Flood-Field UAV Herbicide Spraying Using Alternate Application Rows
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Solution Overview
Problem
The time required for a UAV to apply herbicide to a flood field is significantly longer than that for a human operative, and existing methods do not efficiently optimize application times while minimizing herbicide drift into unwanted areas.
Innovation Solution
The use of predetermined application and dispersion areas, combined with optimized flight paths and low-drift nozzles, allows the UAV to apply herbicide efficiently by flying over alternate rows, reducing the need to cover the entire field, and incorporating non-spraying routes to minimize drift.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the UAV flies over the entire flood field to apply herbicide, then complete coverage is achieved, but application time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The flood field is divided into alternate application areas and dispersion areas. The UAV applies herbicide only to application areas (every other row), while dispersion areas allow natural spreading of the aqueous emulsion formulation. This segmentation reduces flight path length and application time while maintaining complete field coverage through formulation dispersion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying herbicide to 100% of the field area, the method applies it to only 50% of the area (alternate rows), relying on the spontaneous emulsion and dispersion properties of the aqueous emulsion formulation to achieve coverage of the remaining areas. This partial action significantly reduces application time while maintaining effectiveness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the UAV applies herbicide to the entire field, then coverage is maximized, but herbicide drift into unwanted areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The field is segmented into application areas where herbicide is sprayed and dispersion areas that act as buffer zones. This spatial segmentation allows controlled dispersion away from field edges and unwanted areas, reducing drift while maintaining coverage through the natural spreading of the aqueous emulsion formulation in the dispersion areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The aqueous emulsion formulation acts as an intermediary that enables controlled dispersion. The formulation's properties (spontaneous emulsion, floating droplets) mediate between the application areas and dispersion areas, allowing herbicide to spread to coverage areas while the structured application pattern prevents excessive drift into unwanted regions.
3Measurement precision
If manual herbicide application is used, then application precision is maintained, but application time is excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical spraying system is replaced with an aerial UAV delivery system that uses the unique properties of aqueous emulsion formulations. The UAV provides precise aerial positioning and spray control, while the formulation's spontaneous emulsion and dispersion characteristics replace the need for manual ground-level application precision, achieving both speed and accuracy.
4Ease of operation
If conventional spray formulations are used, then application is straightforward, but droplet sedimentation occurs reducing dispersal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The formulation parameters are changed from conventional oil-based sprays to an aqueous emulsion system with specific properties: spontaneous emulsion capability, floating droplet behavior, and controlled dispersion characteristics. These parameter changes eliminate sedimentation issues while maintaining ease of application, as the droplets naturally float and disperse across the flood field surface without settling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces application time by 33-35% compared to covering the entire field and significantly decreases the risk of herbicide drift into unwanted areas.
Implementation Method 1
the spontaneous emulsion of the oil droplets containing the active ingredient(s) will lead to the droplets floating or rising to float and dispersing across the surface of the field with no sedimentation
Implementation Method 2
the spontaneous emulsion of the oil droplets containing the active ingredient(s) will lead to the droplets floating or rising
Implementation Method 3
the herbicide composition disperses to at least half of the width of the adjacent dispersion areas
Data Source
AI summary
A method of applying a herbicide to a flood field (1). The method comprises providing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (2), and flying the UAV (2) along a plurality of substantially parallel spray flight paths (31). The method also comprises spraying a herbicide composition from the UAV (2) onto the surface of the flood field (1) at a plurality of application areas (11), each one of the plurality of application areas (11) corresponding to one of the plurality of spray flight paths (31), each application area (11) being separated from adjacent application areas (11) by a dispersion area (12) into which herbicide composition sprayed onto the flood field (1) surface can disperse. The herbicide composition comprises an aqueous emulsion (EW).