Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying

Chemical application using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received significant attention from researchers and the market in recent years. The concept of using drones for collaborative spraying was proposed by manufacturers for improving intelligence and work efficiency. However, chemical sprayi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pengchao Chen, Fan Ouyang, Yali Zhang, Yubin Lan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-08-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1149
_version_ 1797440129210515456
author Pengchao Chen
Fan Ouyang
Yali Zhang
Yubin Lan
author_facet Pengchao Chen
Fan Ouyang
Yali Zhang
Yubin Lan
author_sort Pengchao Chen
collection DOAJ
description Chemical application using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received significant attention from researchers and the market in recent years. The concept of using drones for collaborative spraying was proposed by manufacturers for improving intelligence and work efficiency. However, chemical spraying is a professional technology in which spraying quality is the main concern. Using drones to achieve multi-unmanned aerial vehicle formation spraying and evaluating the spraying effect has not yet been reported. In this study, an indoor test platform and two UAVs for field experiments were built. Indoor and outdoor trials of close formation spraying were carried out in Guangzhou and Changji, China from the end of 2018 to 2019, respectively. The droplet density and distribution uniformity of droplets were evaluated from multiple spray overlap areas. It can be seen that simultaneous spraying was better than sequential spraying with the indoor spraying results in the outer fuselage overlap area (S1), and spraying in a short-interval mode can improve the droplet deposition distribution in the overlapping spraying area. Additionally, the droplet distribution result of sequential spraying was better than that of simultaneous spraying in the route center overlap area (S2). Also, the droplet distribution result of the long-interval mode was better than that of the short-interval mode. The uniformity of the droplets’ distribution in two spray width areas (S3) did not change significantly among the treatments.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T12:03:40Z
format Article
id doaj.art-634d0b42b8124a198d9109a60eb481c7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2077-0472
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T12:03:40Z
publishDate 2022-08-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Agriculture
spelling doaj.art-634d0b42b8124a198d9109a60eb481c72023-11-30T23:00:50ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722022-08-01128114910.3390/agriculture12081149Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation SprayingPengchao Chen0Fan Ouyang1Yali Zhang2Yubin Lan3National Center for International Collaboration Research on Precision Agricultural Aviation Pesticides Spraying Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaNational Center for International Collaboration Research on Precision Agricultural Aviation Pesticides Spraying Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaNational Center for International Collaboration Research on Precision Agricultural Aviation Pesticides Spraying Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaNational Center for International Collaboration Research on Precision Agricultural Aviation Pesticides Spraying Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaChemical application using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received significant attention from researchers and the market in recent years. The concept of using drones for collaborative spraying was proposed by manufacturers for improving intelligence and work efficiency. However, chemical spraying is a professional technology in which spraying quality is the main concern. Using drones to achieve multi-unmanned aerial vehicle formation spraying and evaluating the spraying effect has not yet been reported. In this study, an indoor test platform and two UAVs for field experiments were built. Indoor and outdoor trials of close formation spraying were carried out in Guangzhou and Changji, China from the end of 2018 to 2019, respectively. The droplet density and distribution uniformity of droplets were evaluated from multiple spray overlap areas. It can be seen that simultaneous spraying was better than sequential spraying with the indoor spraying results in the outer fuselage overlap area (S1), and spraying in a short-interval mode can improve the droplet deposition distribution in the overlapping spraying area. Additionally, the droplet distribution result of sequential spraying was better than that of simultaneous spraying in the route center overlap area (S2). Also, the droplet distribution result of the long-interval mode was better than that of the short-interval mode. The uniformity of the droplets’ distribution in two spray width areas (S3) did not change significantly among the treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1149multi-unmanned aerial vehicleaerial sprayingformation flightdroplet distribution
spellingShingle Pengchao Chen
Fan Ouyang
Yali Zhang
Yubin Lan
Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
Agriculture
multi-unmanned aerial vehicle
aerial spraying
formation flight
droplet distribution
title Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
title_full Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
title_fullStr Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
title_full_unstemmed Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
title_short Preliminary Evaluation of Spraying Quality of Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Close Formation Spraying
title_sort preliminary evaluation of spraying quality of multi unmanned aerial vehicle uav close formation spraying
topic multi-unmanned aerial vehicle
aerial spraying
formation flight
droplet distribution
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1149
work_keys_str_mv AT pengchaochen preliminaryevaluationofsprayingqualityofmultiunmannedaerialvehicleuavcloseformationspraying
AT fanouyang preliminaryevaluationofsprayingqualityofmultiunmannedaerialvehicleuavcloseformationspraying
AT yalizhang preliminaryevaluationofsprayingqualityofmultiunmannedaerialvehicleuavcloseformationspraying
AT yubinlan preliminaryevaluationofsprayingqualityofmultiunmannedaerialvehicleuavcloseformationspraying