Cycle Rickshaws As a Sustainable Transport System for Developing Countries Anil K
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HUMAN POWER TECHNICAL JOURNAL OF THE IHPVA NUMBER 49, WINTER 1999–2000 Summaries of articles in this issue; mast. 2 Contributions to Human Power . 7 Articles Velocar variations Arnfried Schmitz. 3 Generators for bicycle lighting Frank Krygowski and Don Slanina. 7 Direct-drive (chainless) recumbent bicycles Thomas Kretschmer . 11 Cycle rickshaws as a sustainable transport system for developing countries Anil K. Rajvanshi . 15 Is the .deciMach Prize attainable? Michael Eliasohn . 18 Technical notes Body shapes and influence of wind Matt Weaver . 21 Letters The Rohloff 14-speed hub, Ian Sims . 6 Comments on abstracts of Too’s data Raoul Reiser . 24 Relations with the UCI, Peter Ross. 25 Greetings from Alaska, Smiley Shields . 25 Greetings from Sri Lanka, Ray Wijewardene . 26 Editorials Bouncing off the mainstream, Theo Schmidt . 27 Uncomfortable suits, Dave Wilson . 27 Number 49 Winter 1999–2000 $5.50 Table 5. Computation of forces for the direct-drive hub. CYCLE RICKSHAWS AS A SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Computation of forces for the direct drive hub Calculation Assumed force on pedal 2000 N corresp. 200 kg F: force on each planet gear shaft Crank length 170 mm standard P by Anil K. Rajvanshi Ll: ength of pedals Diameter planet gear carrier 57.4 mm optimized F: force on pedal Number of planets 4 optimized T ABSTRACT improved cycle rickshaws powered by Nevertheless the existing standard DP: diameter of planet gear carrier Force on planet shaft 2 962 N up to center of planet gear shaft Most cities in developing countries electric motors and batteries have a rickshaw is poorly designed so that it Diameter small planet gear 14.7 mm optimized n: number of planet gear shafts Diameter large planet gear 24.5 mm optimized are highly polluted. The main reasons potential to provide an attractive alter- takes a heavy toll on the health of a The worst case is the combination F:K force on small planet gear are the air and noise pollution caused native to petrol- and diesel-powered rickshaw puller. The existing cycle If only one tooth per planet gear of smallest planet with largest sun F: force on large planet gear gear or vice versa, all other D by transport vehicles, especially petrol- three wheelers. They can also provide rickshaw has hardly changed since it interlocks at once, the load each tooth D:K diameter of small planet gear combinations result in lower forces carries is: D:G diameter of large planet gear per tooth. powered two- and three-wheelers large-scale employment and extra was introduced in India in the 1930s large planet gear: 1 111 N called autorickshaws. We have devel- income to the rickshaw puller. and ’40s. The gearing gives a very poor small planet gear 1 851 N oped three types of improved rick- impedance match. Hence the rickshaw Figure 11. Unicycle Comparison to conventional hub shaws: (a) a pedalled rickshaw (IPCR); EXISTING CYCLE RICKSHAWS puller has to work very hard while Assumed force on pedal 2 000 N as above with transmission Length of crank 170 mm surely won’t need (b) a motor-assisted pedal rickshaw There are approximate estimates climbing even a slight slope. A corresponds to a cog of 17, all those gears, but (MAPR); and (c) a completely battery- that close to one million cycle common sight is of a rickshaw puller Ratio chainring/cog 2.47 - chainring with 42 teeth measurement of a 3-speed hub by after a slight modifi- driven rickshaw called ELECSHA™. rickshaws ply the Indian roads carrying dismounting so that he can, on foot, Diameter of annular gear 38 mm renownd mfg. cation of the hub, The details of these rickshaws are pre- about three to four billion passenger pull the rickshaw and passengers. The Number of planets 3- standard for multispeed hubs the unicyclist enjoys If only one tooth per planet gear sented in this paper. It is shown that km/year. In some cities they are the braking system is also poor in that only interlocks at once, the load each tooth Worst case: annular gear-driven higher speed. carries is 2 414 N these rickshaws can provide an envi- major means of transport. They provide front brakes are fitted. Thus when ronmentally friendly, energy-efficient year-round employment to about going downhill at high speeds sudden load on a tooth of the direct-drive hub is and cost-effective transport system and 700,000 rickshaw pullers (plus work for braking produces a catapult effect. 23% lower! can replace the existing autorickshaws. migrant and seasonal workers), are Similarly the seating arrangement is An economic analysis of these rick- very maneuverable, and are completely very uncomfortable and the aerody- ONE DIRECT-DRIVE HUB: shaws is presented and policy issues nonpolluting—hence they provide an namic drag of the system is very high. MANY BICYCLES. are identified. Besides reducing pollu- environmentally friendly means of It is therefore humanly degrading to A whole new spectrum of bicycles tion, these rickshaws could provide transport. It is very unfortunate that pull the existing inefficient cycle rick- emerges with the coming of the direct- large-scale employment in urban and deliberate policies in most of the urban shaw. Yet because of poverty, laborers drive hub. Use of the hub is thus not rural areas of India. towns of developing countries have become rickshaw pullers and suffer limited to chainless recumbents. The been made by the concerned adverse consequences to their health. following pictures show possible varia- INTRODUCTION authorities to phase out these Rickshaw manufacturing presently tions with further specific advantages. Figure 8. Tandem: Not much longer than Figure 12. Smilebike: The bike for special To illustrate the pollution problem rickshaws. These nonpolluting vehicles is a footpath industry with no quality a ‘normal’ bike occasions. mentioned above, in India there are are being replaced by polluting (both control and there are as many rick- close to 18 million petrol-engine- air and noise pollution) petrol- and shaw designs as cities in which they PRESENT STATUS powered two-wheelers and about diesel-powered three-wheelers. Our ply. These rickshaws are so poorly The multispeed direct-drive hub is 1.5 million petrol- and diesel-powered data show that three-wheeler diesel made that often they have to be not yet a reality, but a prototype should three-wheelers. The population of “tempos” in Lucknow city (capital of replaced completely every two years. be finished in 2000. The test bike used these vehicles is growing at a rate of Uttar Pradesh) produce a noise of Thus there is a need to improve the until now has only one gear, with a ratio about 15% per annum. Besides being a close to 70–80 decibels at a distance of existing rickshaw and bring quality of 1:2.5 and without a freewheel. When major hazard to people’s health, these 1–2 m, besides emitting huge amounts control into its manufacture. the prototype is finished, the author machines consume petroleum prod- of particulates into the air . hopes to find a manufacturer who ucts for which the NEWLY-DEVELOPED MODELS Figure 6. Recumbent tricycle: with direct would be interested in producing a hub country has to pay Our institute has therefore designed drive this trike neither requires a differ- ential nor is it driven on just one side. for general sale. There are no restric- dearly in foreign- and developed three types of rick- Figure 9. Recumbent, carbon: This form tions on production and sale of the hub exchange outflow. shaws: (1) an improved pedal-cycle won’t be “laid in chains”! anywhere the world except Germany: An electric cycle rickshaw; (2) a motor-assisted pedal- the patents are German. rickshaw can pro- cycle rickshaw; and (3) a completely vide a nonpolluting battery-driven rickshaw called ELEC- Thomas Kretschmer is an engineer and silent trans- SHA™. The details of the work accom- working in a small German company. port system for plished follow. Until now, bicycle construction was urban and rural Improved only a hobby for him. areas of India. It is pedal-cycle rickshaw (IPCR) —Thomas Kretschmer in addition a very The new design of pedal rickshaw Nithackstraße 4 energy-efficient has a five-speed gear, a reduction in D-10585 Berlin, Germany and cost-effective the length of the long chain drives used E-mail: [email protected] vehicle. Work done in existing rickshaws, back-wheel brak- Figure 10. Funbike—with a drive immune Figure 7. Cargo Bike: Don’t be working Telephone: +49 30 348 27 59 at our institute has ing, better suspension and a lower to sand, water and mud Figure 1. NARI improved pedal-cycle rickshaw (IPCR) on a chain gang! shown that aerodynamic drag than the existing 14 Number 49, winter 1999–2000 Human Power Human Power Number 49, winter 1999–2000 15 rickshaws, as shown in figure 1, the his seat. This would be a major these autorickshaws travel about the rickshaw puller can easily go with the reduced fare for ELECSHA, charging stations will have to be sorted improved NARI rickshaw. Tests done at improvement for him. A simple strategy 50–60 km per day. Based upon these 30–40 km/day. The addition of a five- the owner can make a good profit. This out. our institute have also shown that it has been employed in this rickshaw. A data it was felt that an electric rick- speed gear could therefore increase his is because of the low running cost of The electricity to power these batter- enables a rickshaw puller to take two manual contact switch allows the rick- shaw designed to run 60–80 km/charge earnings substantially.