Solar-powered water wheel can clean 50,000 pounds of trash per day
A large wheel has been strolling the Baltimore Inner Harbor the past month, doing its best to clean the trash that has littered a city landmark and tourist attraction.
Its called the Inner Harbor Water Wheel, and though it moves slow, it has the capability to collect 50,000 pounds of trash. The timing for John Kelletts solar-powered creation is crucialhands and crab nets simply cant keep up with the growing amount of wrappers, cigarette butts, bottles and other debris carried from storm drains into the harbor.
It looks sort of like a cross between a spaceship and a covered wagon and an old mill, says Kellett told NPR. Its pretty unique in its look, but its also doing a really good job getting this trash out of the water.
The wheel has become an integral part of the Healthy Harbor Waterfront Partnership Initiative. It receives power from the Jones Falls rivers current near the harbor, which turns the wheel and lifts trash from the water into a dumpster barge. A solar panel array keeps it running when there water current isnt enough.
http://earthtechling.com/2014/06/solar-powered-water-wheel-can-clean-50000-pounds-of-trash-per-day/?google_editors_picks=true