The project aims to develop a shaft assembly intended to homogenize a semi-solid wastewater mixture in a tank. The innovative design incorporates several key features, focusing on user-friendliness, flexibility, rigidity & durability, reachability, and portability.
The Mount (Fig. 1) is the main body of the product, providing stability and rigidity. It includes:
- Thumb-operated power button
- Toggle button for switching electrical components on/off
- Grip lever for retracting and expanding the shaft
The mount can be handheld or placed on the container tank's rim. It features wheels at the bottom for movement along the tank's upper surface and houses the motor and spool in its center.
The spool, located in the mount's cavity, stores the retracted shaft and includes a motor for shaft retraction and expansion. It has a conical frustum shape with inner and outer hulls and grooves for the shaft. Two spring-attached feed rollers assist in shaft expansion and retraction, controlled by servo motors.
The shaft is flexible and retractable, consisting of:
- A coaxial tube for solvent delivery
- Intertwined nylon fibers for strength and rigidity
The solvent storage is located at the mount body.
The paddle facilitates slurry mixing with four blades connected to the main shaft via slider crank arms. This mechanism allows the blades to open and close like an umbrella, providing control over the paddle span and easing retraction for portability.
The mount can be handheld or placed on the tank's rim, providing power and control lever. The motor and spool store and manage the shaft, while the servo motors drive the feed rollers for shaft movement. The shaft's bottom has a metallic extension with four blades for mixing the slurry.
Refer to Fig. 6 (a) and (b) for detailed dimensional drawings.
- Mount body: Aluminum 6061 (high strength, durability, lightweight)
- Motor: QSMotor 205 - 500-4kW BLDC Motor 10" rim (chargeable, power efficient)
- Shaft: Plastic (inner tube for solvent delivery), Nylon-6,6 fibers (strength, flexibility, waterproofing)
- Paddle blades: Stainless Steel (SS316) (durability, anti-corrosive)
- Spool & slider crank mechanism: Stainless Steel (SS304) (cost-effective)
- Toggle switch & grip lever: Recyclable thermoset plastic
- Dimensional accuracy ensures reachability to all container parts.
- Nylon intertwined shaft provides strength and flexibility, with an axial solvent delivery tube.
- Paddle opening-folding mechanism enhances portability and reachability.
- Innovative spool design facilitates easy shaft retraction and storage.
- Material selection ensures waterproofing and durability.
- Lightweight Aluminum mount with wheels and handles for ease of operation.
- Emergency toggle power button for swift power-off.