Optimal Design of a Floating Waste-Collecting Robot Utilizing Vortex Phenomena

This paper presents the optimal design for a robot capable of effectively collecting floating waste on water surfaces by generating a vortex, eliminating the need for manual collection. The robot features a rotating mechanism submerged beneath the water surface, coupled with a water intake pump. This design generates a vortex that funnels fluid flow into the robot. To robustly optimize the collecting performance of floating waste under various conditions, experimental optimization was conducted using the Taguchi method. The experiments determined that the optimal conditions for suction are achieved when the distance from the water surface to the rotating disk is 60 mm, the angle of the disk is 0°, the rotational speed is 40 rpm, and the internal slope angle is 7.5°. Final validation experiments confirmed that floating debris made of plastic and wood, within a diameter of 330 mm, can be effectively collected even at a water flow speed of 100 mm/s.