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ABSTRACT
A maize shelling, fitness and electric generation bicycle was designed and fabricated as a fun way to meet the maize processing needs of rural farmers, help keep the human operators fit as an exercise bicycle and to serve as an alternative source of electrical energy generation and storage to power low wattage electrical devices through the electro-mechanical mechanism via the pedaling of the bicycle. The machine comprises of various components which include a structural metal frame, an alternator for electro-mechanical energy conversion, shelling drum and spikes for maize shelling, pedals for turning the wheel of the bicycle for exercise and fitness needs, chains and sprocket. The velocity ratio between the cycle sprocket and the shelling disc was 1.8 while the velocity ratio of the cycle wheel/ alternator pulley and cycle sprocket/alternator pulley were 0.12 and 0.3 respectively. Test conducted on the multi-purpose bicycle after fabrication showed that it can be operated by virtually a large spread of age groups with sound mental alertness. The machine could be operated as exercise device with males and females who rode on it experiencing sweat out after about 35minutes and 20 minutes respectively which meets an average time requirement for daily exercising. The machine was also able to shell maize with a shelling efficiency estimate at 98.7% with an average output of 20kg/hr. Electrical power generated through the alternator was estimated to be about 750 watts. The fabricated multipurpose bicycle therefore proved to be effective as an agro processing and fitness machine. The energy generated from it was able to power low wattage electrical devices like phone bulbs, radios for about 40 minutes.
