Unique, FT Lecturers Design Hybrid-Powered Water Bike

Unesa.ac.id, SURABAYA—Universitas Negeri Surabaya (Unesa) never stops innovating. This time, through the Faculty of Engineering (FT), the 'one step ahead' campus has designed a water bike that can be used as a water tourism vehicle and to navigate floods.

This research-based innovation stems from the increasing popularity of cycling among the community. This can be seen on weekends or during holidays when many people cycle here and there. To accommodate this need, the government has even created special bicycle lanes on several roads.

Agung Prijo Budijono, S.T., M.T., a lecturer at FT and part of the water bike development team, said that the community's fondness for cycling is inseparable from the history of transportation itself. Over the past 30 years, many countries have promoted cycling to improve the quality of life through the development of sustainable transportation systems.

Recently, many models and types of bicycles have emerged, including electric bicycles, which are increasingly popular. "My team and I thought, why not make an electric water bike so that cycling can be done anywhere, including on the water surface, with a different experience and impression," said Agung.

He and his fellow lecturers, such as Ika Nurjannah, S.Pd., M.T., Firman Yasa Utama, S.Pd., M.T., Wahyu Dwi, and others, finally decided to design a water bike. This bike is similar to a regular bicycle, except that its wheels are removed.

According to him, the water bike is a fun exercise tool. The water bike can also be used as a water recreation vehicle at tourist spots. Based on the research conducted, there is a linear correlation between metabolic power and mechanical power when someone uses a water bike for exercise.

After successfully designing and making the water bike, they immediately tested it in the UNESA lake. "We tested it there because we saw the potential of the lake, which is planned to become one of the tourist destinations in West Surabaya. This is also what we see as part of the opportunity for the development of water bike innovation. It can also be used during floods," he said.

This water bike is designed using hybrid power; manual and electric. Its components are, of course, equipped with floats and propellers. The floats are made portable with an integrated system with the propellers and frame to maintain stability on the water, and what affects its performance is the aerodynamic aspect of the floats and propellers or transmission system.

The manufacture of floats and propellers has gone through a computer fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis process to inform the performance of these components. "An analysis has been carried out related to the performance test of the propeller components using CFD to determine the performance results of the components in detail, effectively, and efficiently," he explained.

Agung added that the CFD method is used to analyze fluid studies that occur when the float and propeller models are applied in a fluid environment. The model used as the simulation object is a parametric 3D model designed according to field conditions.

The 3D model dimensions for the float and propeller system are on a manufacturing design scale. The CFD test is more focused on the effect of water fluid speed on pressure and flow rate as well as the turbulent energy generated," he said.

Many studies related to water bike design have been conducted. One of the studies they found is the Shubham Awasthi model in designing his amphibious water bike, which is designed for use on land and water.

Other water bike designs also use propeller drives and modified bicycle frames. "Of course, the benefits of water bikes can address problems in the fields of tourism and sports health as well as emergency disaster management solutions," he said.

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Writer: Atika Febrina

Editor: @zam Alasiah*

Photo: FT UNESA Water Bike Innovation Team

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