly a quarter of the world’s population has to do

without guitar amplifiers, blenders, and hoverboards, to say

nothing of computers, refrigerators, and light. There’s no

electricity for 1.4 billion of the planet’s residents and

intermittent electricity for millions of others. Plugging

the juice-starved multitudes into the grid, would be,

needless to say, a massive and costly affair. But there may

be another way: Let them make the electricity themselves.

Businessman and Princeton dropout Manoj Bhargava has created

a human-powered generator that will produce 24 hours of

electricity for a single home from an hour of pedaling. The

idea first came to Bhargava, who made his millions selling

5-Hour Energy shots, while he was watching NASCAR on the

television. “I saw the same thing millions of viewers see

every time they watch one of these races: the car goes into

the pit to get a tire change, and a member of the pit crew
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uses one arm to jack up the car. And the car nearly flips

over,” he says. “That gave me an idea: What if we could

harness that energy and turn it into electricity?” A number

of test bikes are being distributed at no charge to a sample

of energy-poor households, schools, and small businesses in

villages in India.

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Bhargava got to work. His first stab at human-powered

electricity was a hand crank “that failed miserably. It

didn't work at all.” so he turned his attention to an

already mature piece of human powered technology: the

bicycle.

To convert pedal power into electricity, he and his

engineers developed a massive flywheel that sat to one side

of the seat. To balance it, the bike had to have weights on

the other side as well. The setup was effective for

producing energy, but the cost of making the customized

parts, combined with its size and weight, mitigated its

usefulness. So the team threw out the design and went back

to that mature piece of technology for inspiration. They

tried two wheels this time (standard bicycle wheels) and

simply added weights to it. “We used something that was

produced by the millions,” says Bhargava. “Doing so reduced

the weight of the bike by about 70 percent, and brought down


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the cost by close to 80 percent.” It also meant that

wherever the bike ended up in the world there would likely

be a capable repairman nearby. And there was another

benefit. The result is a generator, called the Free

Electric, that can power a rural household running 24 lights

and a fan, while charging a phone, for a day,

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All from an hour’s work by a single individual. The

success of the engineering came not from the high-tech, but

from sticking to the goals of simplicity, efficiency, and

affordability. “The first version we conceived of about

three years ago didn't work at all. So we kept trying things

until we found something that did work, and then we tried to

make it simpler. And then simpler again,” says Bhargava.

“That’s always the question we come back to: How can we make

this simpler.”

The end product is simple enough, affordable enough,

and efficient enough to interest people that do happen to

have access to grid power. Survivalists, exercise

enthusiasts hoping to shrink their electric bill, and green-

minded energy consumers, will also have a chance to power

their homes.
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(https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/human-power-

powers-power-all-humans)

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Local Related Literature

Electric generators come with different forms.

Generation of electricity from different primary sources

where waterfall is the famous among it have been made. Wind

energy was also a source of the electrical energy in other

countries that wind is continuously blowing. Solar panels

have been also converted solar power to electrical power

which is now abundant in many tropical countries. Those

mentioned, the prime movers were all come from naturally

made sources. Portable generators were made possible with

the use of fuel, diesel or gasoline. They were proven useful

in many ways in different part of the globe.

Many things have been also done for the improvement of

such generator; lessen the noise generated, smoke free, less

fuel consumption, portability, etc. The biggest problem


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still is the rising price of the fuel in the market which is

very needed to make the generator runs. Wind turbines were

proven also as one the sources of electrical energy to those

countries with continuous blows of wind. Concepts behind

were the almost the same with the motor generators, they

both have primary mover which is the mechanical part that

make and produces electrical energy.

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In the Philippines, even though there were winds to

power up the turbine, but the continuity of the wind blowing

was not that every time and every day depending on the

season and the climate. But there were places in the country

that according to some experts could be a source of wind

farming. The town of Bangui in Ilocos Norte is one of the

few shining examples in the region that wind power could be

used to provide affordable and clean energy for a vast chunk

of a province’s population and industry. The geography of

Bangui is perfect for the wind farms. The coast faces the

South China Sea – a very favorable body of water to face,

considering all the monsoon activity that happens in the

area (Espina, 2010).

The idea of using a prime mover that is also having

electricity as the fuel of the prime mover of the electric

generator have been conceptualized while studying the idea


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of having a wind turbine as source of electricity. Putting

up a wind turbine in the Philippines might result with non-

continues generation of electricity since there are times

that no wind blows.

26

The electric generator itself will supply the

electricity to the prime mover of the proposed project,

while also generating electricity for the load. Two motors

will be use in the said scenario of the project. There will

be controller with an embedded system that will control,

monitor and maintain the system.

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309462898_Portable

_Self-Sustaining_Electric_Generator)

Local Related Study

For the past decades, world’s main concerns are energy

and environment. Demands in finding alternative source of

energy as an answer to the dwindling energy sources has

become one of the top priorities in the field of science and

technology.
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Majority of the world’s generated power uses

electromagnets, which is based on faraday’s law of electro-

magnetic induction. Thus, interests in free electricity

generation become popular. The concept of free electricity

is a misconception, energy cannot be created.

27

However, generating power thru the means of readily

available resources such as the Sun, Wind, Tidal, Hydro-

electric, and Geothermal becomes free after the initial

capital cost. The energy generated is free after the point

that we don’t have to pay for the generation of the electric

power produced by these non-conventional methods of

generating electrical power. Hence, the concept of

generating electricity using magnets has been around us for

some time. Their magnetic fields that move electrons are

used to produce electrical power. These magnets are placed

in the cores of motors and generators. Power generation’s

basic principle lies on the magnetic effect. It states that

“when a conductor is rotated in a magnetic field, a voltage

is induced in the conductor”. This study will be dealing

with such conductors.


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The study for the search of renewable sources of energy

is now a major concern worldwide as replacement to the high

demand of fossil fuels. Majority of the electricity that is

generated uses the Faraday’s law, the electro-magnetic

induction. This law led to new technologies that even

brought up the misconception of free energy.

28

Energy only becomes free if we don’t have to pay for

the generation of it; hence we resort to abundant sources of

energy that we can convert into electricity. The researcher

used wind to generate power. It will continuously pass the

blades of the fan causing it to rotate. The generator is

mounted into a vehicle exposing the blades into turbulent

wind, rotating the shaft to generate power and, is extracted

and stored into a battery. The process also demonstrates the

conversion of kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical

power. The energy generated can be used in numerous

applications such as powering and charging mobile devices,

powering small light emitting diodes and bulbs.

This study focuses on the construction of the generator

and evaluating the device to identify its possible

applications and future enhancements. This prototype may


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impact and attract future researchers to work more on the

research of free energy or renewable energy.

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324030058_ELECTRO-

MAGNETIC_INDUCTION_FREE_ELECTRICITY_GENERATOR)

29

Relevance of the Present Study

The Human Power Using Bicycle Mechanism as an

Alternative Energy Source and the Portable Self-Sustaining

Electricity Generator have the same Energy Conversion used

to generate Electricity in which the manually operated

Treadmill generating a power as it is integrated with

Electricity Generator and through human effort. The findings

of the studies are highly relevant to this present study,

the contributions of the pass studies are helpful for the

development it’s innovation.


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30

Chapter 3

Project/Research Design

This chapter presents the research design, project

development, operational and testing procedure, instrumental

and techniques used and evaluation procedure,

Research design

The innovated correlation design was used in the in the

study. The design provides innovative information on

treadmill generator considering the extent of saving

electricity, reducing the pollution, work safe for human

exercise, battery charging and alternative solution instead

of using natural resources. It is also correlation as it

attempts to look in the relationship of electricity

generator and treadmill.


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31

Project Development

The laboratory prototype of the treadmill generator was

based around a manual treadmill. This let the prototype

require no power consumption to operate all power going into

the system would be from the human work. The power coming

out of the system was to be collected in a 12V rechargeable

battery.

The main components of the treadmill are provided with

the Illustrations bellow


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32
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33
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34
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Testing Procedure

To make the prototype work or simply exercise on the

treadmill, hold into the handrails to avoid falling to the

ground and slowly step in the walking belt. Start walking or

jog slowly in the walking belt and simply lift your hands

from the handrails if you feel comfortable, then start

exercising after 3-5 minutes of warming up, jogging or

running in the treadmill will increase the charging rate of

the battery connected to the generator. Every single person

exercise in the treadmill could generate about 200 watts

depending in their exercise routines, this is enough power

to fully charge a 12 volts with 35ah battery in a week and

could produce energy for light for more than 12 hours

depending on the wattage of the light bulb, it could also be

use also to charge laptops and mobile phones.

35
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Instruments and Techniques Used

In inches, the dimensions of the manually operated

treadmill with electricity generator is not to be exact of

45 inches long, 18 inches wide and 41 inches high. To build

the prototype with the electricity generator the following

procedures should be the followed. In the first stage, the

first thing to do is to gather all equipment and materials

that will be used to build the manual treadmill with the

electricity generator and they are as followed, in equipment

the welding machine, wrench, mallet, grinder, plier, and

screw drivers will be use. In materials the frame and the

base will be tubular or tube steel. The base will be

consisting of the walking belt, rollers and the flywheel.

Beneath the flywheel will be the steel stand for incline

position of the treadmill. The generator will be a DC motor

with a permanent magnet supporting a 24 volts and 500 watts

of current output for battery charging. The generator will

be mounted in front of the treadmill and aligned with the

flywheel. The pulley of the generator will be connected to

the flywheel of the treadmill through the V-belt.

36
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The second stage will be the assembly of the parts. The

rollers will be putted end to end inside the walking belt

and the flywheel with the v-belt will be mounted in the

roller in front. The base frame of the treadmill will be

assembled with the rollers, flywheel and walking belt. The

upright frame of the treadmill should be weld beside the

base frame and the support of the base should also be

welded and aligned with the upright frame for the incline of

the treadmill and the last thing to do is to weld the hand

rails on top of the upright frame.

The third stage will be the installation of the

generator. The frame support of the generator should be weld

in front of the treadmill and the generator should be place

and screwed in its frame support. The other end of the v-

belt connected in the flywheel should be put in the pulley

of the generator to finish the assembly. The final stage or

the fourth stage will be the installation of the battery,

using the pliers the positive and negative wires of the DC

motor will be connected to the positive and negative poles

of the battery of it to charge.

37
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Evaluation Procedure

 Criteria

The main Criteria for evaluation of this Prototype are:

1. Scientific significance of the research results.

2. Contribution of the group to the research.

Additionally the following specific criteria are used:

Starting point of the research:

 Theoretical basis of the research and

connection to the previous research

 Practical relevance of the research

Research process:

 Command of the research field, knowledge and use

of the literature

 Quality and carefulness of the research

Research results:

 New knowledge and the results gained in the

research work

 Significance of the research results in the own

research field
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Chapter 4

Project Technical Description

Manual treadmill is also called as self-powered

treadmill because of the motion that sets the belt into

action. The structure of the manual treadmill with

electricity generator consist of the following:

1. Electronic display

The layout of electronic display should provide visual

information quickly, conveniently and The most

appropriate distance between the panel and the human

eye is L=650mm. The display is kept at 25°~30° with the

horizontal plane so that the panel is vertical to the

user's line of sight accurately according to human

visual characteristics.

2. Handrail

The height from handrails to the running belt should be

keeping with the height of exercisers, which is

generally designed according to elbow height while

standing.
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3. Pre and post rollers

The roller is fixed on the treadmill chassis, and its

role is to drive the rotation of the running belt. In

general, few cycles occur in the same speed if the drum

is large, which will lead to low pressure and long life

of the machine.

4. Running belt

Running belt is an important part of the manual

treadmill, which is directly contacted with users. The

performance of running belt directly affects the

quality of treadmill and people's fitness experience.

The running belt is made of a kind of composite

composed of PVC rubber, polyester wire mesh and warp

and weft yarns.

5. Chassis

The chassis is mainly composed of two bottom pipes, a

running board and pre and post rollers. The chassis

supports the weight of the human body and the impact of

the dynamic load while running. The wall thickness of

the steel pipe is about 2 mm to ensure adequate

stiffness.

6. Running board
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The running board is fixed on the chassis under the

running belt. A cushioning device is installed on the

running board to reduce the impact on the kneecap while

running. The running board is made of medium density

fiberboard, which has smooth surface, uniform internal

structure, moderate density, dimensional stability,

strong resistance to deformation, high bearing

capacity, and excellent physic mechanical properties.

7. Side strip

The two side strips is in left and right of running

belt respectively. The side strip has two jobs. One

provide the short break during the exercise, and the

other provide enough Safety position when the treadmill

fails, the exerciser can quickly separate two feet from

the rotating running belt.

8. Generator

A DC motor will be used to convert the mechanical

energy into electrical energy. The DC motor is 24 volts

with a 500 watts current output.

9. Battery Charge Regulator


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The regulator will be installed to control the voltage

and protect the battery from overcharging.

10. Battery

The battery will be the storage of the energy for the

supply of current, it is 12v with 35ah that can run a

65w fan in 4.6 hours or 4 hours and 36 minutes

continuously.

11. Inverter

To protect the appliance a 230 volts inverter with a

peak power of 100 watts is connected to the battery to

convert direct current into alternating current.


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Project Structure/Organization

The Manual Treadmill with Electricity Generator is a

piece of indoor sporting equipment used to allow for the

motions of running or walking while staying in one place. It

is made out of high-quality, durable materials, including

PVC running belts, comfortable foam handrails, and frames

made of heavy-duty steel. The digital monitor panel measures

speed or distance, which requires batteries and not

electricity. The motor used for generating current is a DC

motor with an output of 500 watts and connected in a gel-

type lead acid Battery that powers the 230 volts inverter

with a 1000 watts current peak. The manual treadmill with

electricity generator allows one to exercise and at the same

time produce a current to charge a battery.

Project Limitations and Capabilities

Limitations

The Manual treadmill with electricity generator only

works when continually using force to keep it going. This

requirement can make it hard to stay at a set pace and

requires constant monitoring of the speed readout thus, the

maximum weight can only be carried is about 100Kgs.


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It’s the battery connected to the generator is only 12v

and 35ah, when appliance have a 300watts higher connected to

the battery it will run out of power in less than an hour.

Capabilities

The Treadmill Generator can be operated anywhere as

it’s not dependent on being near a power outlet. It is one

way to save energy while exercising. The treadmill generator

can power a 16w light bulb for 18 hours continuously, it can

be use to charge mobile phones and laptops.

It is also capable in improving the blood circulation

in the body and helps to lower blood pressure by

strengthening the heart. By exercising this project can save

lives and save money for less electric bills.

Project Evaluation
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Conclusion of the Study

In conclusion, the manual treadmill with

electricity generator can generate energy and this

energy may be stored in the batteries and later it may

be useful for different applications. This energy

generation system is sustainable and free from adverse

efforts. The treadmill with Electricity Generator

reduces the energy consumption resulting money saving.

A treadmill based human power generator was

developed using an electromagnetic dynamo generator

coupled to a manual treadmill’s flywheel. The final

circuit delivering power to a heavy duty battery was

found to be able to deliver 140W peak for a short

period of time. In the gym environment, it was found

that a human power treadmill generator could help

reduce energy consumption significantly. In isolated

areas such as rural countryside or developing

countries, the treadmill generator can provide for a

low-cost, quick to implement, simple to operate, and

low maintenance solution.


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In any application, the manual treadmill with

electricity generator can be used as an educational

tool to give people a physical perspective on

quantities in energy, helping realize the importance of

energy conservation.

In this day where the world is challenged to be

more responsible in its sourcing of electrical power,

the method of human power generation could be a

solution that also helps mitigate the issue of obesity

and overweight. If additional design and study of this

concept proves it effective in energy use reduction,

localized energy delivery and sustainability education,

it could efficiently answer the two great challenges.


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Bibliography

The sources of this study are cited in articles online

through browsing the internet, it is originally based on

journals and publications of projects from different

authors. The idea of the project was compromised from

publications to come up with the development of the study.

Below is a list of sources of this study.

References of the study

1. International Research Journal of Engineering and

Technology (IRJET) “Design and Development of Treadmill

to Generate Electricity by Using Mechanical Energy” 02 |

Feb -2017

2. “Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) | Data |

Table,” The World Bank. [Online].

Available:

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.COMM.FO.ZS/co

untries/1W?display=default. [Accessed: 20-Jun-2012].

3. “WHO | Overweight and obesity,” World Health

Organization. [Online].
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Available:

http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/overweight/en/.

[Accessed: 20-Jun-2012].

4. Harsh Mankodi, “Analysis of a Treadmill Based Human

Power Electricity Generator”, Submitted under the

supervision of Prof. Rusen Yang to the University Honors

Program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in

partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, cum laude. June

30, 2012.

5. http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstrea m/132115/1/Harsh

%20Mankodi%20 cum%20laude%20CSE%20sp12.pdf.

6. https://www.academia.edu/35954578/Generation_of_electric

ity_by_running_on_a_leg-powered_treadmill "Generation of

electricity by running on a leg-powered treadmill by

Manish Debnath"

7. https://www.google.com/url?

sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.irjet.net/archives

/V6/i1/IRJET-

V6I139.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwispbW3wIDiAhXbdd4KHRoXA5oQFjAAegQI

ARAB&usg=AOvVaw0IAQEwDyoV0YiXccZ2eHIU

8. http://www.google.com/patents/US20120010048

9. http://www.google.co.in/patents/US8308619

10. http://www.woodway.com/products/ecomill

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