# An Intelligent Floor Drain System for Self-Powered Disinfection via Low-Velocity Wastewater Energy Harvesting

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a self-powered floor drain system that uses wastewater energy to disinfect, reducing reliance on external power and chemicals.

## Contribution

The novel integration of energy-harvesting modules enables self-powered disinfection in floor drains.

## Key findings

- The system generates 0.8 mW peak power at 4.15 l/min drainage rate.
- A voltage-multiplying circuit increases energy output by 55%.
- The system achieves 98.2% sterilization efficiency after 50 minutes.

## Abstract

Rapid urbanization intensifies hygiene and sustainability challenges in drainage systems, where conventional floor drains suffer from odor backflow, bacterial growth, and pathogen transmission. Existing disinfection methods depend on external power or chemicals, increasing energy consumption and environmental pollution. Herein, we develop an intelligent floor drain system that enables self-powered disinfection by recovering wastewater energy. By synergistically integrating a turbine blade drain valve, a magnetic levitation module, a contactless drive module, and an electromagnetic power generation (EMG) module, the intelligent floor drain system recovers energy from wastewater for power generation while maintaining its traditional functionality. The EMG module is able to produce a peak power output of 0.8 mW at a drainage rate of 4.15 l/min. A voltage-multiplying circuit boosts energy output by 55%. The system was able to achieve 98.2% sterilization efficiency after 50 min of operation. This work contributes to the global goals of sustainability and energy efficiency.