Design of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Harvester

Abstract

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a free floating aquatic plant that grows in still or slows moving fresh water bodies and has become one of the world’s worst aquatic weeds due to its ability to form dense floating mats on the water’s surface. These mats have significant impacts on rivers, wetlands, dams, lake, and irrigation systems. However, water hyacinth, which evades waterways and reduces recreation and aesthetics value of water bodies, needs to be controlled. This purpose of this study was to design a harvester for control of water hyacinth. The anatomy and physiology of the water hyacinth were used to design the machine using basic engineering procedures. The main feature of the water hyacinth harvester included an electric motor (2.0 h p), mower disc (100 x 70 x 7.36 mm), shaft (26 mm diameter) with 4 blades made of stainless steel. The machine operates with capacity of 10,646 tons /hr. at the speed of 3.04 m/s. The capacities of the loading and delivery conveyors are 846.60 tons /hr. and 538.75 tons /hr. respectively. Fabrication of the designed water hyacinth harvester, using local materials will promote and enhance indigenous technologies that will improve physical control of the plant.