Design of clean energy based microplastic collection device

Abstract

Microplastics are plastic particles with a particle size of less than 5 mm formed after the degradation of plastic by crushing. Microplastics are chemically stable and difficult to degrade, and they are also enriched with chemical poisons, microorganisms, and pathogenic bacteria[1]. Some microplastics migrate with ocean currents in the ocean, affecting the global distribution of pollution and causing great harm to the stability of marine ecosystems and the marine environment. There are a large number of microplastics in the ocean, and the number is increasing[2][3]. In order to realize the microplastic collection function, a microplastic collection device was designed to reduce operational requirements and costs while realizing microplastic salvage. The overall scheme of the system includes the design of subsystems consisting of a solar power generator, a collection mechanism, a filtration device, a buoyancy device, a lighthouse, an anchor device, and so on. According to the actual needs of the microplastic collection, the mechanical structure and dimensions of each subsystem were designed, the 3D modeling of the overall system was completed using SolidWorks, and a physical model of the microplastic collection device was produced for experimental testing.