Automatic Trash Rack Cleaning Control & Intake Blockage Monitoring Station

Overview

The RC-TRC-600 is a mains-powered automatic trash rack cleaning control and intake blockage monitoring station for irrigation operators, water utilities, industrial facilities and infrastructure integrators. It measures water levels upstream and downstream of a screen, starts a compatible mechanical rake when cleaning is needed, and reports unresolved blockage or equipment faults through a Web platform and mobile app. The standard package combines two radar level sensors, an outdoor control cabinet, a motor starter, local controls and connected maintenance records. REDCOAST.LTD delivers the complete monitoring and control solution, supported by in-house PCB and board-level hardware development for project-specific interfaces.

Key Features

• Demand-based cleaning: Differential water level initiates a cleaning request, with adjustable persistence and hysteresis to avoid unnecessary starts during waves or changing flow.
• Two independent level measurements: Upstream and downstream radar readings distinguish screen head loss from changes in the overall channel level.
• One complete control package: A 7-inch HMI, motor starter, field terminals, alarm beacon interface and Web/mobile access cover installation, operation and maintenance.
• Mechanical fault supervision: Motor overload, missing movement feedback and excessive cycle duration produce separate alarms with recorded operating conditions.
• Local operation without internet: Cleaning sequences and equipment interlocks execute inside the cabinet; cloud connectivity provides oversight and records.
• Purpose-built electronics: REDCOAST.LTD develops the isolated sensor interface, digital I/O, edge controller and DC power supervision PCBs to match the installation.
• Existing equipment integration: Discrete start/stop, run feedback and fault contacts allow connection to a surveyed rake or an existing motor control center.
• Actionable maintenance history: Cleaning counts, motor running hours, head-loss trends and unresolved alarms help crews prioritize inspection and debris collection.

Technical Architecture

Two downward-looking 80 GHz radar sensors mount on opposite sides of the trash rack, clear of the rake travel and strong hydraulic disturbances. Their surveyed mounting elevations establish a common water-level datum; subtracting raw distances without these offsets would give an incorrect differential. The controller receives isolated 4–20 mA signals, applies configurable damping and checks signal validity before calculating head loss. Non-contact radar is an established option for water level and open-channel applications, as illustrated by VEGA's current radar sensor specifications. RC-TRC-600 sensor range and accuracy are specified for the selected project instruments; turbulence, mounting geometry and calibration remain part of installed-system acceptance.

The edge controller combines differential level, a backup schedule, upstream high-level status and machine permissives. An illustrative commissioning setting requests cleaning after a 100 mm differential persists for 10 seconds and clears that request below 40 mm; these are starting values, not universal limits. The sequence checks guards and motor availability, gives a local pre-start warning, runs the rake and verifies movement. It completes the current mechanical cycle before a normal stop when the machine requires a home position. Persistent head loss after the permitted cycles raises an unsuccessful-cleaning alarm; overload, safety trips or loss of motion stop the machine and latch a fault. Automatic jam reversal is disabled in the base configuration. Invalid level inputs suspend differential control and raise an alarm; timer-only fallback requires approval in the site's hydraulic and machinery risk assessment.

A separate safety relay and appropriately selected contactors handle emergency-stop and guard circuits independently of the IoT processor. The custom boards manage process control, isolated acquisition, event logging and communications, while approved industrial components switch mains motor power. An optional bin-full sensor prevents repeated discharge into an overflowing container. The platform associates each event with an asset, timestamp, water levels and machine state; operators can acknowledge maintenance alarms, assign inspections and export records. Remote start requires a locally enabled remote mode and all permissives. Safety resets require local action.

Connectivity & Power

This product is intended for permanent sites with an electrical service: pumping compounds, canal headworks, treatment facilities and managed industrial or campus drainage systems. The direct-motor configuration uses a factory-selected three-phase AC 380–415 V, 50 Hz supply or AC 440–480 V, 60 Hz supply, matched to the motor and protective devices. A separate interface-only configuration uses AC 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz and sends commands to an existing motor control center. These are distinct wiring configurations; the universal control supply does not make a motor compatible with every grid.

Ethernet is the standard connection for a plant network. Optional 4G LTE provides backhaul where a wired network is unavailable, with modem bands selected for the destination and carrier. Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP exchanges process values with site SCADA, while MQTT over TLS or HTTPS connects the Web platform and mobile service. Unencrypted industrial protocols remain inside a controlled network or VPN. Cellular subscriptions and remote hosting are scoped separately.

The electronics and two sensors have a planning consumption of 25–40 W, excluding the motor and optional mains-fed 100 W enclosure heater. Motor nameplate output is mechanical shaft power, so electrical consumption must include motor losses and actual running time. For illustration, a measured 0.95 kW motor input running for 30 minutes daily plus 30 W of continuous controls would consume approximately 1.20 kWh per day, before heating. The station uses mains power throughout; loss of supply stops the rake, and restart behavior is commissioned for the specific machine.

Protection & Reliability

The outdoor cabinet has an IP66 design target for the completed assembly, including its door, controls and cable glands. Its steel enclosure and mounting hardware use hot-dip galvanizing beneath a smooth matte powder-coated finish; the standard colors are RAL 7035 light grey for the cabinet and RAL 7016 anthracite for the pedestal and brackets. A sun shield limits direct solar heating. The specified operating envelope is -20 to +50 °C with the cold-weather heater fitted, subject to the selected HMI, starter and sensor ratings.

Replaceable surge protection, protective bonding, separated mains and signal wiring, conformal-coated control boards and a humidity-controlled heater address common outdoor failure mechanisms. Coastal installations require a coating and fastener specification based on actual chloride exposure; no universal salt-spray lifetime is implied. Wind anchorage is checked against local loads and the selected pedestal. Cabinet cold-weather operation does not establish that a rake can break ice or operate in a frozen channel.

Motor running hours and contactor operations support planned replacement, while removable terminal blocks simplify board servicing. Maintenance includes checking sensor alignment, glands, door seals, protective devices and the rake manufacturer's lubrication and wear points. Warranty scope, spare-parts arrangements and service response are documented in the project quotation.

Application Scenarios

• Irrigation pumping intakes: Install beside an electrically powered canal pump station where weeds and floating refuse accumulate on the inlet rack. Cleaning responds to measured head loss, while crews receive fault and debris-bin notifications before the next inspection round.
• Canal-to-pipeline headworks: Monitor the rack ahead of an enclosed conveyance pipeline at a grid-connected control compound. Head-loss and cleaning records help operators distinguish screen obstruction from downstream operating changes.
• Municipal raw-water abstraction: Connect to a treatment plant's existing coarse-screen rake and SCADA network. Operators can coordinate inspection with rising upstream levels and retain a traceable history of cleaning attempts.
• Industrial utility-water intakes: Use the station at a factory's non-potable cooling or process-water intake. Motor fault feedback and persistent-blockage alarms support a site-specific response before restricted intake flow affects production.
• Campus and park drainage inlets: Fit a guarded mechanical screen at a maintained stormwater collection point with an existing electrical service. Remote status helps maintenance teams prioritize debris removal during leaf fall and rainfall events, while hydraulic overflow provisions remain part of the civil design.

Case-style Examples

The following examples illustrate configurations and intended operating outcomes; they are not claims of completed customer installations.

Irrigation intake modernization: An operator has a 0.75 kW powered rake but relies on fixed cleaning intervals and visits to identify blockage. A two-radar RC-TRC-600 package adds differential-level control, movement feedback and LTE reporting while retaining the surveyed mechanism. The expected result is a visible record of whether each cleaning cycle restores the intake condition, enabling maintenance to respond to unresolved obstructions.

Treatment-plant screen retrofit: A plant already operates a starter panel and Ethernet SCADA but lacks reliable head-loss information. The interface-only version supplies AC 100–240 V controls, two level sensors and isolated start, availability and fault signals to the existing panel. The intended outcome is automatic cleaning coordination and centralized alarm history without duplicating the installed motor starter.

Seasonal leaf-loading at a drainage intake: A managed campus has a 1.5 kW screen rake and a collection bin that fills rapidly in autumn. The selected configuration adds bin-full sensing, a local warning beacon and alarm escalation to maintenance staff. When the bin is full, the controller inhibits further discharge and reports the condition; a separately engineered overflow path accommodates continued inflow.

Customization & Selection Guide

Begin with the screen and machine survey: channel dimensions, minimum and maximum water levels, allowable differential head, debris type, rake geometry, motor voltage, motor current and the existing safety circuit. Automatic raking and differential-level control are established arrangements for irrigation canals, water intakes and drainage facilities; Duperon's manufacturer data provides a relevant industry example. Compatibility with a particular installed machine still requires its drawings and interface review.

Choose the direct-motor cabinet for a compatible single rake with a 0.37–2.2 kW three-phase motor. Choose the interface-only version where an existing starter or larger drive already controls the machine. Select Ethernet for an available plant network, LTE for isolated communications, and an additional bin sensor where collection capacity limits operation. A VFD interface is an engineering option when approved by the machine supplier; minimum speed, torque and motor cooling must be checked.

Screen spacing, channel flow capacity and maximum allowable head loss belong to the hydraulic and mechanical design. The RC-TRC-600 does not assign a universal flow rating to an existing rack, and coarse debris screening does not establish fish protection or fine filtration performance. Buyers needing aquatic-life protection should specify a dedicated intake-screen design; official fish-screening guidance explains why a conventional trash rack is insufficient.

Deployment & After-sales

The standard supply consists of the configured cabinet, two radar sensors with mounting brackets, controller firmware, HMI screens, wiring documentation and the agreed Web/mobile software package. Mechanical rakes, racks, conveyors, bins, civil works and hydraulic bypasses are separately scoped. REDCOAST.LTD can coordinate an integrated package after the mechanical interfaces and supply responsibilities are agreed.

Installation starts with a site survey and I/O schedule, followed by cabinet drawings, sensor locations and an approved control sequence. Factory acceptance covers signal simulation, motor-control interfaces, interlocks, alarm delivery and network-loss behavior. Site acceptance establishes the common level datum, checks real rake travel and stopping, and demonstrates the cleaning response under available flow conditions. A forced blockage is not required where it would exceed the rack's allowable loading.

Delivery timing is quoted after component availability, PCB customization and mechanical interfaces are frozen; a repeat cabinet configuration has a different schedule from a new board design. Handover includes configuration backups, terminal schedules, a spare-parts list, operator training and an agreed support route. Remote diagnostics require authorized access, and firmware updates follow controlled maintenance procedures.

Standards & Compliance

The project compliance plan uses IEC 60204-1, including its 2021 amendment, for the machine electrical equipment, protective bonding, supply isolation and related documentation. Machinery risk assessment follows ISO 12100. Safety functions and their required performance levels are determined for the complete installation; ISO 13849-1:2023 provides the relevant control-system design methodology, rather than automatically assigning a safety rating to the IoT controller.

Enclosure ingress testing is specified against IEC 60529. The project also establishes applicable EMC, electrical assembly, radio, material-restriction and destination-market conformity requirements. IP66, operating-temperature limits and any conformity marking must be supported by the final configuration's evidence. The values on this page define an engineering configuration and procurement targets, not a claim that a newly customized assembly already holds third-party certification.

Why REDCOAST.LTD

REDCOAST.LTD combines outdoor hardware, embedded control, a Web management platform and mobile workflows in one project delivery. Its in-house engineering team can develop new PCBs for the required sensor conditioning, galvanic isolation, machine I/O, communications and DC power supervision, then adapt firmware and software to the operating process. This gives owners a practical route to standardize monitoring across different intake machines while retaining suitable installed mechanical equipment. Documented interfaces and maintainable board assemblies help integrators manage commissioning, future expansion and service.

Contact REDCOAST.LTD with your intake drawings, rake motor details, available mains supply and monitoring requirements to request a customized RC-TRC-600 proposal.