Pedal powered machines could be a valuable backup solution to intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Human power is available 24 hours per day, is not affected by changes in the weather, is portable and can easily be stored for later use. Below is an overview of online sources and books which can be helpful for constructing pedal powered machines that generate electricity and/or drive devices via a direct mechanical transmission.
Update: In 2022, Low-tech Magazine made its own pedal power generator, which is pictured below.
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It should be noted that generating electricity introduces energy losses which can be avoided for some devices that can be powered in a mechanical way.
FREE
- Prototype Human Power Plant
- When low-tech goes IKEA: full plans for a pedal powered juice extractor
- Mayapedal has illustrated instructions for their most popular pedal powered machines with direct mechanical transmission. To be able to view the more detailed plans you have to download Sketchup.
Instructables has step-by-step instructions for the nut sheller of the Full Belly Project. The manual can also be inspiring to build other pedal powered machines. Instructables also has a couple of manuals for building a pedal powered blender, a detailed plan and two concise manuals for converting your bike to a bike powered electricity generator, and a manual for converting an exercise bike into a generator.
- Plans for a human powered student building.
- Woody Roy Parker offers free plans for his Juicycle, a pedal powered blender. Registration required.
- Manual for a pedal powered generator, to combine with a road bicycle. No welding required.
- Building instructions for the Dual-Purpose Bicyle designed by Job Ebenezer.
- "The Dynapod: a pedal power unit", Alex Weir, 1980. This book (pdf) contains plans for a universal pedal powered machine that can be used to drive many different appliances. Read more about it here. Somewhat obsolete but inspiring.
- "Pedal Power in Work, Leisure and Transportation", James McCullagh, 1977. This book contains more information and building instructions for the multi-purpose Energy Cycle. Read more about it here.
- Lots of inspiration can be found looking at pedal powered machines from the end of the nineteenth century.
- For an introduction to all these machines, read: "Pedal powered farms and factories: the forgotten future of the stationary bicycle".
- The power potential of various exercise machines.
NOT FREE
"The Human-Powered Home: Choosing Muscles Over Motors
", Tamara Dean, 2008. This book contains, apart from a history of human powered machines, about a dozen of building plans for pedal powered machines. Most of them have a direct mechanical transmission, but there is also a plan for an electricity generator. It is probably the best collection of plans available at the moment, but a good knowledge of English is required since there are few technical drawings.
- Plans for the Pedal Powered Prime Mover made by David Butcher are sold for $50. No welding required. Read more about it here.
- Plans for a pedal powered wool carding machine.