UAV-Mounted Tank for Processing Agricultural Land with Liquid Agrochemicals

Abstract

To process agricultural crops, unmanned aerial vehicles carrying tanks with liquid chemicals are used. The paper highlights that containers made of polypropylene and polyethylene exhibit inferior qualities compared to those made of fiberglass, specifically, in terms of strength, thermal stability, resistance to ultraviolet rays, and service life. (Research purpose) To design and manufacture a tank made of composite fiberglass material with a water hammer damper. (Materials and methods) S-glass and epoxy vinyl ester resin were selected for the tank, as they exhibit superior resistance to chemical influences. To construct the tank elements, spray application, impregnation of glass fiber filler in a closed form, and winding were used. (Results and discussion) A comparative analysis was conducted on tank models, assessing their performance with and without a water hammer damper. The effectiveness of the suggested solution has been substantiated through the utilization of KOMPAS-3D software in the KompasFlow application, Within this software, the hydraulic shock is simulated to propagate inside the tank, reflecting off the walls, and gradually diminishing. Load and strength calculations for the fiberglass tank were performed by considering fiberglass parameters using the APM FEM application. (Conclusions) A tank model designed for application of liquid chemical substances in crop spraying from unmanned aerial vehicles has been developed. Innovative methods were employed in the manufacturing of the tank components. Additionally, careful consideration was given to the feasibility of maintenance and reparability. The tank’s volume (experimental sample) measures 0.0158 cubic meters, with a length of 480 millimeters, a width of 216 millimeters, a thickness of 3.6 millimeters, and a weight of approximately 4 kilograms. The design for mounting the composite tank on the unmanned aerial vehicle ensures that the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle does not impact the tank.