Scaled-down Model Design of Granular Fertilizer Boom Sprayer

Abstract

Lately, harvesters and farmers are craving for any possibility to apply boom sprayer concept for granular fertilizers due to its simplicity and easy to repair features. Granular fertilizer Boom sprayer allows the fertilizers to distribute in a larger scale with a shorter time taken as compared to traditional application methods. However, the performance optimization of this bulky machinery is complicated due to all the parameters involved especially on the fertilizers, crops, boom arrangements and the feeding environment characteristics. This paper explains the process of modeling the whole scenario in order to facilitate the study of fertilizer distribution in laboratory scale. The actual granular fertilizer Boom Sprayer which is being used by MARDI is properly scaled down by the scale of 1:2 geometrically while the air flow Reynolds number is maintained at 51832 for both actual and the scale down model. The developed scaled-down experimental rig is essential in the process of fertilizer distribution optimization, boom sprayer design improvement as well as current design performance evaluation.