Stability of Self-Propelled Sprayer Booms

Vandersee, Kingsley (2017) Stability of Self-Propelled Sprayer Booms. [USQ Project]


Abstract

Sprayers are an important part of delivering herbicides and pesticides to both broad acre and precision crop land in Australia. Despite being such a core part of the industry, it is surprising to find out that little to no research has been conducted into the stability of the spray booms on sprayers. The concern is that the excessive movement of the boom can cause critical members of the boom to wear out prematurely and that the movement can cause inconsistent spray patterns on the crop.

It is proposed to undertake a research project that investigates the effects of uneven terrain on the movement of the boom. More specifically, to find out if the movement is enough to cause concern, in that, parts of the crop are not getting sufficient chemical and some parts are getting too much. This data can then be used in the future by manufacturers to minimise the effects of the terrain on the machinery they produce.

The following research project documents the idea development and preliminary research that has been undertaken during this project. It also narrows the scope of the project to an undergraduate dissertation level and produces a risk assessment along with a proposed methodology for the research being conducted.

This research is supported by the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture and will provide vital information on the effects of uneven or rough terrain on the dynamics and movement of a spray boom and possible options to prevent non-uniform ground spray.

The research found the effective limits of deflection of the boom and found that the maximum speed that the sprayer could travel over the test track was 7.5 km/h.


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Item Type: USQ Project
Item Status: Live Archive
Additional Information: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical)
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2021)
Supervisors: Rees, Steven; Smith, Bruen
Date Deposited: 07 Sep 2022 04:20
Last Modified: 07 Sep 2022 04:20
Uncontrolled Keywords: spray booms; self-propelled; stability
URI: https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/40859

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