FABRICATION OF AUTOMATIC AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZERS SPRAYING MACHINE
E7_FinalReport
1. E7 Irrigation
ME 270 Final Report
Fall 2013, Section E
Team E7 Irrigation
Team Members: Fang Cui
Trinh Huynh
Theodore Marth
Christopher Schmidt
Ryan Woody
2. 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
Report 5
1. Project Description 5
2. Customer Requirements 5
3. Specifications and Benchmarking 6
4. Design Concept 7
5. Function, Failure, and Analysis 8
6. Prototype 10
7. Testing 12
8. Final Design and Business Plan 13
References Cited 15
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Appendices
A. Project Charter
B. Justification for Selected Concept
C. Prototype Assembly Drawings
D. Fabrication Plan Summary
E. Testing Plan – Methodology
F. Business Plan - Complete
G. Profit & Loss Statements
H. Business Plan References
I. Final Design Drawing
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3. 3
Executive Summary
It’s a problem, especially in Mali, Africa where the people are primarily subsistence farmers, and
they are still using primitive farming techniques. They get about a third less rainfall and have an
average income of about 2% of averaged income in the US. Our customers need an irrigation
system that will provide consistent performance with minimal user input this would allow the
customer the freedom to spend more time on other business opportunities. Because of this, team
E7 came up with an introduction of a simply constructed, inexpensive method of pumping
groundwater for irrigation. This product has market potential in the developed world as well.
Primary customers for this product are subsistence farmer in Mali, Africa. They are the one who
need irrigation system for their fields so that they can improve the yield percent. Customers
require an irrigation system to have simple and safe construction, operation, and maintenance.
Among many great concepts about the irrigation system that E7 Irrigation has come up with such
as Wind Turbine, Bicycle, and Solar, E7 Irrigation decided to go with Wind Turbine concept. The
Wind Turbine concept consists of vertical axis wind turbine, gears, and piston pump.
The highlighted engineering specifications for this product are the efficient flow rate of 300 L/hr
(83.3 mL/s), interlinkable aspect, automatically operation at wind speed of 30 mph, sturdy
construction, and made of available locally materials. The Wind Turbine met the specifications and
requirements shown by analysis and prototype testing. The fabrication plan shows simple steps
for the complementation of this product. The results from Prototype Testing show that the wind
turbine of the prototype will spin at wind speed of 29 mph. For the final product, it will have
bigger turbine blades, so the required wind speed would be smaller, like 10 mph. This satisfies the
requirement of the 30 mph wind speed. The prototype’s flow rate is 1.2L/min, which is little
higher than what team E7 expected to be 1L/min. In conclusion, based on the testing results on
prototype, E7 can foresee that the final product will satisfy the required start up wind speed,
sturdy construction, interlinkable aspect, and made of available locally materials specification.
E7 intends to focus primarily on individual farming groups to begin with. These initial case studies
will generate successes which can be capitalized into increasing sales to Entrepreneurs and Aid
organizations. By year six, E7 intends to only perform individual installations in order to showcase
newly developed products. An initial investment of $300,000 will be required. The company is
projected to earn its first profit in the latter half of year three. The remaining initial investment
will be paid in the first Quarter of year four. By avoiding many of the costs associated with
manufacturing a product, requiring a smaller initial debt with correspondingly low interest
payments, and maintaining a much lower payroll, the Entrepreneur has the opportunity to turn a
profit much sooner.
Team E7 will market the Single Wind Generator Kit (SWGK) directly to small scale subsistence
farmers in Mali and other West African nations. The Wind generator is a modular design capable
of pumping water or generating electricity. The water pump feature will enable small scale
irrigation (up to one acre) using a drip irrigation system. In a region where the dry season is nine
months long, irrigation of any sort would help the farmer’s yield. This increase in yield translates
to an improved economic situation for the farmer. The Wind Generators are stackable, allowing
for more power to be generated at lower wind speeds which translates to more water pumped.
4. 4
The second version of the Wind Generator will be sold as Customizable Pallets. Team E7 will sell
the rights to install and service the Wind Generator to local entrepreneurial individuals. These
entrepreneurs will be trained and certified by E7 in the manufacture, installation, and
maintenance of the product. They will also be trained on the importance of customer service and
its potential for future revenue. Each entrepreneur will manufacture the Wind Generator using
locally available materials and labor. E7 will provide any sub-assembly or any part of the
Generator that the entrepreneur cannot acquire or manufacture to a satisfactory quality locally.
Specially trained Regional Field Experts will inspect and recertify the entrepreneurs’ operations to
ensure that a high quality product is being sold and properly installed. Entrepreneurs’ prior
installs will be audited to ensure that E7 Innovation’s high standard of customer service is being
maintained.
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1. Project Description
Mali is one of many countries in Africa that has little or no irrigation for their crops. It has long dry
season from nine to eleven months and it receives 250 to 500 millimeters of rain per year1. It is
extremely in need for water not only for its hectares of crop, but also for its people. Mali has up to
99.8% of ground water untapped2, but still has no access to modern farming techniques.
This opens an opportunity to provide some economic relief to the inhabitants of Tiby, Mali and
similar villages around the world by introducing a simply constructed, inexpensive method of
pumping groundwater for irrigation. This product has market potential in the developed world as
well, primarily as an electric generator in extremely isolated area.
Residents of Tiby, Mali rely almost entirely on small-scale farming as a source of income. This
technology would help to increase agricultural yields, and thereby generate additional revenue for
its users. The product's alternative use is as an electric generator that has the potential to help
extend the productivity of its users via electric light and radio.
People in extremely primitive farming villages in the developing world are the primary end users
of this product. Administrators of large wilderness type parks in the developed world would also
have use for the product. The product developer has the potential to generate social and economic
progress in the developing world. This progress could also be realized with an economic profit if
design and marketing goals were met. At completion, this project delivers a reliable, inexpensive,
and low maintenance method for pumping water.
2. Customer Requirements
The Customer Requirements qualitatively demonstrates what each customer (end user,
entrepreneur, manufacturer) needs in an irrigation pump. The intended end-user of this product
will be poor, independent farmers in Mali. These farmers primarily need the following in an
irrigation pump:
30 meters Draw depth (since water table of Mali is 25m deep)
Ready availability of required tools
Low cost of repair and maintenance
Low level of training/skill required for operation
Scalable service level (customers can buy and stack water pump one on another for
more sufficient pump and more amount of water pumped)
Safe operation
Culturally acceptable
Low Level of literacy required for operation, repair, maintenance
Overall Suitable for Irrigation
This product must also satisfy the needs of local entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs would require
foremost:
Low Production Cost
High Number of Potential Customers
Built of locally available materials
6. 6
Low level of training/skill required for operation
Culturally Acceptable
This product must be able to be manufactured at a reasonable cost. Local import taxes approach
30%, therefore some features that would benefit the manufacturer are:
Low skill of labor required for manufacture
Standard Parts
Low level of literacy required for construction
Other current competitive products are available including Playpump, India Mark II, Super Money
Maker, and the Arusha Windmill, but they either have high production/maintenance cost or low
inefficient pumping ability to satisfy customer requirements. Although all of these products satisfy
some of the customer requirements, none satisfies all. Therefore, this product will promise to
satisfy all the customer requirements.
3. Specifications and Benchmarking
Ranking the product features according to the customer requirements allows recognition of
product features that are most correlated to the needs of the customers. Simple construction and
automatic operation are the features the customer finds most important. It is difficult to set
benchmarking data for these features to compare to the competitors, because the features are
mostly qualitative, not quantitative. Some other important technical metrics and features that
customers also concern about are sufficient draw depth, reasonable flow rate, water storage
available, standard hardware, sturdy construction, simple maintenance/repair, and serviceable
with locally available tools. Some customer requirements are unable to correlate to a specific
product feature, such as culturally acceptable. No easily identified feature would satisfy the need
to be culturally acceptable but instead is a requirement that needs to be met during the actual
implementation of the product within the designated cultural sect. From the comparison of the
competitive products, engineering specifications describe the sufficient draw depth to be 30
meters and flow rate of 300 liters per hour to be adequate. Super Money-Maker Pump did not
meet the requirement for the sufficient draw depth. Considering the automatic operation as one of
the most important feature, three out of four competitors did not include this feature.
Interlinkability/economy of scale is another feature absent from all competitors. The Arusha
Windmill is the biggest competitor since it satisfies more of the customer requirements than any
other competitors, but it does not have clear constructing manual so it is difficult to be build at
another location without the founder. Therefore, this product will make sure to satisfy all the
failures of competitors and add more great features to it, so users would have a best product that
is worth their spending.
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4. Design Concept
The most basic processes of the irrigation project were described in the Process Diagram, namely;
Acquire Water, Store Water, and Deliver Water. These basic processes were expanded upon to
create approximately a dozen functions and sub-functions. These include fairly general
descriptions of the major individual functions, including what types of pumps should be used, how
to store excess water, and how to apply the water to the crops.
Each function will have multiple ideas for how each function and sub-function could be performed.
These individual function ideas were combined, using information from the identified customer
requirements and engineering features, to create a number of product concepts. Of the ten or so
concepts generated, four were chosen.
A Function Block Diagram was then created for each of the concepts included in the QFD Matrix,
The Function Block Diagram describes each function of a concept in loose mathematical terms.
This provides an objective method for determining the best design concept. During the Analysis
Phase, E7 Irrigation team came up with four designs for the irrigation project. They are Vertical
Axis Wind Turbine (Wind Turbine), Bicycle, Solar Panels, and Gas Engine Pump. Each design has
its own strength that the team could hardly say which one is on top of the others.
These four concepts were evaluated based on the customer requirements. The Wind Turbine and
Bicycle pump have highest ranking score compared to Solar Panels and Gas Engine pump. The
Wind Turbine pump satisfies all customer requirements, while the Bicycle only fails for the
minimum labor input. Team E7 Irrigation decided to take Wind Turbine pump concept as the final
design with the bicycle pump as a backup plan for the reliability, because Wind Turbine pump can
be operated with the bicycle pump, too. The Wind Turbine pump was selected as final design
because its other components such as Gears, Piston, Water tower, Gravity Fed Hose, and Drip
Irrigation combine the Wind Turbine pump to become a great pumping system. The team
considers Bicycle pump as a backup plan since it can replace the Wind Turbine pump in the
pumping system and the system will still be working well, but there would be more specific design
in the future to come when the team actually building the real model of the pump.
10. 10
During the analysis process, the team develops the math model and comes up with many possible
failure modes to the irrigation design. To begin, the mathematical concepts for each function were
to be defined. This was accomplished by doing much research and putting much time into
ensuring that the equations found were correct. In the project, Team E7 is in control of many
parts of the windmill, such as radius of rotor, length of blades, and radius of output shaft. These all
play a big part in the amount of power created from a certain wind power. Team E7 can also
control the mechanical efficiency of the system which will then allow the power to be more fully
transmitted. In the pump itself, Team E7 can control the cross-sectional area of the pump which
will allow for better flow rate while making the pump require more power. The other control
which Team E7 can control is how much storage is at hand, that is, how many days’ worth of water
the customer should be able to store.
While completing the Trade-offs section of the QFD Matrix, Team E7 found that sufficient draw
depth were trade-offs because as it goes deeper, it will take more force from the windmill to
power each stroke, which would create the need for larger gear ratio and causing the strokes on
the pump to take longer. Also, keeping the design simple and making the product entirely out of
available materials greatly limited the project in terms of draw depth, flow rate, making it
automatically operate, and allowing for upgrades. These are two areas that may become less
necessary to Team E7’s project as they are so limiting.
Team E7 found that there were many instances in which this product could fail, such as blockage
in the pipe, cracked pipe, blockage in the turbine, rusty bearing, and worn out gasket. To solve
many of these issues, the team set forth a plan of regular maintenance and surveillance of the
irrigation pump in order to spot the problem prior to it causing a mess as well as a stoppage in the
flow of water. Other failures that came into play had much to do with the installation of the well
or pump themselves. In order to combat this, E7 laid out a plan to ensure ways in which the pump
must be checked to ensure proper working conditions at installation while there are trained
professionals on sight.
6. Prototype
The motivation for this irrigation prototype is to build a model representing the desired irrigation
solution for Tiby, Mali. The product concept for irrigation project is called the Vertical Axis Wind
Turbine. Its features are the pre-existing well, the vertical axis wind turbine, gears, reciprocating
piston, water tower, and drip irrigation. The prototype is also used to test the concept of irrigation
equipment. This prototype will be firstly tested on its ability to pump water. Then secondly, it will
be tested on its draw depth for its pumping water ability. All the tests will be scaled since the size
of prototype is smaller to the desired product. The team expects to anticipate learning the
pumping water ability, the draw depth, and the efficiency of this prototype. From there, the team
could alter the design to have it work more efficient. In order to build this prototype, the team is
required to purchase some parts such as: hinge, brace, plywood, lumber, nut, machine screw, and
wood screw. These parts are mostly made from the material of zinc steel. There are also other
type of material like wood and alloy. The cost for all of these parts is added up to about $97.59.
These parts mostly should be purchased from the vendor Grainger, and some should be purchased
from Lowe’s.
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For the fabrication plan, the prototype is broken down into pieces so that the team can assign each
member the individual part to fabricate. For the overview of the fabrication plan, the team need to
have the following parts fabricated: turbine base, housing base, housing edges, side panels, lever
arm, pump arm, rotating plate, and supporting base. After these parts are done in their own
fabrication plan, each type of assembly fabrication will be performed, such as housing assembly,
turbine assembly, base assembly, and supporting assembly. After all, all individual assembly will
be put together as one completed prototype. In general, most parts will be fabricated by
measuring, cutting, drilling, and fastening.
In general, there is no such step that is considered as most crucial to complete in the fabrication
plan for this prototype, because each part needed to be fabricated in simple steps such as
measuring, cutting, drilling, and fastening. All actions will be performed mostly with the help from
machines, therefore no hard labor required to this.
Although this fabrication has no crucial step, it does require much time and expert to complete it.
Members have to be very patient and careful while fabricating each individual part, otherwise,
each part will have different tolerances, then the team will have difficult time later to put all parts
together. Also, the material used for this prototype’s housing is wood, therefore each drilling or
fastening action should be done in very careful manner, and otherwise the wood material will be
damaged easily. In conclusion, the fabrication plan lies out step by step to fabricate each part and
each assembly. By following the fabrication plan, the prototype will be fabricated well and
successfully.
FIGURE 3: Picture taken from
SolidWorks model of irrigation
prototype
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7. Testing
In the phase of the verification, team E7 will place the prototype under the test to demonstrate the
rotating ability of turbine under low wind speed, pumping capacity, and turbine efficiency. First
test, start-up wind speed test, will measure the minimum wind speed in which it will make wind
turbine rotate. Second test, the pumping capacity test, will measure the amount of the pumped
water (flow rate). The data collected from this test will be compared with the proposed flow rate
for customer requirements. The third test, turbine efficiency test, will measure the output torque
at various wind speeds. From these three different tests, the team is aiming to find out if the
turbine could operate at low input wind speed, the flow rate of pump at various wind speeds, and
the ability of turbine to generate reasonable amount of torque. These three test are very important
because they will bring team E7 closer to view prototype to find know about the prototype’s
ability of operating specific tested functions. In case the failure mode occurred, the team can study
from these tests to find out what caused the failures. Those results will also suggest team E7 to
improve or modify the prototype design so it could operate more efficient to meet customer's
requirement. Data will be collected/calculated from the tests are the input wind speed, rotational
velocity of turbine, magnitude of generated torque, volume of pumped water, current, and voltage.
In order to be able to perform those tests above, team E7 should have the following equipments:
fan, buckets, digital multimeter, non-contact techometer, environmental meter, measuring cups,
and DC motor.
From the test one, team E7 found out the minimum wind speed that spins the turbine was 29 mph.
This result was obtained from results of couple trials that team E7 allowed the different wind
speeds in strength blowing directly to the turbine. This test found out that in order to get the
turbines spinning, the wind had to contact with surface of the turbine. The result from this test
compared to the math model was quite great. Team E7 expected to see the minimum wind speed
of 30mph. The results from this test also suggested team to modify the turbine housing, in which
the team should give the housing more surface so the wind could contact more with the turbine
blades. Therefore, the minimum wind speed required to spin the turbine will decrease.
In the test two, the average flow rate was 18.1 mL/s. This result was obtained by considering all
flow rates that team E7 collected from different wind speed inputs. In general, different wind
speeds generated different flow rates.
In the test three, at different wind speed inputs, team E7 obtained the current and voltage as the
prototype was in the operation. Team E7 found out from the data that the faster the wind speed
was, the higher the current and voltage were.
All the results from three tests above gave the team a deep look about the prototype, which should
be modified on specific parts to improve the efficiency. The prototype satisfied the required
minimum wind speed to start the turbine.
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8. Final Design and Business Plan
The market for agricultural solutions in West Africa is extremely large; where upwards of 65% of
the population is engaged in near-subsistence level agriculture. E7 Innovation has identified three
primary market segments that they will market their products to. The first segment consists of
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including relief organizations such as The Global
Alliance for Africa and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The second segment consists of
local entrepreneurs that will utilize skilled local installers to implement and maintain the systems
while charging a fee to the individual farmer/co-operative (Co-op). The third segment consists of
the individual farmer/co-operative themselves. This segment will require marketing the systems
directly to the farmer/Co-op and will utilize E7 Innovation “Ambassadors” to educate the
farmer/Co-op on the installation of the systems and on their maintenance. Indicators show that in
the West African nation of Mali alone there are upwards of 1.5M individual farming groups with a
3% annual growth rate.
E7 has two competitive edges to gain market penetration. The first is the design of the product.
Few other pumps developed for this purpose operate in an automatic fashion. This feature,
combined with the extreme ruggedness of the construction and lessons learned by studying the
successes and failures of other water pumps deployed to the region, allows E7 to offer a truly
unique and fantastic product. The second edge is E7’s dedication to its customers. Studies have
shown that upwards of 40% of pumps installed by relief organizations in Africa are broken or
unused. E7 will counter this trend by implementing an aggressive product survey and repair
program whereby E7 “Ambassadors” will ensure that the product is installed correctly, and return
to the product periodically for inspection and repair/adjustment. The Ambassadors will also
ensure that the users are instructed on basic repairs and maintenance.
An initial investment of $300,000 will be required. The company is projected to earn its first profit
in the latter half of year three. The remaining initial investment will be paid in the first Quarter of
year four.
E7’s flagship product will be a simply constructed, modular, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT).
The VAWT’s primary function will be to pump water for irrigation purposes on small farms in
Africa.
The rural African farmer has specific needs in the product they purchase. These needs are
expanded upon in the next section. The VAWT will be made of inexpensive materials which can be
repaired easily with simple hand tools. The materials used are easily substituted for materials
which might be more easily accessible locally.
In addition to simplicity, the African farmer also needs multi-functionality. To address this need,
the VAWT will have an attachment, sold separately, designed to generate electricity and charge
medium sized 12V batteries. This will allow the farmer to extend the workday by using lights and
also operate other small electric appliances. For more
In order to make the VAWT system more dependable, a water storage system will also be offered.
This storage system will consist of interlinked plastic barrels mounted horizontally on a wooden
frame. This storage system will allow the farmer to irrigate his fields even in low wind conditions.
The VAWT also has an optional stationary bicycle attachment which allows the farmer to utilize
the pump during very long periods of low wind conditions.
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The final solution satisfies the original design goals, so E7 decided to go with it. For the final
design, E7 will have some features such as the turbine blades, E7 is going to use the recycled
barrels which are locally available in Mali. By doing this, E7 will increase the blade surface area of
final product by 15 times compared to the prototype. This will decrease the required wind speed
to 10 mph to make the blade of final product spin, while the prototype need wind speed to be 30
mph. About the closeable panels, they have safety functions in which they prevent damage caused
by excessive/strong wind. And they allow users to shut-off the pump when they want. E7 also
have gear, so in case there is no wind, users can use the bicycle to gear power the pump. For the
housing and support system, E7 plan to use strong but inexpensive, and standardized dimension
lumber and plywood, because team E7 wants to keep the implementation cost down.
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References Cited
1. Millennium Villages | Tiby, Mali. 2013. Millennium Villages | Tiby, Mali, viewed 6
September 2013,
<http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/tiby-mali/>
2. Mali-Population and Water Issues. 2013. Mali-Population and Water Issues, viewed 6
September 2013,
<http://www.aaas.org/international/eh>
17. 17
B.Justification for Selected Concept (DONE)
Team E7 Irrigation decided to take Wind Turbine pump concept as the final design with the
bicycle pump as a backup plan for the reliability, because Wind Turbine pump can be operated
with the bicycle pump, too. The Wind Turbine pump was selected as final design because its other
components such as Gears, Piston, Water tower, Gravity Fed Hose, and Drip Irrigation combine the
Wind Turbine pump to become a great pumping system. The team considers Bicycle pump as a
backup plan since it can replace the Wind Turbine pump in the pumping system in case there is no
wind to get turbine blades spinning, and the system will still be working well
The highlighted engineering specifications for this product are the efficient flow rate of 300 L/hr
(83.3 mL/s), interlinkable aspect, automatically operation at wind speed of 30 mph, sturdy
construction, and made of available locally materials. The Wind Turbine met the specifications and
requirements shown by analysis and prototype testing. The fabrication plan shows simple steps
for the complementation of this product. The results from Prototype Testing show that the wind
turbine of the prototype will spin at wind speed of 29 mph. For the final product, it will have
bigger turbine blades, so the required wind speed would be smaller, like 10 mph. This satisfies the
requirement of the 30 mph wind speed. The prototype’s flow rate is 1.2L/min, which is little
higher than what team E7 expected to be 1L/min. In conclusion, based on the testing results on
prototype, E7 can foresee that the final product will satisfy the required start up wind speed,
sturdy construction, interlinkable aspect, and made of available locally materials specification.
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D.Fabrication Plan Summary
The fabrication process was an exciting learning experience that had its challenges along the way.
Overall, fabrication was fairly quick since the design is simple. The design allowed for fabrication
from top to bottom, so that the simple wood frame could be built first and the pumping
mechanism last. Along the fabrication process, the group noticed minor changes that could be
made to make the design simpler. It was noticed that some of the supports had either too many or
not enough screws than originally planned. To fix this, unnecessary screws were removed from
the housing-support connection and more screws were added to the housing panels. Once the
frame was complete, the pump mechanism turned out to be more difficult to fabricate than
expected. The gearbox was simple to attach but attaching the bike sprocket to the gearbox took a
little longer than expected in order to get the level just right. Once the gear and lever arm were
attached, it seemed that the stroke length on the pump was too long to fit the required
dimensions. To make the stroke length shorter, the length of the lever arm was cut down as small
as can be without touching the PVC assembly and an additional hole closer to the center was
drilled on the gear. The stroke length was as short as it would go so the only way to make the
assembly fit the dimensions was to cut the PVC as well. Although the stroke length was cut below
the designed stroke length, the pump still performs just as it needs to be. Some aspects of the
fabrication process did not turn out as expected. As this became clear, certain actions were made
to modify the original design. Instead of using the original steel quarter inch rod for the pump, the
group switched to an aluminum rod since it serves the same purpose and is also lighter and
cheaper. Also, to get the suction perfect for the pump took much trial and error to look for the
right size and amount of rubber washers. The design was simple so not much training for
equipment was needed, but all tools that were necessary were readily available in the lab.
FIGURE 8: MPI of Turbine Assembly
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FIGURE 9: MPI of Turbine Housing Assembly
FIGURE 10: MPI of Side Panel Assembly
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E. Testing Plan – Methodology
Test 1: Start-up Wind Speed
TEST PLAN
1. Purpose of Test
The purpose of this test is to measure the minimum starting wind speed of the Vertical Axis Wind
Turbine (VAWT) pump assembly. The prototype ought to begin to operate at a reasonable input
wind speed. As the velocity of the applied “wind” is increased, a certain minimum force threshold
will be crossed, and the turbine will begin to rotate. Due to the reduced size of the Turbine’s
surface area, necessary to comply with course imposed constraints, the hypothesized “Start-up
Wind Speed” is significantly higher than that expected of a full scale model in field conditions.
2. Hypothesis
The hypothesized “Start-up Wind Speed” is < 40 mph.
3. Function to be tested
This test will begin the evaluation of the “Generate Power” block of the function diagram. The
minimum operational wind speed necessary to operate the prototype will be established.
4. Failure mode to be tested
This test will evaluate two failure modes:
1.) The VAWT does not rotate
2.) The gearbox is too difficult to turn
5. Data to be collected
Wind speed, rotational velocity
6. How will test affect your design?
If the test determines that the wind speed necessary for initial operation is more than 10mph
greater than the hypothesized value, the team will scrutinize the prototype in order to identify
inefficiencies which might be eliminated or reduced.
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Test 2: Pumping capacities
TEST PLAN
1. Purpose of Test
The purpose of this test is to determine the amount of water produced by the VAWT Pump
Prototype at different input wind speeds. The prototype should pump water at a rate on par with
that predicted by the math model (0.0054L/s) to be the minimum allowable flow rate. The input
wind speeds used in this test are assumed to take into account the severe discrepancy in available
wind collection area of the prototype turbine versus that of a field model. The data should provide
a formula which predicts a flow rate at any given wind speed.
2. Hypothesis
1.) The hypothesized flow rate at a wind speed of 40mph will be > 0.005 L/s
2.) The hypothesized flow rate at a wind speed of 50mph will be > 0.0075 L/s
3.) The hypothesized flow rate at a wind speed of 70mph will be > 0.015 L/s
3. Function to be tested
This test will evaluate the “Acquire Water” block of the function diagram.
4. Failure mode to be tested
This test will evaluate the following failure mode(s)
The piston pump does not provide adequate water flow
5. Data to be collected
Wind speed, rotational velocity, Volume of water pumped in 1.00 minutes
6. How will test affect your design?
If the test determines that the pump design cannot produce water at the minimum required flow
rate, (0.0054L/s), the team will consider modifications to the piston pump design.
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Test 3: Torque
TEST PLAN
1. Purpose of Test
The purpose of this test is to determine the amount of torque produced by the VAWT Pump
Prototype at different input wind speeds. The prototype should generate more torque than
calculated as necessary by the math model (0.57(newton*meter) to be the minimum torque
necessary to pump water from the required depth (1m). The input wind speeds used in this test
are assumed to take into account the severe discrepancy in available wind collection area of the
prototype turbine versus that of a field model. The data should provide a formula which predicts
an output torque at any given wind speed.
2. Hypothesis
The hypothesized torque at a wind speed of 60 mph will be > 0.6Nm
3. Function to be tested
This test will evaluate the “Generate Power” block of the function diagram.
4. Failure mode to be tested
This test will evaluate the following failure mode(s)
The turbine does not provide enough power to pump water from an adequate depth
5. Data to be collected
Wind speed, rotational velocity, current, voltage
6. How will test affect your design?
If the test determines that the prototype cannot produce enough torque to draw water from the
required depth, the pump design will need to be reconsidered.
Business Plan (incl. P&L Statements)
Final Assembly Drawing
26. Business Plan Summary
E7 Innovation is a start-up company registered in Iowa offering dynamic solutions to West African agricultural
problems lead by Ryan Woody, Trinh Huynh, Chris Schmidt, Theo Marth, & Fang Cao.
The Market
The market for agricultural solutions in West Africa is extremely large; where upwards of 65% of the population1
is
engaged in near-subsistence level agriculture. E7 Innovation has identified three primary market segments that they
will market their products to. The first segment consists of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including relief
organizations such as The Global Alliance for Africa and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The second
segment consists of local entrepreneurs that will utilize skilled local installers to implement and maintain the systems
while charging a fee to the individual farmer/co-operative (Co-op). The third segment consists of the individual
farmer/co-operative themselves. This segment will require marketing the systems directly to the farmer/Co-op and will
utilize E7 Innovation “Ambassadors” to educate the farmer/Co-op on the installation of the systems and on their
maintenance. Indicators show that in the West African nation of Mali alone there are upwards of 1.5M individual
farming groups2
with a 3% annual growth rate3
The Products
E7 Innovation will sell two different versions of it’s flagship product, the Wind Generator. The first version will consist
of a single, complete kit designed to be assembled and installed by the individual farmer. Local E7 Innovation
Ambassadors will accompany the delivery of each kit to ensure that the farmer understands the construction and
maintenance instructions. The Ambassador will return to the farmer periodically to ensure that the product is
operating correctly and to offer the farmer upgrades and additional products and services.
The second version will be Customizable Development Pallets (CDP) designed for entrepreneurs and NGOs. These
pallets will consist of the components of the product identified by the installer (NGO or Entrepreneur), with assistance
from E7 Innovation’s Regional Field Experts, as not available or of insufficient quality locally. Included with the CPD
will be complete instructions for manufacturing the not-included components. E7 Innovation’s Regional Field Experts
will work closely with each installer to develop alternatives to the fundamental design to facilitate local construction,
while maintaining a quality end product.
Management
E7 Innovation is being lead by the E7 Innovation Development Team: Ryan Woody, Trinh Huynh, Chris Schmidt,
Theo Marth, & Fang Cao. These individuals have the education and international experience needed to successfully
execute on this business model.
Sales
Initial Sales (Y1) are forecast to be small while E7 Innovation builds it’s market presence in Western Africa and builds
report with NGOs and local entrepreneurs. Years two (Y2) and three (Y3) are expected to see huge increases in
sales. Net profits will correspondingly grow for years two (Y2) and three (Y3) with initial investment being repaid mid-
year three (Q2/Q3 Y3).
FIGURE 11: 3-year Financial Forcast
27. 1.1 Objectives
To become the foremost distributer of customer needs sensitive agricultural equipment in West Africa.
To quickly gain market penetration within the first three years.
To develop a customer satisfaction centered organization based on technology geared toward increasing
the economic prosperity of its customers.
1.2 Mission
E7 Innovation's mission is to become the foremost distributer of customer needs sensitive agricultural equipment in
West Africa, offering high quality products and customer service while helping its customers earn a positive return on
their investment.
1.3 Keys to Success
E7 Innovation has identified three keys to success that help the company grow into a mature market leader:
Providing needs-sensitive, reliable, and simple-to-install and maintain agricultural systems.
Broadening the market for needs-sensitive agricultural equipment implements into a West African cultural
mainstay.
Designing and implementing strict product and service quality controls in order to develop customer
goodwill.
Developing and maintaining tight financial controls.
Company Summary
E7 Innovation has been formed as a Iowa registered Corporation. The main shareholders are Ryan Woody, Trinh
Huynh, Chris Schmidt, Theo Marth, & Fang Cao..
2.1 Company Ownership
E7 Innovation has been established as a CA corporation. The main shareholders are Ryan Woody, Trinh Huynh,
Chris Schmidt, Theo Marth, & Fang Cao, Founders and Chief Officers.
2.2 Start-up Summary
E7 Innovation will require the following items for start-up of the business:
Computer systems- the required components of this system include five stationary terminals, two laser
printers, one 36-inch Large Format Printer, one central server, broadband internet connections, Microsoft
Office for all computers, one QuickBooks Pro licenses, and two Solidworks licenses.
Five Laptops with Mobile LCD Projectors
Website development.
Office furniture including desks, cabinets and chairs for five stations.
Seven extension telephone system including a server-based voice mail system.
Three large white boards.
Promotional displays.
Copier.
Racks and shelving for warehouses.
Forklifts.
Manufacturing tools including table saw, impact drivers, electric drills, wrenches.
Overseas office space and warehouse facilities.
Security.
Vehicles and tools for Ambassadors.
Lodging and Transportation for overseas start-up.
Initial raw material supply.
28. Start-up Funding
Start-up Expenses to Fund 236,000$
Start-up Assets to Fund 64,000$
Total Funding Required 300,000$
Assets
Non-Cash Assets from Start-up 64,000$
Cash Requirements from Start-up 236,000$
Additional Cash Raised -$
Total Assets 300,000$
Liabilities and Capital
Liabilities
Current Borrowing -$
Long-term Liabilities -$
Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) -$
Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) -$
Total Liabilities -$
Capital
Planned Investment
Investor 1 93,000$
Investor 2 62,000$
Additional Investment Requirement 170$
Total Planned Investment 155,170$
Loss at Start-up 236,000$
Total Capital 64,000$
Total Capital and Liabilities 64,000$
Total Funding 300,000$
FIGURE 12: Start-up Funding Breakdown
29. Products
3.1 Products Summary
E7 Innovation’s flagship product will be a simply constructed, modular, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine(VAWT). The
VAWT’s primary function will be to pump water for irrigation purposes on small farms in Africa.
The rural African farmer has specific needs in the product they purchase. These needs are expanded upon in the
next section. The VAWT will be made of inexpensive materials which can be repaired easily with simple hand tools.
The materials used are easily substituted for materials which might be more easily accessible locally.
In addition to simplicity, the African farmer also needs multi-functionality. To address this need, the VAWT will have
an attachment, sold separately, designed to generate electricity and charge medium sized 12V batteries. This will
allow the farmer to extend the workday by using lights and also operate other small electric appliances. For more
In order to make the VAWT system more dependable, a water storage system will also be offered. This storage
system will consist of interlinked plastic barrels mounted horizontally on a wooden frame. This storage system will
allow the farmer to irrigate his fields even in low wind conditions. The VAWT also has an optional stationary bicycle
attachment which allows the farmer to utilize the pump during very long periods of low wind conditions,
E7 Innovation will sell two different versions of it’s flagship product, the Wind Generator. The first version will consist
of a Single Wind Generator Kit(SWGK) designed to be assembled and installed by the individual farmer. Local E7
Innovation Ambassadors will accompany the delivery of each kit to ensure that the farmer understands the
construction and maintenance instructions. The Ambassador will return to the farmer periodically to ensure that the
product is operating correctly and to offer the farmer upgrades and additional products and services. The second
version will be a Wind Generator Customizable Development Pallets (WGCDP) designed for entrepreneurs and
NGOs. These pallets will consist of the components of the product identified by the installer (NGO or Entrepreneur),
with assistance from E7 Innovation’s Regional Field Experts, as not available or of insufficient quality locally.
Included with the CPD will be complete instructions for manufacturing the not-included components. E7 Innovation’s
Regional Field Experts will work closely with each installer to develop alternatives to the fundamental design to
facilitate local construction, while maintaining a quality end product.
FIGURE 13: Rendering of "The Windpump" with optional suction pump attachment
30. Market Analysis
4.1 Market Analysis Summary
The market for agricultural solutions in West Africa is extremely large; where upwards of 65% of the population1
is
engaged in near-subsistence level agriculture. E7 Innovation has identified three primary market segments that they
will market their products to. The first segment consists of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including relief
organizations such as The Global Alliance for Africa and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The second
segment consists of local entrepreneurs that will utilize skilled local installers to implement and maintain the systems
while charging a fee to the individual farmer/co-operative (Co-op). The third segment consists of the individual
farmer/co-operative themselves. This segment will require marketing the systems directly to the farmer/Co-op and will
utilize E7 Innovation “Ambassadors” to educate the farmer/Co-op on the installation of the systems and on their
maintenance. Indicators show that in the West African nation of Mali alone there are upwards of 1.5M individual
farming groups2
with a 3% annual growth rate3
4.2 Market Segmentation4
Individual Farmer - 10%
14-40 years old
Primarily Female
Married with 5-10 children
Annual Household Income - <$500
Literacy – 31%
Entrepreneur – 30%
20-30 years old
Primarily Male
Literate
Primary school education
NGO/Relief Organization – 60%
Not native to region
American or European
20% Faith Based (Catholic Relief Services)
15% Non-Faith Based (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
65% Regulated Relief Organization (United Nations, Red Cross)
Individual Farmer
<10%
Entreprenuer
30%
Relief
Organization
>60%
Market Segmentation
FIGURE 14: E7's Intended market focus (long-term)
31. 4.3 Products and Market Segment
E7 Innovation will market the Single Wind Generator Kit(SWGK)directly to small scale subsistence farmers in Mali
and other West African nations. The Wind generator is a modular design capable of pumping water or generating
electricity. The water pump feature will enable small scale irrigation (up to one acre)using a drip irrigation system. In a
region where the dry season is nine months long, irrigation of any sort would help the farmer’s yield. This increase in
yield translates to an improved economic situation for the farmer.
Upgrades to the Wind Generator System will allow the farmer to increase the reliability of available water by
purchasing the supplementary water storage and distribution system. The Wind Generators are stackable, allowing
for more power to be generated at lower wind speeds which translates to more water pumped. This excess water
could be stored for later use, or sold to neighbors, thereby improving the economic situation of not only the farmer,
but the entire local community. Should the farmer choose to purchase the electricity generation attachment, he could
extend his effective workday by using lights or selling the electricity to neighbors. Each electricity generation
attachment will include a small shortwave radio allowing the farmer to stay informed on regional news and weather.
The SWGK purchaser’s primary concerns however are reliability and simplicity of repair. E7 Innovation addresses
these needs by designing a simple yet high-quality product. To further reinforce this commitment to quality, E7
employs “Ambassadors”, specially trained men and women who will accompany each SWGK and ensure that the
farmer understands the installation instructions, intends to use the product in a way that it will provide him some
benefit, and is capable of performing routine maintenance and repairs. The Ambassador will return to the farmer
semi-annually to ensure that the product is functioning properly and perform any simple servicing and adjustments.
The Ambassador will use this opportunity to inform the farmer about upgrades to his system and any other E7
products which might benefit the farmer.
The second version of the Wind Generator will be sold as Customizable Pallets. E7 Innovation will sell the rights to
install and service the Wind Generator to local entrepreneurial individuals. These entrepreneurs will be trained and
certified by E7 in the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of the product. They will also be trained on the
importance of customer service and it’s potential for future revenue. Each entrepreneur will manufacture the Wind
Generator using locally available materials and labor. E7 will provide any sub-assembly or any part of the Generator
that the entrepreneur cannot acquire or manufacture to a satisfactory quality locally. Specially trained Regional Field
Experts will inspect and recertify the entrepreneurs’ operations to ensure that a high quality product is being sold and
properly installed. Entrepreneurs’ prior installs will be audited to ensure that E7 Innovation’s high standard of
customer service is being maintained.
The second version of this product will also be marketed to International Relief Groups and NGOs such as UNICEF
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These types of organizations spend upwards of $265M annually in Africa
on agricultural and food security projects alone.4
21%
16%
63%
Types of Aid
Faith Based Org. (FBO)
Non Faith Based Org. (NFBO)
International Relief Org. (IRO)
FIGURE 15: Sources of economic aid in West Africa
32. Strategy and Implementation
5.1 Strategy and Implementation Summary
E7 Innovation’s has a twofold primary market strategy focusing on a quality product and relentless customer service.
5.2 Competitive Edge
E7 has two competitive edges to gain market penetration. The first is the design of the product. Few other pumps
developed for this purpose operate in an automatic fashion. This feature, combined with the extreme ruggedness of
the construction and lessons learned by studying the successes and failures of other water pumps deployed to the
region, allows E7 to offer a truly unique and fantastic product. The second edge is E7’s dedication to it’s customers.
Studies have shown that upwards of 40% of pumps installed by relief organizations in Africa are broken or unused2
.
E7 will counter this trend by implementing an aggressive product survey and repair program whereby E7
“Ambassadors” will ensure that the product is installed correctly, and return to the product periodically for inspection
and repair/adjustment. The Ambassadors will also ensure that the users are instructed on basic repairs and
maintenance.
5.3 Products and Strategy
By providing two modes of deployment of the flagship product, E7 Innovation will speed up its market penetration
through direct marketing and installation efforts. These efforts will result in showcase models which will be used to
further the sales of WGCDPs which will provide E7 with multiplying sales revenue while limiting its liabilities and risks.
5.4 Market Segment Sales Forecast
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Market Segments By Year
Relief Org.
Entreprenuer
Individual
FIGURE 16: E7's (approximate) intended sales focus during it's first three years
34. ($20,000.0)
($10,000.0)
$0.0
$10,000.0
$20,000.0
$30,000.0
$40,000.0
$50,000.0
$60,000.0
1 2 3 4 5
Operational Year
Annual Cash Flow - Single Entreprenuership
Profit & Loss Statement - Single Entreprenuership
Year 1 2 3 4 5
Unit price 275$ 275$ 275$ 275$ 275$
Unit Sales 250$ 613$ 1,072$ 1,876$ 3,283$
Annual Revenues 68,750$ 168,438$ 294,766$ 515,840$ 902,720$
Fixed Costs
Facilities Cost -$ -$ -$ -$ -$
Manufacturing / Warehouse Equiptment -$ -$ -$ -$ -$
Salaries 20,000$ 25,000$ 31,250$ 39,063$ 48,828$
Sales & Marketing Expenses 500$ 475$ 451$ 429$ 407$
General Admin 200$ 210$ 221$ 232$ 243$
Product Development -$ -$ -$ -$ -$
Total Fixed Costs 20,700$ 25,685$ 31,922$ 39,723$ 49,478$
Variable Costs
Material costs/unit 220$ 220$ 220$ 220$ 220$
Installation costs/unit 12$ 12$ 12$ 12$ 12$
Returns / Service Costs 1,375$ 3,369$ 5,895$ 10,317$ 18,054$
Interest Payments 1,400$ 1,400$ 1,400$ 1,228$ 493$
Total Variable Costs 60,775$ 146,869$ 255,970$ 446,726$ 780,115$
Initial Investment Balance 14,000$ 14,000$ 14,000$ 12,282$ 4,934$
Total Costs 81,475$ 172,554$ 287,892$ 486,449$ 829,593$
Total Revenue 68,750$ 168,438$ 294,766$ 515,840$ 902,720$
Gross Profit (12,725)$ (4,116)$ 6,874$ 29,391$ 73,126$
Investment Principal Payments -$ -$ 1,718$ 7,348$ 18,282$
Taxes -$ -$ 2,062$ 8,817$ 21,938$
Cumulative Cash Flow (12,725)$ (4,116)$ 4,811$ 20,574$ 51,188$
*Note: This scenario is only valid if E7 sells 100% of it's forcast entreprenuer sales to a single entreprenuer, which for the first
five years of operation is likely
FIGURE 18: Single Entreprenuer 5-year Profit & Loss Forcast
35. Business Plan Works Cited
Breman, Henk. "West Africa's Subsistance Farming." IFDC-Africa. Rome: UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, 2003. 1-20. Digital. 26 11 2013.
<http://www.irinnews.org/report/92136/southern-africa-taking-the-risk-out-of-subsistence-
farming>.
Ntale, Charles Lwanga. "Where does aid money really go -- and what is it spent on?" 9 10 2013.
CNN.com. 27 11 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/opinion/where-does-aid-money-
really-go/>.
The World Bank. Data - Mali. 2013. 26 11 2013. <http://data.worldbank.org/country/mali>.
United Nations Foundation. "Factsheet - Mali." 2013. Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. 26 11 2013.
<http://www.cleancookstoves.org/countries/africa/mali.html>.
University of Pennsylvania. "Resources on Health and Disease in Africa." 2013. African Studies Center. 26
11 2013. <http://www.africa.upenn.edu/health/ngos_org.htm>.
36. 004
Wind Pump Assembly
ASSM-100509
12/13/2013R. Woody
WEIGHT:
Natural
See: BOM 100509
A4
SHEET 1 OF 1SCALE:1:50
DWG NO.
TITLE:
REVISIONDO NOT SCALE DRAWING
MATERIAL:
DATESIGNATURENAME
DEBUR AND
BREAK SHARP
EDGES
FINISH:UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:
DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS
SURFACE FINISH:
TOLERANCES:
LINEAR:
ANGULAR:
Q.A
MFG
APPV'D
CHK'D
DRAWN
FIGURE 19: Engineering Drawing of Wind Pump Assembly
