DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

TOPIC: Green Flow: Sustainable, Semi-Automated Cleaning for Urban Drainage

Systems
GROUP NO: 16
Guide: Prof. Anwar Sadique
ABDURAOOF M TCR21ME003
Department of Mechanical Engineering
ABHIRAM K TCR21ME008
GEC Thrissur
ANANTHU KRISHNA M TCR21ME030
AMIN JIHAN K M MAC21ME022
Green Flow:
Sustainable, Semi-
Automated Cleaning
for Urban Drainage
Systems
TABLE OF CONTENTS

•INTRODUCTION
•LITERATURE REVIEW
•OBJECTIVES
•METHODOLOGY
•PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
•PROBLEM STATEMENT
•SOLUTION
•FIELD VISIT AND CASE STUDY
•CALCULATION
•MACHINE LEARNING PART
•FABRICATION
•PROJECT OUTCOMES
•REFERENCE
INTRODUCTION
 Drainage systems are essential components of urban infrastructure,
managing rainwater, wastewater, and other types of runoff to prevent
flooding and maintain public sanitation. However, these systems
frequently face issues with blockages due to the accumulation of
waste materials such as plastic, silt, leaves, and other debris.

 To reduce health risks in manual drainage cleaning, this project

introduces a semi-automated system that uses motorized
mechanisms to safely remove solid waste, protecting workers and
preventing blockages and flooding.
LITERATURE REVIEW
AUTHOR JOURNAL DESCRIPTION

P. Saji Experimental analysis The study presents an experimental

Raveendran, S. of semi-automatic analysis focused on the design,
Panith Malai, R. drainage cleaner development, and testing of a semi-
Naveen Raj, V. automatic drainage cleaning system
Naveen, and J.S. aimed at efficiently removing solid waste
Binoj. from drainage systems in a cost-effective
manner
L. García, J. Modeling and real- The study presents various modeling and
Barreiro-Gomez, time control of urban control strategies for urban drainage
E. Escobar, D. drainage systems: A systems (UDS), including real-time control
Téllez, N. Quijano, review techniques, their advantages, and
and C. Ocampo- challenges in implementation. It provides
Martinez. an overview of methodologies for
managing urban drainage efficiently under
different environmental and operational
conditions​
LITERATURE REVIEW
Roy C. Hageman Maintenance of The study provides guidance on the
Sewage Treatment upkeep of sewage treatment equipment,
Plant Equipment covering routine inspections, repairs, and
operational standards to ensure plant
efficiency.
L. M. Johnson Mechanical It discusses the role and function of
Equipment in mechanical equipment in sewage
Sewage Treatment treatment, detailing types of machinery
and their contributions to effective
wastewater processing.

Markus Pichler, Fully Automated It explores techniques for automating the

Albert Wilhelm Simplification of simplification of large-scale urban
König, Stefan Urban Drainage drainage models, enhancing efficiency in
Reinstaller, and Models on a City simulating and managing city-wide water
Dirk Muschalla Scale systems.
 TITLE AUTHOR DESCRIPTION
S
Design and Fabrication of Ajay Khadse In this system use the most important
Semi- Automatic Drain Shivam Rade, parameter like ultrasonic sensor, motors,
Cleaner for Floating Sahil Balpande raspberry pi etc. The project provides a
Materials Prof. Neema Ukani, warning system is used for the checking of
Prof. Saurabh the status of the dump collector bin by an
Chakole5 ultrasonic senor which is operated by
Raspberry Pi.
AUTOMATIC DRAINAGE Chandan Automatic drainage water pump monitoring
CLEANING SYSTEM USING Chowdhury and control system using PLC and SCADA. In
AUTO MECHANISM Manabendra Ghosh this project they use efficient way to control
the disposal of wastage, regularly treatment
of disposal in different way both toxic and
non-toxic.
Justice Denied: Death of Rashtriya Garima It tells us about the number of death caused
workers engaged in manual Abhiyan during cleaning of sewage and septic The
scavenging while cleaning the research covered various aspects which can
Septic tank or Sewer be broadly categorized as; present living
 METHODOLOGY
Problem Identification and Research

Objective and Requirement Setting

Design Calculations

System Design

Fabrication Process

Experimental Setup

Testing
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
 The main incident that leads to our
problem identification is that the death of
a sanitation worker at
Thiruvananthapuram canal who works to
clean the drainage manually and that
leads to his tragic death inside the
drainage.
 We identified that there were no any
safety around the drainage while working
inside the drainage.
 The main reason is that there is no any
proper or continuous waste collection
from the drainage. So the wastes are Fig.1
Source: The
accumulated largely inside the canal. Indian
This leads to difficulties for the people express

who were worked inside the canal.

 This situation is not only important
while happened in
Thiruvananthapuram but it is a
PROBLEM STATEMENT
• To collect the wastes from the drainage continuously without affecting the human lives, there is
no any proper solution present till now.

• So in order to solve this problem we identified a solution that is properly suitable for this kind
of problems.

Fig.2
SOLUTION
( For open type
drainage)
So our project Semi automated urban cleaning system is a perfect solution for the
problem that is identified and stated above.

Fig.3.a
Fig.3.b
 OBJECTIVES
 To design, fabricate and test an automatic drainage waste
collecting system for open channel.

 In order to achieve this main objective, we have sub divided the

main subjective into small sub objectives like;
1. Mechanical design and fabrication of the system
2. Computer vision based waste detection for this system.
3. Integration of mechanical designed and computer based automatic systems
and testing.
METHODOLOGY
1. Problem Identification and Research
 Define the Issues: Start by analyzing existing drainage problems, including the
health hazards faced by workers, inefficiencies in manual cleaning, and
environmental impacts of blockages.
 Literature Review: Research previous works on automated and semi-automated
drainage systems. Identify gaps in current methods to establish a baseline for your
design and objectives.

2. Objective and Requirement Setting

 Set Clear Objectives: Outline project goals, such as enhancing safety, improving
efficiency, creating a cost-effective system, and reducing environmental impact.
 Establish System Requirements: Define technical specifications for the cleaning
system, including material durability, motor specifications, and waste-lifting
3. System Design
 Component Selection: Select the core components:
 Frame: Choose durable, rust-resistant materials like mild steel.
 Motor: Use a DC motor with sufficient torque to drive the lifting mechanism.
 Chain and Sprocket: For waste-lifting operations.
 Collection Bin: Design to allow for easy disposal of accumulated waste.
 3D Modeling and Simulation: Use CAD software (e.g., CREO, SolidWorks) to create
detailed designs of the system. Simulate stress and load to ensure stability under
operating conditions.

4. Design Calculations
 Motor and Torque Calculations: Calculate the required motor power and torque
based on expected load, lifting height, and speed.
 Structural Calculations: Assess the frame’s strength and stability under weight,
including force and stress analysis.
 Energy Consumption: Estimate power needs and battery specifications to ensure
5. Fabrication Process
 Assemble the Frame: Weld and assemble the frame based on the CAD model
dimensions.
 Install Components: Attach the motor, chain, sprocket, and lifters. Ensure
alignment for smooth operation and minimal friction.
 Set Up Collection Mechanism: Secure the collection bin and verify its accessibility
for waste disposal.

6. Experimental Setup
 System Placement: Install the system across a drainage line, positioning it to allow
only water to flow through while capturing solid waste.
 Calibration and Testing: Run the system under controlled conditions to calibrate
speed, lifting efficiency, and waste capacity.
7. Final Adjustments and Improvements
 Optimize Based on Results: Make adjustments based on experimental data.
For instance, increase motor power if lifting is insufficient or enhance bin size for
more waste capacity.
 Finalize Design for Practical Application: Adjust the design for easy
portability, durability, and scalability for various drainage conditions.
FIELD VISIT AND CASE STUDY ( Open type
Drainage )
Location 1: Near railway station
Thrissur

. Size of the canal is given,

Width: 4.5m
Depth: 2.2m

. Amount of monthly waste

collection two times is around
100 plus kilograms.

. The work is done by three

[Link].4

. Mode of waste collection: Manual

 Location 2: Near Shakthan nagar Thrissur
. Size of the canal is given,
Width: 5.256m
Depth: 3.32m

. Amount of monthly waste collection two times is around

100 plus kilograms.

. The work is done by five workers.

. Mode of waste collection: Manual operation by hand directl

indirectly with stick and net.
Fig.5
 SELECTION OF CONVEYOR BELT
Name of the conveyor belt material : woven nylon

The conveyor belt is selected based on the following factors:

1. The maximum tension which can withstand by the belt itself should be higher than the
tension which is to be carried along with belt ( tension developed while collecting waste).

2. As per the width requirement.

3. As per the availability in the market.

4. The tension developed in the belt according to the calculation is about 610N and
the maximum tension which can be withstand by this 9mm thick and 200mm width
belt is approximately 1000 N.

Fig.6
Material properties of conveyor belt :
•Durability: Woven nylon is strong and durable, making it suitable for applications that require it
to withstand impacts.
•Abrasion resistance: Woven nylon is resistant to abrasion, making it suitable for applications
where friction and wear are common.
•Elasticity: Woven nylon is elastic and has good stretch.
•Water resistance: Woven nylon is water resistant and dries quickly.
•Damage resistance: Woven nylon is resistant to damage from oil and many chemicals.
•Colorfastness: Woven nylon is colorfast.
•Flexibility: Woven nylon is flexible and easy to bend, shear, and twist.
•Comfort: Woven nylon is comfortable.
•Easy maintenance: Woven nylon is easy to maintain.
 DESIGN CALCULATION FOR
MODEL
Length of conveyor= 4m
Width of conveyor=2m
Total carrying load = 50 kg
Mass of belt= Total area x Unit density(=2.5 kg/)
= ( 4 x2) x 2.5
=20 kg
Belt material used is WOVEN NYLON.

Total load on conveyor= Total carrying load + Mass of belt

=50 + 20
=70 kg
Speed of conveyor
Let Cycle time= 15 sec
(Cycle time is the time taken for an object to take from bottom to top of the conveyor)
It takes 15 sec to travel a length of 4 metre
For 15 sec → 4 m
For 1 sec →4/15= 0.266 m/s
Therefore, Linear speed=0.266 m/s
Power of Motor
Power=work / time = (force x displacement)/ time
= Force x velocity
This force is Pull force.
Pull force = frictional force x force against gravity
Frictional force = μ x N = μ x mg x cos θ
Force against gravity= mg sinθ
Pull force , F= μ x mg x cos θ + mg sinθ
=mg(μ cosθ + sinθ)
=70 x 9.81 x (0.25 cos 45 + sin 45)
=606.96 N
Power= F x velocity
= 606.96 x 0.266
= 161.45 W
[ 1 H.P = 746 W]
So, Power = 161.45/ 746 = 0.216422 H.P
Fig.7
≈ 0.25 HP
Power of motor = 0.25 HP
Torque of Motor
Linear speed = 0.266 m/s = 0.266 x 60 = 16 m/min
Roller diameter = 13 cm = 130 mm
Circumference of roller= π x D
= 3.14 x 130 mm
= 408.2 mm = 0.4 m
For 0.4 m distance will get revolved in 1 revolution of roller.
0.4 m→ 1 rev
1 m→1/0.4(=2.5) rev
16 m→ 40 rev

Speed of motor = 40 RPM

To convert RPM to rad/sec
Multiply speed with 2π/60
(2π x 40) /60 = 4.18 ≈ 4.2 rad/sec
Torque of motor = Power/angular speed
= 161.45/4.2
= 38.4 ≈40 N-m
Torque = 40 N-m
Parameters of motor selected for original system
Power of motor= 0.25 HP
Speed of motor= 40 RPM
Torque of motor= 40 N-M
 COMPUTER VISION FOR WASTE
DETECTION(
STEPS INVOLVED YOLO BASED)
1. Data collection ( Collection of large varieties of photos containing drainage waste).

2. Dataset preparation ( Using roboflow software, preparing the dataset to train ).

3. Training ( using the prepared dataset ).

4. Test.

The algorithm used here to train the model is YOLO v5

The YOLOv5 algorithm retains more features in the feature extraction network and often
optimizes the algorithm details.
 ADVANTAGES OF YOLO
ALGORITHM
Comparison with other object detection algorithms,

1. Faster R-CNN

Drawbacks: 1. Slow inference speed — not suitable for real-time applications like
conveyor belt sorting.
2. High computational cost.
3. Struggles with detecting small or overlapping waste objects in real
time.

2. SSD (Single Shot MultiBox Detector)

Drawbacks: 1. Lower accuracy compared to YOLOv5.

2. Performs poorly with small objects (like bottle caps, broken glass
pieces).
3. Less community support and updates than yolo.

3. YOLOv4

Drawbacks: 1. Heavier model than YOLOv5.

2. Lacks native PyTorch support (YOLOv5 is built in PyTorch, easier to
Why YOLOv5 is Best for Waste Detection

1. Real time object detection

2. Very accurate

3. Highly efficient

4. Detects small and overlapping items efficiently (think wrappers among organic waste).

5. Easier to fine-tune for custom waste categories (e.g., compostable vs. recyclable).

6. Strong open-source support and frequent updates.

DATASET CREATION USING ROBOFLOW
SOFTWARE
 The collected data ( images of drainage wastes for open type ) annotated manually using
roboflow software.

 Then created a data set that is to be trained.

 The dataset may be in unmatched format so which is to be extracted into the required
format.

Fig.8.b

Fig.8.a
 EXAMPLES OF LABELLED
IMAGES
 TRAINING
OF THE MODEL
 Train the model using google collab with the dataset.

 Then download the weight file ( trained data).

Fig.9.a Fig.9.b
 MOTOR CONTROLLING USING MICRO
CONTROLLER
 The running condition of the conveyor belt can be controlled using a micro controller ( to
make automated ) by using the results of yolo based waste detection.

 The micro controller used here is ESP32.

 The motor controlling can be achieved by using proper motor controller via a micro controller
for making automated.

 The motor controller used here is BTS 7960.

BTS
ESP 32
7960
Motor Controlling Circuit

Fig.11
 COMPONENTS OF WASTE COLLECTING
SYSTEM
The main components of the system are,

1. Conveyor belt

2. Waste collecting bin

3. Motor

4. Frame Pipes
CONVEYOR BELT

Belt material : woven nylon

Dimensions : Thickness : 9mm

Length : 3000mm
Width : 200mm

WASTE COLLECTING BIN

Material : Plastic

Dimentions : Height : 1000mm

Length : 250mm
Width : 250mm
MOTO
R
SWF Nidec 403.855 motor,gear motor
Rated-voltage: 24V,DC
Idling-speed: 34rpm
Rated torque:5 Nm

FRAME PIPE

Square Pipe – 25 mm x 25 mm
Material Type: Mild Steel (MS)
Basic Dimensions
•Side Length: 25 mm x 25 mm
•Wall Thickness: 2 mm
 3D MODEL OF PROPOSED
SOLUTION

Fig.12
FABRICATION WORK

Fig.13.a Fig.13. Fig.13.c

b
 RESULTS
TESTING THE PICTURES
Test with some pictures to get the result

Picture that is given to test. Tested picture

with yolo detected waste.
Fig.10.a Fig.10.b
 Scope for Future Studies

1. Solar Power Integration

Objective:
Reduce battery dependency and enhance eco-friendliness.
Implementation:
• Mount solar panels on top of the system.
• Use solar energy to charge the battery during daytime.
Benefits:
• Promotes renewable energy use.
• Increases system autonomy and sustainability.
2. Ultrasonic Bin-Level Monitoring System
Objective: Automate bin monitoring to avoid overflow and optimize
maintenance.
Concept:
• Install an ultrasonic sensor (e.g., HC-SR04) at the top inside
of the bin.
• Continuously measures distance to the top of waste. ultrasonic
• Triggers an alert when waste level nears the top. sensor
Alert Mechanism:
• Local: Buzzer or LED alert on the system.
• Remote: Wireless notification to operator.
Communication Options:
• GSM Module (SIM800L) – Sends SMS alerts.
• Wi-Fi (ESP8266/ESP32) – Sends alerts to mobile app or
server.
• Bluetooth (HC-05) – Sends alerts to nearby mobile device. GSM Module
Benefits: (SIM800L)
• Prevents waste bin overflow.
• Minimizes manual inspection.
• Enables smart scheduling of waste collection.
 PROJECT OUTCOMES
 Enhanced Worker Safety: Reduces health risks by minimizing direct contact with hazardous waste,
ensuring a safer work environment.
 Improved Cleaning Efficiency: Streamlines waste collection with a semi-automated mechanism,
decreasing time and labor compared to manual methods.
 Prevention of Blockages and Flooding: Regular removal of waste from drainage prevents clogs,
maintaining proper water flow and reducing flood risk.
 Cost-Effective and Durable Design: Built with affordable, corrosion-resistant materials that ensure low
maintenance and long-term use.
 Environmental Benefits: Reduces waste in drainage systems, contributing to cleaner public spaces and
improved urban sanitation.
 Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts: Equipped with sensors and GSM modules, the system provides alerts
for timely maintenance, reducing downtime.
 Portable and Adaptable: The system can be easily installed and adapted to various drainage points,
improving accessibility and utility.
REFERENCES
• García, L., Barreiro-Gomez, J., Escobar, E., Téllez, D., Quijano, N., & Ocampo-Martinez, C.
(2015). Modeling and real-time control of urban drainage systems: A review. Advances in
Water Resources, 85, 120–132.

• Raveendran, P. S., Malai, S. P., Raj, R. N., Naveen, V., & Binoj, J. S. (2022). Experimental
analysis of semi-automatic drainage cleaner. Materials Today: Proceedings, 66, 1492–
1496.

• Design and Development of Semi-Automated Drainage Cleaning System" (International Journal of Advanced
Research in Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, 2017)

• "Semi-Automatic Drainage Cleaning System Using PLC and Sensors" (International Journal of Scientific
Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 2018)

• "Development of a Semi-Automated Drainage Cleaning System Using Robotics" (Journal of Robotics and
Mechanical Engineering Research, 2019)

• Water & Wastewater Treatment magazine - Articles on drainage cleaning and maintenance.
THANKYOU