• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.431-440
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• 2001

Generated agri-chemical droplets by orchard sprayers are evaporated regenerated and transported along wind streams. The droplets are deposited to targets after changing their sizes, affecting the retention of droplets. An orchard sprayer, designed for spraying grapevines was studied on the spatial distribution of droplet size. The experimental variables were spray direction (0, 22.5, 45, 67.5 and 90˚), distance(2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 m) and fan speed (2,075 and 3,031 rpm). Droplet sizes were converted and analyzed from spray stains, sampled using water sensitive papers. The number median diameter (NMD) increased with an increase of the distance due to disappeared fine droplets (<50 ㎛): however, the volume median diameter (VMD) decreased due to shrunken large droplets (>100 ㎛). Fast fan speed delivered large droplets to 3.5 m, but the spatial distributions of NMD and VMD were not uniform. Slower fan speed decreased the possibility of evaporation and drift; therefore, plenty of droplets were maintained up to 3.0 m. The upward blasting distance was limited within 3 m, but the limit to the ground level was extended to 3.5 m. Concentrated wind and droplets to the ground level should be redistributed to upper canopy direction, leading more uniform deposits. High speed wind and system pressure should be avoided because of generating fine droplets, which would be disappeared and drifted away.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.111-125
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• 2018

In this study, we evaluated the uniformity of deposition rate and particle size distributions of the variable rate application technique using the unmanned rotorcraft by measuring the spray pattern according to path location in the range of spraying flight. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the lateral coverage rate for the overlapped distribution with the spray swath of 3.6 m in both guidance and auto-pilot flight modes maintaining constant flight speed was about 30% and the CV of the coverage rate by the flight path location was extremely small. Therefore, it was assessed that the variable rate application technology compensating for the variation of ground speed was superior in terms of spray uniformity. In addition, the droplet size distributions in both volume median diameter(VMD) and number median diameter(NMD) were adequate for aerial application and uniform in terms of lateral distribution. Thereafter, we intend to contribute to a precise application on small-scaled fields using the unmanned agricultural rotorcraft by the variable rate application.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2009

This paper presents results from field studies carried out to monitor off-target droplet movement of endosulfan insecticide applied to the Korea chestnut tree area. As a results, mean airborne drift values were recorded 25m as average from downwind of a single flight line(sample line) in mountain terrain and mean effective swath width was recorded 19.5m as average in a plain. In terms of characteristics of geography of Korea aerial application is mainly carried out in mountain terrain. The equipment, weather conditions, and appropriate aerial spray technic are required for effective aerial application. In particular, the pilot can get effective results when he only sprays with consideration of environment factors since there is much turbulence in mountain terrain. Eventually, the most effective factor of droplets drift is to estimate the local weather conditions exactly.