[TITLE]
42
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
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