AUTOMATED TRASH RACK PROTOTYPE

Figure - Mechanical Hand Sketches.

The project is an Automated Trash Rack prototype to collect debris that are floating in the water of a hydropower plant reservoir or water channel. The materials that will be collected are scale down replicas of trunks and other materials that will be big enough to be trapped in the intake pipe. The project aims to prove that the concept works.

Since it is a prototype, it will be built with a small aquarium to simulate a reservoir. The trash rack will be placed at the surface of the water. A motor will rotate a set of gears, and those gears will move a chain equipped with a set of pushers. The pushers will travel between the gaps of the screen rack and remove the garbage. All the debris collected will be placed in a container located at the bottom of the structure.

The project consists of a screen rack that according to the needs will work in automatic or manual mode. In the manual mode, trash collection can be requested by the operator through a selector switch. While in the automatic mode, the presence of garbage in front of the trash rack will be detected by a sensor and request for trash collection will be triggered automatically. Safety compliance will be observed with physical fences and emergency stops.

The project aims to solve a common problem in any water channel in an agricultural area or hydropower plant, which is an obstruction in the water supply. It is important to block the garbage from the intake and collect it to ensure a consistent and uninterrupted water flow for the end users.

Another advantage of the project is to easily clean the intake without putting the workers in danger and avoid spending more labor for cleaning. Maintenance costs can be reduced because the project protects pipes, pumps, turbines, among other equipment from undesired debris.

Proper usage of the automated trash rack will improve the power generation, reliability, and efficiency of the hydropower due to lesser downtime because of a consistent water flow. If installed in a water channel, it can also sustain the water supply needed for the farmers' crops. 

Since it is a prototype, it can be implemented and scaled as needed in the above-mentioned areas.