About

The National Fluid Power Association holds a yearly competition for college students, challenging us to rethink how bikes work by using fluid power. Imagine pedaling a bike where your energy powers a hydraulic pump, which moves fluid through a motor to turn the wheels. It’s like water flowing through a mill, but the energy flows through tubes to make the bike move. Our team designed a three-wheeled bike that combines pedaling with hydraulics. We chose key parts like a hydraulic accumulator to store energy, solenoid valves to direct fluid flow for mode selection, and mountain bike wheels for strength and durability. Each part works together to make the bike faster, more efficient, and easier to control. Since this was our university’s first time in the competition, learning about hydraulics was a big challenge. We began with what we knew and purchased the right bike frame, before focusing on hydraulic components. We sought advice from engineers who work with hydraulics and conducted our own research to design a system that balances power and control. Our system lets the rider pedal smoothly while storing energy for sprints. We tested everything, from how much pressure the system holds to how quickly it responds to the rider, ensuring the bike works in different race modes. We competed in Ames, Iowa, in four events: a sprint race, an efficiency race, an endurance race, and a regenerative braking test.  Our team completed all the races and placed well in the awards, especially for the midway and final reviews. By using hydraulic power, the NFPA enables us to learn the essentials of hydraulics, which is a subject not commonly taught in universities. By allowing us to learn this field, it brings awareness to a subject that goes largely unnoticed by many engineers, both old and new.