Empowering Small Scale Farming through a Compound Gear Train Based Irrigation Model that Promotes Environmental Sustainability

IJEP 46(2): 165-172 : Vol. 46 Issue. 2 (February 2026)

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Ramesh Chandra Nayak1*, Mahesh Vasantrao Kulkarni2, Debasis Bhujabal1, Amey R. Khedikar3 and T. Venkatamuni4

1. Synergy Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bhubaneswar – 752 101, Odisha, India
2. Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pune – 411 038, Maharashtra, India
3. Tulsiramji Gaikwad Patil College of Engineering and Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Nagpur – 441 108, Maharashtra, India
4. VSB Engineering College, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karur – 639 111, Tamil nadu, India

Abstract

Irrigation is a vital component of agricultural practices; it is usually made possible by externally operated devices, such as those powered by electricity and fossil fuels. However, these externally operated irrigation systems place a burden on small-scale farmers. While a manual irrigation system offers better profit margins, it is time- and labour-intensive. The issues associated with manual irrigation are addressed by a technology-based model, which is described in this work. The designed model features a compound gear train arrangement alongwith an energy storage device. This setup is intended to be attached to a hand pump to lift water using manual effort. Thanks to the gearing arrangement and energy storage, minimal human effort results in maximum water lift without external power sources. With this device, water can be lifted from wells, rivers and any water storage. The system promotes environmental sustainability and improves farmers’ profit margins in agriculture. It can lift 25 L of water per minute with six complete rotations of the hand pump handle. This demonstrates its ease of operation and the viability of the design. Overall, the system offers a better solution for enhancing irrigation efficiency in resource-constrained agricultural practices.

Keywords

Gear train, environment, model, external source, agriculture, irrigation, effort

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