Design of Water Waste Interceptor using VAWT

Abstract

The mechanical system proposed in this paper is the advanced optimum solution for filtering out and collecting the floating waste in small water bodies and managing the waste and avoiding the disposal of garbage in larger water bodies like seas and oceans where it becomes a challenge to collect the waste and contributes to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is the largest accumulation of floating waste/plastic in the world. The main ocean currents responsible for its formation are The California Current, North Equatorial Current, Kuroshio Current, and The North Pacific Current. The size of this garbage patch is increasing at an alarming rate which is harming the marine ecosystem. Earlier in 2020, the size of this garbage patch was estimated to be the size of the state of Texas. The prototype acquires its power from electricity generated by a vertical axis wind turbine which harnesses the wind power for the purpose. The idea behind using a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is to obtain sufficient amount of energy in areas with low wind pressure conditions so as to keep the prototype working. Along with the mechanical system, the prototype also includes a software system on board to assist the man and machine interactions during the operation. It consists of a programming kit (Arduino UNO), the required sensors, actuators and switches to perform the specific operations such as monitoring waste level in the waste container (bucket), starting and stopping the conveyor motor, sending required data to the end user, etc. The computer design of the prototype has been tested and has met all objectives derived and planned. Different parts of the prototype were tested separately using Ansys.