WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Proposal on: - design of solar power assisted wheelchair

April 2022
WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY

Proposal on: - design of solar power assisted wheelchair By:-

Name ID NO
• BEDRU HELIL……........................................ENG/R/306/10

• EBRAHIM MOSSA…………………………ENG/R/724/10
 • ASHAGRE BELAYINEH…………………...ENG/R/419/10

ADVISOR: MR. TSGAYE G.

April 2022
Wolaita sodo university

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to express our deep sense of gratitude and regard to our project guide Mr. TSEGAYE G.
(Instructor), school of Mechanical Engineering Department, Wolaita Sodo University Institute of
Technology, for his invaluable guidance, counsel and encouragement. It has been a reviving and
rewarding experience for as to work under him.

We also express our sincere thanks to faculty members of the school of Mechanical Engineering
for their encouragement and also for extending all possible school facilities.

The greatest blessing, we enjoyed in all these years is the selfless, unwavering and unconditional
love, strength and support given to us by our Parents and our relatives to complete this work. We
express our sincere thanks to our friends for their help rendered in all respects

At last, but not the least, we are thankful to everyone who helped as directly or indirectly to
complete this work.
 ABSTRACT

There are millions of people in the world and also in our countries who have lost their abilities to
walk by themselves due to diseases, traffic accidents, wars, and natural disasters and also in
nature during born etc. Meanwhile, with the growth of population and the increment of the
disabilities being perform tasks independently and have the desire of enjoy walking from one
area to another area without the help of others wheelchairs are the first assistive device for these
disables. Manual self-propelled wheelchairs need human effort to move from place to place and
the user doesn’t travel more distance to perform their day to day activity as they need and they
want. Powered wheelchairs that are electrical wheelchairs require charging stations or home
charging adapter. It’s difficult to get full electrical power access for this requirement at anywhere
and anytime especially in developing countries due to the purchasing ability and the electric
power is not available everywhere at their traveling place. Therefore the design has the aim of
reducing human effort, enable the user to propel by them and propel the wheelchair with solar
power assisted. Power gained from the sun is converted into electrical power by solar cells and
stored in the battery cell. The motor gain electrical power from this battery and convert it in to
motion. This motor is connected with shaft in the rear wheel by gear to transfer the motion. The
steering system in front wheel used to control direction of wheelchair motion. Lastly our
designed wheelchair will be effective and compatible for our country Ethiopia.
 CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction
There are millions of people in the world and also in our countries who have lost their abilities to
walk by themselves due to diseases, traffic accidents, wars, and natural disasters and also in
nature during born etc. Meanwhile, with the growth of population and the increment of the
disabilities being perform tasks independently and have the desire of enjoy walking from one
area to another area without the help of others wheelchairs are the first assistive device for these
disables. For these individuals, wheelchairs that are available in our countries are driven
manually by the user itself or push by a normal person and also with a least amount; powered
wheel chairs are available in developing countries including our country Ethiopia. Wheelchairs
are often varying on their modes of propulsion or driving mode such as manually driven,
electrically power driven and solar power alone driven wheelchairs. [1]

So we need to develop and prototyping solar power assisted wheelchair (SPAW). This project is
the result of a design and prototyping of a SPAW that would enable the user to perform all
functions present in today Wheelchair that is (Wheelchair with a chargeable battery on the wall
or power driven that is with solar energy source depending on the users interest) and propel
manually. Studies showed that 40% of the helpers who helped physically challenged person for
moving the disables suffering from the back and joint pains, so that to minimize or avoid this
problem people have designed wheelchairs with varies applications and different features. [2]

It is expected that this Wheelchair would enable people especially the disabilities and elders with
back pain to move from place to place by themselves and perform their day to day activities
efficiently and would reduce time and man power. A SPAW is a wheelchair that is propelled by
means of an electric motor and manual power as an alternative. They may also be used not just
by disables but also by people with cardiovascular and fatigue problems. An advantage of SPAW
is that it can be recycled as long as the motors are well maintained.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

There are different types of wheelchairs with different features and purpose. Those wheelchairs
have different problems.
• Manual self-propelled wheelchairs need human effort to move from place to place and
the user doesn’t travel more distance to perform their day to day activity. They need more
 effort when they move on slop roads. It is tedious to move long distance rods in this
condition. As a result thus a manual type of wheelchair does not give more confidence
and independence to the disable one. Also during sunny time it’s difficult to travel as they
have not shade above to user head.
• Powered wheelchairs that are electrical wheelchairs require charging stations or home
charging adapter. It’s difficult to get full electrical power access for this requirement at
anywhere and anytime especially in developing countries due to the purchasing ability
and the electric power is not available everywhere at their traveling place.
• In remote areas people with moving difficult or the disable need to move place to place
and cover long distances by themselves to overcome the problems related to the above
mentioned reasons.
Therefore the design has the aim of reducing human effort, enable the user to propel by them and
propel the wheelchair with solar power assisted. Shade the person from sun radiation by the solar
panel besides its radiation absorption function.

1.3 OBJECTIVE
1.3.1 General Objective
The objective of this project is to design a SPAW for patients, paraplegic’s individuals and senior
adults in order to overcome the problem associated with moving them from place to place and
enable the wheelchair that is power driven with chargeable battery and a renewable solar energy
power assist.

1.3.2 Specific Objective

Increasing safety, strength, durability, reliability, and suitability, is the design criteria. And an
alternative use of power source is the aim of the project.
The specific objective of the project is focused on:
• To design and modify frame and seat

• Design of foldable frame for solar panel

• To calculate the power required and the size of solar panel required

• To perform Selection of battery ,motor and charge controller

1.4 Significance
• Utilization of clean energy source reduces pollution and save energy wasted.

• Offer reliable and abundant energy source to charge the wheelchair almost anywhere
exposed to sunlight.
 • Wheelchair should meet the user’s needs and environmental conditions.

• Provides proper fit and postural support. (ergonomic design and functionality)

1.5 Scope
The scope this design projects was on the detail design and analysis of each component of solar
power assisted wheelchair and to draw out the detail drawing of each component and assembly
drawing using auto CAD software with the help of optimization concept and design procedure.

1.6 METHODOLOGY
Material selection
For design of wheelchair we will try to select different types of materials can be used.
Aluminum, mild steel, stainless steel and iron are some of them. We select thus material because
it has:
• Highly ductile,
• Easily machinable,
• High tensile strength, corrosion resistance, relatively less weight and high yield strength.

1.7 Expected results

After complete these we try to

• Minimize the coast

• Minimize the labor or efforts of disable person

• Minimize the cost of power

• We try to design safe, suitable and less power consumable solar power wheelchair

1.8 Work plan

Table

Works w1 w2 w3 w W5 W6 W7 W8
4

• Gathering information about my project

• Preparing proposal

• Preparing introduction

• Preparing problem statement

• Preparing objective

• Preparing scope and significance of the project

• Identifying methodology

• Preparing literature
 • Recheck everything I done before

• Designing of each component care fully

• Give important recommendation

• Analysis costs required for the project.

• Prepare for the final thesis defense

1.9 BUGDET PLAN

• Work starting budget

Table

Material Quantity Cost

• Paper 400 pieces 75 cent per piece = 300birr
• Pen 10 pieces 10 birr per piece =100birr
• Transport - 300 birr
• Food - 600birr
• information Internet, books, journals 100 birr
Total cost - 1400

Conclusion
We are try to design and modeling a wheelchair that is driven by dual propulsion mode depend
on the user interest, either manually by the user themselves or push by another healthy person or
by power driven mode electrically which is extracted from sunlight through panel and stored in
the battery which is delivered to the motors and then to the rear wheels. The designed wheelchair
will be effective and compatible for our country Ethiopia The principal features of the proposed
wheelchair are as follows:
(1) A solar panel to serve as an auxiliary power supply, thereby increasing the travel range;
(2) A joystick mechanism to enable the user to switch at will between a manual operation mode
and an electric operation mode;
(3) A dedicated DC motor for each wheel to improve the wheelchair maneuverability.

Reference
[1] Dewel guan (2010), Design and Improve Energy Efficiency and Functionalities of Electrical
Wheelchairs
[2] Hillman, M. (19 July 2006). Wheelchair wheels for use on sand. Medical Engineering &
Physics, 243–247
[3] http//:www.ehow.com/how-does4744785solar-car-work.html