Design and simulation of a water hyacinth harvester.

Abstract

Water hyacinth also known as Eichhornia crassipes is a floating water weed with a fibrous root system and dark green rounded leaves up 3 to 5 cm in diameter. The leaf stalks are swollen into spongy, bulbous structures. Water hyacinth is the most predominant, persistent and troublesome aquatic within the world and has posed ecological and economical problems in several countries. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate utilization of water hyacinth and removal of water hyacinth vegetation. The major problems of water hyacinth is it affects the countries fresh water recourses. Water hyacinth is considered a serious and one of the most noxious aquatic pests in many parts of the world. Its rapid growth has clogged major waterways and created problems associated with navigation, national security, irrigation and drainage, water supply, hydroelectricity and fishing in many countries because of its devastating effects on aquatic ecology and man. It’s called "green devil" or "Bengal tenor" in India, "Florida devil" in America. The weed promotes greater evapotranspiration through its many leaves thus accelerating the drying up of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals, river basins, etc. It also promotes considerable ecological succession, creating islets and sandbars.