Date

5-2012

Degree Name

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical Engineering Department

Advisor(s)

Joseph Mello

Abstract

The device design was conceived to meet the energy needs of rural populations in India. These communities have cell phones but lack access to reliable grid power, especially during monsoon season. The charger is designed to be affordable, durable, and easily repairable for each owner family. It uses off-the-shelf components and is intended to be replicated by backyard manufacturing startups in developing countries.

Its purpose is to efficiently transfer human foot motion via a treadle, four-bar-linkage, and sprocket-chain step-up to drive a rotor & stator generator from a common gas scooter. The single-phase alternating current from the generator is passed into an electrical circuit to be rectified and stepped up to the necessary voltage for charging a phone by USB power.