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EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF A GRANULAR BOOM SPRAYER DESIGN TO ACHIEVE UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF GRANULAR FERTILIZER

Muhamad Razlan Bin Ismail , Dr. Mohd Zamani Bin Ngali

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing

University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

(UTHM)

ABSTRACT

Boom granular fertilizer method is one the techniques that is used to spread the fertilizer in agricultural preservation industry. However, the fertilizer used in granular characteristic which solely subjected to pressure, causes the un-uniform distribution pattern. So, this investigation is to modify the equation involved in developing in-house fluid particle software. Also, recommends the appropriate design to achieve uniformity granular distribution by considering various aspects appropriate capacity constraints. Therefore, the evaluation on blow heads design is to be determined. To ensure the uniform granular distribution pattern obtained in order to achieve better efficiency levels. The study was began with analyzing the existing boom design ' blow heads ' specifications to gather the information and then simulate the granular. Analyses were done by applying certain parameters for simulation and track down the detail granular movement inside boom section. However, if the results do not meet the study objective, the redesign in terms of their shape and other parameters will be taking a part of all the results and then it is compared to find the most appropriate blow heads design. The study approach has been successfully implemented by performing the particle movement simulation. All the data obtained was record and then the evaluation was done. So, the result obtained from this study is to show that the uniform particle distribution on projected area. Which is achieved and some recommendations have been made.Keywords: boom sprayer, granular particle, Reynold number, Navier Stoke equation

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Boom sprayer method is a machinery application which is used in agricultural industries. It has been widely used around the world to spread the fertilizer in the form of liquid or granule form on various types of commercial activities. Agencies in Malaysia have no doubt to apply this technology in order to be competitive in agriculture industries. Thus, this method has increasing significantly with the rapid development of technology in various fields for this century.

Boom sprayer method is a technique in which the fertilizer at under certain pressure able to travel through all the pipes and subsequently distributed according to the nozzle output design. Boom sprayer application technique is often used for liquid fertilizer types, but this study will focus on the form of fertilizer or granular in details.

Granular boom sprayer design optimization has been done by other researchers for several decades. Their studies are mostly cover the efficiency of the system in term of reducing the variable rate errors. Also, various aspects of the reform and its variable rate has been mainly studied especially on boom sprayer design. Moreover, the result shown that the role of variable rate plays an important role affecting the uniformity granular distribution [1].

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

Blow head component is one of the most critical parts for the sprayer process whenever the materials conditions are in liquid or granular form. Whenever it is in the final stage of the process where the material distribution would be fall through it. Generally the nozzle is used for liquid and will becomes easier to be controlled by the tip installed in it. It will manipulate the pressure drop to get the desired spray type and achieve the uniform particle distribution. The previous study shows the selection of correct nozzle that influences the spray liquid distribution [2].

The further studies show DEM is based on the use and simulate the granular physic studies on granular materials (Herrman and Luding 1998; Ki- shino, 2001; Zhu et al., 2004). It also investigate various types of the engineering problems such, mixing, grinding or granulation.

Similar with DEM method, the in-house fluid-particle software also calculate the entire moving particle. The Navier- Stokes equation was use as the application to solve the problem involve related the particle flow.

The mass particle m is about to move along direction depends on the velocity applied by the integration proportional to time. It is moving in three direction where the coding represent the UP , VP and WP direction. By considering the gravity effect F=mg multiple by bounce force FB , the velocity equation in VP since the gravity effect of VP become,

Where represent the particle density and represent the fluid density by integrated with time.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

The MATLAB software will be used to extract the coding which is developed in-house fluid-particle software since the wide application is used by the previous researchers. Generally the study will begin with modelling of an image of boom sprayer component design as figure 1a and 1b and then simulate it by visual simulation. So, it encourages the preparation to achieve the uniform granular particle distribution.

Parameter is a numerical measurable factor formed as a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation. It also is limited to the boundary which defines the scope of a particular process or activity. There are various of parameters need to be considered in order to run the simulation which started from the boundary condition to its post processing data presented.

Table 1 : Particle parameters.

Particle region, regp

boom section entrance Number of particles, nump

1000-5000 Particle diameter, Dp

0.0001-0.002 Particle density, Rhop 800-1000 Particle mass, Mp *Dp3*Rhop/6 Fluid density, Rhof

1

Particle weight,M calculatedThe Reynold numbers is given by :

Where the is the particle density, V is velocity DP is the particle diameter and is the coefficient of the dynamic viscosity of air. The accuracy equation depends on the Sphericity of the particles. It is reported to vary from 4% to 22% depending on the particle shape and Sphericity (Haider Levenspiel, 1989). The range of Reynolds number is given as, Re < 2.5 x 104. In this case the Reynold number parameter runs the simulation which considered to be fixed. It cannot be determine the specific value of granular materials of fertilizer. The boundary condition for the particle at the inlet is located during the velocity fully developed since the best flow of particle distribution can be obtained. This parameter also gives highly influence of particle distribution during the post processing phase. 4.0 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Velocity contour

The single particle equation of motion is described into developed in-house fluid particle software to simulate the granular distribution from existing boom sprayer design. The effect of particle properties such as the particle diameter, density, Reynold number applied and the boom sprayer blowhead designed were studied. The range of particle is defined as perpendicular with blowhead line covered by a particle before it reaches the ground.

The density of the particle affected the mass of the particle. It is clearly defined that each physical mass of the object owned its density. Thus an increment of the mass particle will affect the range of the particle then start to distributed to the ground proportional to gravity effect. Figure 2 and 3 below shown the velocity contour for Re 1000 for one running simulation sample. The critical location is found at the blowhead opening with maximum value of 2.6. It is because of the pressure extremely decreased since the baffled causes by the collecting plate installation and disturbance due to fully developed velocity profile. The time taken to complete the simulation is 4 seconds regarded on software calculation with 10 skippers. As the discussion for the velocity flow pattern the evaluation can be made on velocity since it changed with the different of Reynold numbers. It comply the Reynold number equation which is proportional to the velocity. For next Reynold number is almost the same as the critical location to the blowhead opening due to pressure decrease.

Particle flow

As the objective to study the detailed particle movement, there are better set of the input data which provides best particle simulation sample that is with Reynold numbers 1000 and 1500 after the design configuration phase. Their parameter is listed as table 2 below.Sample

nump

Dp

Rhop

Re

Skipper

1

1000

0.001

1000

1000

10

1

1000

0.001

1000

1500

20

Table 2: Parameter setting

It was found that the effectiveness blowhead design is installed the collecting plate on the blowhead opening. The simulation results produced a unique particle distribution pattern for both set of data input ( see figure 5). The velocity causes the pattern shifted on its direction. The location for the particle was setup as xp,yp and zp where p refer to particle and x,y,z are axis. Based on the particle traced in y direction the number of particle about to distributed are 434 from 1000 particles. As the percentage 40% of particle trapped in the blowhead section and the remaining move to next spray section. As the logic number of particle trapped in the blow section is less than 30%. So, the vortex effect drives the particle turning back to blow opening section.Particle boom pattern

The particle was assumed evenly random distributed on boom section area. Figure 4a ,4b and 4c show one set of particle distribution at Re 1000 with diameter of particle , Dp 0.001 along with colleting plate installation. By comparing the result from past study there are no significant change on pattern when applying different parameter. The blowhead is founded to be the ideal for making the broadcast or full coverage applications of particle distribution. The visualize simulation show the application rate decrease for both edge blow section then the spray pattern start to overlapped about its direction to achieve uniform distribution.

Collecting plate effectiveness

The particle percentage regarding the trap was found 20% which surely spread on projected land. The particle discharge amount also influence by the number of particle applied since it is executed by batch. The result below show how amount number particle applied in order to achieve uniform particle distribution. The data observed result from simulation execution can be suggest that to achieve the uniform boom particle distributed and also to get the larger spread , (i) the velocity should be increase , (ii) the particle size and particle diameter should be increase in range , (iii) the collecting plate should be flexible on any angle , (iv) the blowhead opening size and angle 1/3 ratio from boom pipe area , (v) the reflector plate must be well calculate and the altitude should be high enough so that no disturbance allowed on horizontal direction.

5.0Conclusion

The simulation shows the difference in even a slight changes parameter would influence the particle distribution. In addition, by adding weight of the particle a much bigger particle distribution can be achieved. The initiall velocity when particle are ejected have a direct effect on their spreads. It is also observes that the potential of installing the collecting plate in the boom section area. It was found that by adding the collecting plate the sprayer problem can be solved based on simulation. The particle size in range of 0.001 attempt full uniformly particle distribution. But for the particle size range in 0.0001 shows unbalanced and have a very little effect because proportional to density and Reynold numbers. Application uniformity for Re 1000 and 1500 in X-Y transverse direction was evaluated by the particle the location, yp. The particle distributed pattern simulate by blowhead with the installed the collecting plate shown there are in range of predicted pattern with 200 to 300 nodes from projected area.

As the simulation proportional to time, the responses time for achieve the uniform particle distribution are judge satisfactory as lower 5 seconds for one blowhead section. Since the granular on boom section was continuously movable, it is expected to fill less than 10 seconds for one complete cycle sprayer.

6.0 REFERENCE

1. Angel P. Garcia, Nelson L. Cappelli & Claudio K (2012). Umezu. Auger - Type Granular Fertylizer Distributor : Mathemathical Model and Dynamic Simulation. Jaboticabal : Engineering Agriculture.

2. Y.J. Kim, H.J. Kim, K.H. Ryu & J.Y. Rhee (2008). Fertiliser application performance of a variable-rate pneumatic granular applicator for rice production. Biosystem Engineering. 498 - 510.3. E. Tola, T. Kataoka, M. Burce, H. Okamoto & S. Hata (2008). Granular fertilizer application rate control system with integrated output volume measurement. Biosystem Engineering. 411 - 416.4. Steven Dobekv (2012). Fluid Dynamics and The Navier-Stokes Equation. Universiti of Australia : Degree Thesis.

Figure 1a: The prototype of granular boom

sprayer. (Y.J. Kim, H.J. Kim, K.H. Ryu & J.Y. Rhee, 2008)Figure 1b: Blowhead with 300 collecting plate

Figure 2: X-Y view Velocity contour at Re

1000Figure 3: X-Y-Z view Velocity contour at Re

1000

Figure 4a: X-Z view particle distribution with Re 1000

Figure 4b : Application pattern with Re 1000

Figure 4c: Traditional Field Crops (PeaceCorps, 1981, 283 p.)Figure 5: Flow pattern for Re 1000

Approved by:

..............................................................

Name of supervisor: Dr. Mohd Zamani Bin NgaliDate

: 16 December 2013 EMBED \* MERGEFORMAT

EMBED \* MERGEFORMAT

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