Solar-powered mine drainage system with intelligent sediment separation and self-cleaning mechanism

Abstract

A solar-powered mine drainage system with intelligent sediment separation and self-cleaning mechanism, comprising: a solar energy generation unit with at least one solar panel, an MPPT module and an energy storage battery for powering the system; a control unit with a microcontroller for receiving, processing and transmitting operating data; a sensor module with a turbidity sensor for measuring the sediment concentration in the water, a current measurement module for monitoring the power consumption of a pump motor and a water level sensor for measuring the water level in the mining area;a sediment separation unit with a sediment separation chamber for receiving mine water and reducing the flow velocity for gravitational sedimentation of solid particles, and a sediment discharge valve in the lower part of the chamber, controlled by the microcontroller to periodically discharge accumulated sediment based on measured turbidity values; a pump unit with a motor-driven pump connected to the sediment separation chamber to pump clarified water;A relay-based switching module, connected to the microcontroller and pump motor, controls the forward and reverse rotation of the pump motor. The microcontroller is configured to control the pump based on water level data, open the sediment drain valve when turbidity exceeds a predefined threshold, detect abnormal pump operating conditions based on fluctuations in power consumption, and initiate an automatic self-cleaning cycle by briefly stopping the pump and reversing the motor polarity to clear blockages in the pump. An IoT-based communication module is configured to transmit system parameters such as water level, turbidity, pump status, and power supply to a remote monitoring platform.