Automatic Sewer Line Cleaning System
Content
International Journal of Futuristic Science Engineering and Technology
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
Automatic Sewer Line Cleaning System
Aditya Thakre1, Akshay Tikle2, Akash Wadibhasme3 ,Laukik kale4,Mahesh Kumar Illa5
Mechanical Department, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Engineering and Research, Wanadongri, Nagpur
Email: -
1
[email protected]
4
[email protected]
Abstract— Blockages in open sewage line are difficult to be
-other materials from household and industry
cleaned or extracted. In order to manage sewer blockage
In India, manual blockage clearance seems to be the only
solution which involves scavengers having to go down the
manhole to clear this inexplicable problem. In this 21st
century, with automation dominating every field, it is a very
pathetic state for India which still incorporates cheap labour
for accomplishing this task.
proactively sewer managers needs to be able to identify the
location of blockages precisely. As of now, only humans do this
sully job of cleaning the sewages. Many human right
organizations have been advocating to stop this inhuman activity.
Even the highest court in the land has admonished the
government to stop forth with this job of cleaning. Respective
government’s corporation is adapting cleaning machines to suck
the clogs and sewage water from respective blockage points. As
an alternative solution, using modern technology, we present our
paper on how our level based sensor with mechanism of linear
Manual removal of human dirt from the sewer lines is also
one of the major problems from recent years. As of now, only
humans do this sully job of cleaning the sewages. Our
technology seeks to solve this predicament by using level
sensors for detecting blockage in the system & thus removing
it by using automation technique.
actuator and simple d c motor with flappers will help in taking
II.
immediate action of removing the blockage instantly. This will
not only save cost but also enable instant solution.
Keywords— dc motor, Flappers, Linear actuator, Blockage
I.
Introduction
To find the solution over the blockage problem we have
reviewed some papers relating to the detection of sewer
blockages,
i.
Sewer line blockages are one of the major problems in the
cities drainage system. Its effects include overflow of the
sewer lines causing the harmful debris to flow in living
locality and create flood like conditions in rainy seasons.
Sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to
remove sewage and to provide drainage.
Sewage is mainly liquid waste containing some solids which
typically consists of
-washing water
-faeces
-urine
ii.
-laundry waste
Aditya Thakre et.al.
LITERATURE REVIEW
463
AKSHAYA.K, DIVYA RAMACHANDRAN,
MANJUL PRABHU[1] studied the blockages in
sewer pipelines which are difficult to be cleaned or
extracted. In order to manage sewer blockage
proactively sewer managers needs to be able to
identify the location of blockages precisely. Thus,
they had presented a paper onhow an acoustic based
sensor could be used to detect the blockages
automatically as well as transmitting this information
using the wireless sensor network to the centrally
monitored server system. This will help in taking
immediate action of removing the clogs instantly.
This will not only save cost but also enable instant
solution.
According to Sewer cleaning and Inspection (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Sep 1999)[2] as
sewer system networks age, the risk of deterioration,
blockages, and collapses becomes a major concern.
www.ijfset.org
International Journal of Futuristic Science Engineering and Technology
As a result, municipalities worldwide are taking
proactive measures to improve performance levels of
their sewer systems. Cleaning and inspecting sewer
lines are essential to maintaining a properly
functioning system; these activities further a
community’s reinvestment into its wastewater
infrastructure.
III.
IV.
V.
CONSTRUCTION
LINEAR ACTUATOR
A linear actuator is an actuator that creates motion in a
straight line, in contrast to the circular motion of the
conventional electric motor. Thus, our system employs simple
screw and nut mechanism for the motion of the slider between
the two limit switches. As soon as the slider reaches the limit,
the motor will change its rotation. Thus, allowing it to move
in opposite direction.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
The basic working principle of our system includes, sensing of
rise of water level in the sewer line by the level sensors, which
will start the cleaning process. This cleaning process is carried
out with the help of rotating flappers and vanes mounted on a
wheel. The flapper removes the blockage by easing it out
while the rotor vanes remove this sewage material out of the
system due to the centrifugal force.
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
VI.
WORKING
Due to the formation of blockage in the sewer line the water
level in it will increase. This increase in the water level of the
sewer line is sensed by the level sensor. This level sensor
sends signal to the system to start. As the system starts, the
slider will perform to and fro motion between the two limits.
The flapper mounted on the slider will ease out the sludgy
waste forming the blockage, which is further removed from
the sewer line through the vanes mounted on the rotating
wheel. This removal of waste through the vanes takes place
due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the
wheel through motor. As soon as the blockage is removed, the
water level falls down the prescribed level and the system will
stop.
VII.
SELECTION OF MOTORS
Selection of motors is an important aspect while designing
this system for a specific sewer lines. The specification of
each motor will vary according to conditions. Following are
the various aspects that should be considered while selecting
the motor for various operations,
Fig.1. Automatic sewage cleaning system
The system is consisting of clamps located at either sides of
the system, on which slider links are mounted. A slider plate
is fitted between the two sliding links for the free movement
of the plate between the two extreme points. The motors of
flapper and the wheel mounted with vanes are fixed on this
slider plate. For the to and fro motion of the slider plate
between two extremes linear actuator mechanism is being
used. Two limit switches are employed at the two extremes to
limit the motion of the slider plate between those two points.
Aditya Thakre et.al.
A. Motor for the Linear Actuator Mechanism.
Load on the slider plate.
Friction between the sliding link and the
plate.
Friction due to meshing of the screw and nut
in linear actuator mechanism.
B. Motor used for Flapper.
Maximum mass flow rate of water in the
sewer line.
Maximum weight of the waste, which can
accumulate in a particular sewer line to form
a blockage.
Torque generated by the motor.
C. Motor for the Wheel with Vanes.
Maximum weight of the waste to be thrown.
Centrifugal force generated by the motor.
Curvature of the vanes and the angles of
inlet and outlet of the vanes.
464
www.ijfset.org
International Journal of Futuristic Science Engineering and Technology
VIII.
SYSTEM COTROL UNIT
To control the working of the system, an electronic circuit
is being employed, which is as shown in the following figure,
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
that the rotation of the main motor can be changed.
E. Level Sensor.
Level sensors provide information about
the level of water level in the sewer lines.
IX.
FUTURESCOPE
A GSM modem can also be used to reduce the problem of
manual inspection of the system and the sewer lines for
maintenance, as it will send every update of the working
condition of the system directly to the head office. It can also
be used to get time to time information of level of waste flow
in the sewer lines.
X.
LIMITATIONS
This system can only be used in open sewer lines usually
storm lines located besides the road. Also this system cleans
the area between the two limits only, thus it cannot remove the
blockage outside its limit.So this system should be employed
only where the blockage problem occurs maximum times.
Fig.2. Block diagram of system control unit.
Functions of the various components used in this control unit.
A. PIC16F877.
It is a programmable interface
controller which can be programmed to perform the
prescribed functions. In this case it is programmed to
sense the level of water in sewer line through level
sensors. If the water level in sewer line rises above
the prescribed value, it will start the system. It also
changes the direction of rotation of the main shaft of
linear actuator, when the slider reaches at one of the
limits.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Akshay.K, Divya Ramachandran, Manjul Prabhu, Acoustic
sensors to detect clogs in sewer pipelines (International journal of
communication network security, Issue-2,2013)
Sewer cleaning and Inspection (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Sep 1999)
Sewer processes and design-Department of civil engineering
Indian institute of techonology Guwahati.
Handbook on sewerage and sewage treatment-office of the
principal accountant general(civil audit) Chennai.
Book on fluid mechanics by D S Kumar.
B. Transformer.
A 220v to 6v step down transformer is
used to provide the input to PIC16F877.
C. Motor Driver Ic.
A motor driver ic is being used to
provide input to the motors through the PIC16F877.
It converts 6v output from the controller ic to the
required voltage for the motors.
D. Limit Switches.
This switches provide information to the
controller ic that the limit of the slider is reached, so
Aditya Thakre et.al.
465
www.ijfset.org
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
Automatic Sewer Line Cleaning System
Aditya Thakre1, Akshay Tikle2, Akash Wadibhasme3 ,Laukik kale4,Mahesh Kumar Illa5
Mechanical Department, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Engineering and Research, Wanadongri, Nagpur
Email: -
1
[email protected]
4
[email protected]
Abstract— Blockages in open sewage line are difficult to be
-other materials from household and industry
cleaned or extracted. In order to manage sewer blockage
In India, manual blockage clearance seems to be the only
solution which involves scavengers having to go down the
manhole to clear this inexplicable problem. In this 21st
century, with automation dominating every field, it is a very
pathetic state for India which still incorporates cheap labour
for accomplishing this task.
proactively sewer managers needs to be able to identify the
location of blockages precisely. As of now, only humans do this
sully job of cleaning the sewages. Many human right
organizations have been advocating to stop this inhuman activity.
Even the highest court in the land has admonished the
government to stop forth with this job of cleaning. Respective
government’s corporation is adapting cleaning machines to suck
the clogs and sewage water from respective blockage points. As
an alternative solution, using modern technology, we present our
paper on how our level based sensor with mechanism of linear
Manual removal of human dirt from the sewer lines is also
one of the major problems from recent years. As of now, only
humans do this sully job of cleaning the sewages. Our
technology seeks to solve this predicament by using level
sensors for detecting blockage in the system & thus removing
it by using automation technique.
actuator and simple d c motor with flappers will help in taking
II.
immediate action of removing the blockage instantly. This will
not only save cost but also enable instant solution.
Keywords— dc motor, Flappers, Linear actuator, Blockage
I.
Introduction
To find the solution over the blockage problem we have
reviewed some papers relating to the detection of sewer
blockages,
i.
Sewer line blockages are one of the major problems in the
cities drainage system. Its effects include overflow of the
sewer lines causing the harmful debris to flow in living
locality and create flood like conditions in rainy seasons.
Sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to
remove sewage and to provide drainage.
Sewage is mainly liquid waste containing some solids which
typically consists of
-washing water
-faeces
-urine
ii.
-laundry waste
Aditya Thakre et.al.
LITERATURE REVIEW
463
AKSHAYA.K, DIVYA RAMACHANDRAN,
MANJUL PRABHU[1] studied the blockages in
sewer pipelines which are difficult to be cleaned or
extracted. In order to manage sewer blockage
proactively sewer managers needs to be able to
identify the location of blockages precisely. Thus,
they had presented a paper onhow an acoustic based
sensor could be used to detect the blockages
automatically as well as transmitting this information
using the wireless sensor network to the centrally
monitored server system. This will help in taking
immediate action of removing the clogs instantly.
This will not only save cost but also enable instant
solution.
According to Sewer cleaning and Inspection (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Sep 1999)[2] as
sewer system networks age, the risk of deterioration,
blockages, and collapses becomes a major concern.
www.ijfset.org
International Journal of Futuristic Science Engineering and Technology
As a result, municipalities worldwide are taking
proactive measures to improve performance levels of
their sewer systems. Cleaning and inspecting sewer
lines are essential to maintaining a properly
functioning system; these activities further a
community’s reinvestment into its wastewater
infrastructure.
III.
IV.
V.
CONSTRUCTION
LINEAR ACTUATOR
A linear actuator is an actuator that creates motion in a
straight line, in contrast to the circular motion of the
conventional electric motor. Thus, our system employs simple
screw and nut mechanism for the motion of the slider between
the two limit switches. As soon as the slider reaches the limit,
the motor will change its rotation. Thus, allowing it to move
in opposite direction.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
The basic working principle of our system includes, sensing of
rise of water level in the sewer line by the level sensors, which
will start the cleaning process. This cleaning process is carried
out with the help of rotating flappers and vanes mounted on a
wheel. The flapper removes the blockage by easing it out
while the rotor vanes remove this sewage material out of the
system due to the centrifugal force.
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
VI.
WORKING
Due to the formation of blockage in the sewer line the water
level in it will increase. This increase in the water level of the
sewer line is sensed by the level sensor. This level sensor
sends signal to the system to start. As the system starts, the
slider will perform to and fro motion between the two limits.
The flapper mounted on the slider will ease out the sludgy
waste forming the blockage, which is further removed from
the sewer line through the vanes mounted on the rotating
wheel. This removal of waste through the vanes takes place
due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the
wheel through motor. As soon as the blockage is removed, the
water level falls down the prescribed level and the system will
stop.
VII.
SELECTION OF MOTORS
Selection of motors is an important aspect while designing
this system for a specific sewer lines. The specification of
each motor will vary according to conditions. Following are
the various aspects that should be considered while selecting
the motor for various operations,
Fig.1. Automatic sewage cleaning system
The system is consisting of clamps located at either sides of
the system, on which slider links are mounted. A slider plate
is fitted between the two sliding links for the free movement
of the plate between the two extreme points. The motors of
flapper and the wheel mounted with vanes are fixed on this
slider plate. For the to and fro motion of the slider plate
between two extremes linear actuator mechanism is being
used. Two limit switches are employed at the two extremes to
limit the motion of the slider plate between those two points.
Aditya Thakre et.al.
A. Motor for the Linear Actuator Mechanism.
Load on the slider plate.
Friction between the sliding link and the
plate.
Friction due to meshing of the screw and nut
in linear actuator mechanism.
B. Motor used for Flapper.
Maximum mass flow rate of water in the
sewer line.
Maximum weight of the waste, which can
accumulate in a particular sewer line to form
a blockage.
Torque generated by the motor.
C. Motor for the Wheel with Vanes.
Maximum weight of the waste to be thrown.
Centrifugal force generated by the motor.
Curvature of the vanes and the angles of
inlet and outlet of the vanes.
464
www.ijfset.org
International Journal of Futuristic Science Engineering and Technology
VIII.
SYSTEM COTROL UNIT
To control the working of the system, an electronic circuit
is being employed, which is as shown in the following figure,
Vol 2 Issue 3 March 2014
ISSN 2320 – 4486
that the rotation of the main motor can be changed.
E. Level Sensor.
Level sensors provide information about
the level of water level in the sewer lines.
IX.
FUTURESCOPE
A GSM modem can also be used to reduce the problem of
manual inspection of the system and the sewer lines for
maintenance, as it will send every update of the working
condition of the system directly to the head office. It can also
be used to get time to time information of level of waste flow
in the sewer lines.
X.
LIMITATIONS
This system can only be used in open sewer lines usually
storm lines located besides the road. Also this system cleans
the area between the two limits only, thus it cannot remove the
blockage outside its limit.So this system should be employed
only where the blockage problem occurs maximum times.
Fig.2. Block diagram of system control unit.
Functions of the various components used in this control unit.
A. PIC16F877.
It is a programmable interface
controller which can be programmed to perform the
prescribed functions. In this case it is programmed to
sense the level of water in sewer line through level
sensors. If the water level in sewer line rises above
the prescribed value, it will start the system. It also
changes the direction of rotation of the main shaft of
linear actuator, when the slider reaches at one of the
limits.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Akshay.K, Divya Ramachandran, Manjul Prabhu, Acoustic
sensors to detect clogs in sewer pipelines (International journal of
communication network security, Issue-2,2013)
Sewer cleaning and Inspection (U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Sep 1999)
Sewer processes and design-Department of civil engineering
Indian institute of techonology Guwahati.
Handbook on sewerage and sewage treatment-office of the
principal accountant general(civil audit) Chennai.
Book on fluid mechanics by D S Kumar.
B. Transformer.
A 220v to 6v step down transformer is
used to provide the input to PIC16F877.
C. Motor Driver Ic.
A motor driver ic is being used to
provide input to the motors through the PIC16F877.
It converts 6v output from the controller ic to the
required voltage for the motors.
D. Limit Switches.
This switches provide information to the
controller ic that the limit of the slider is reached, so
Aditya Thakre et.al.
465
www.ijfset.org
