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- Drone in the warrior field: Russian drones will clear roadsides of hogweed
Drone in the warrior field: Russian drones will clear roadsides of hogweed
Domestic agrodrons will be able to spray fertilizers and plant protection products more efficiently thanks to the first "smart nozzle" developed in our country, made entirely from Russian components. The system allows you to adjust the droplet size and spray width, which is especially important when performing tasks that require high accuracy. One example is the control of overgrowths of Sosnovsky hogweed and other weeds, when it is necessary to ensure that chemicals only reach the target plants and minimize their impact on the environment. In addition, the development can be used to apply de-icing liquids to aircraft. At the same time, experts note that the key step will be to test the technology in real-world operating conditions. According to them, it is important not only to confirm the declared effectiveness of the system, but also to assess how safe its use will be for people and animals in the work area.
How drones handle fields
Design engineers at the Moscow Aviation Institute have created the country's first smart nozzle for agricultural drones. This device helps to accurately spray fields with pesticides and fertilizers.
As the developers explained, previously domestic agricultural drones were equipped with imported spray units, which created dependence on foreign suppliers and increased the cost of maintenance of equipment. In addition, such products are not always adapted to Russian climatic conditions and specific application technologies. The new project is designed to solve this problem.
— The device is a centrifugal type nozzle that sprays liquid using a rotating disk. By changing its rotation speed and feed parameters, it is possible to adjust the droplet size in the range from 50 to 500 micrometers, as well as control the width of the spray torch — the shape of the jet created by the sprayer," said Anton Lyapin, one of the developers, project manager of the Aeromobility Directorate of MAI.
According to him, the nozzle is based on a Russian-made brushless electric motor, to which a domestic speed controller is connected. The housing elements of the device are manufactured in MAI. The device operates automatically according to a preset program, however, the operator can change the basic spray parameters directly during the flight.
— At first glance, the nozzle looks like a rocket. This appearance is due to design decisions — the oblong hollow body performs the function of an air intake, and radiators are responsible for heat dissipation. Instead of the usual brush motor, we use a brushless motor. In combination with the original cooling system, this allows the device to operate without overheating and maintain stable spray characteristics," said Daniil Nazarov, the project's design engineer.
According to him, the prototype is currently undergoing resource testing. Experts evaluate the reliability of the device under prolonged loads, measure the droplet size in various spray modes, and check the uniformity of liquid distribution across the width of the torch. The next stage will be field tests, which the developers plan to conduct together with potential device operators.
Fighting hogweed and aircraft maintenance
— The device is designed for a wide range of applications. One of the most well—developed scenarios is the fight against Sosnovsky hogweed at linear facilities. It is an aggressive weed that spreads rapidly along roads and on agricultural land, and its control remains a difficult task. Traditional methods of spraying herbicides often turn out to be insufficiently effective due to the lack of opportunities for fine-tuning the treatment parameters. Our development allows us to select the spray mode in such a way that the active substance falls only on the target plants and minimizes the impact on the surrounding ecosystem," said Anton Lyapin.
Hogweed is one of the most aggressive and rapidly spreading plants. It displaces native species of grasses and shrubs, disrupts the natural balance in nature and reduces biological diversity. In addition, its danger lies in the juice, which contains furanocoumarins. These are substances that increase the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. If the juice gets on the skin and is subsequently exposed to sunlight, severe burns occur. They are accompanied by blisters, pain and prolonged healing, and pigmented spots and scars may remain at the site of the lesion. In some cases, with extensive lesions, complications in the form of fever and intoxication of the body are possible.
The researchers are also considering the possibility of using a nozzle for applying de-icing liquids, where high accuracy of droplet size is particularly important. If tests confirm the effectiveness of such a solution, the device can be used to process aircraft, as well as buildings and high-rise structures.
— The fight against hogweed is a national task that requires the broad involvement of scientists and engineers. At the same time, we need to understand how technologies will work in practice and how they will ensure safety for humans and animals in the processing area," said Vladimir Pinaev, Associate professor at the Patrice Lumumba Institute of Ecology at the RUDN University, editor—in-chief of the online magazine Waste and Resources, member of the Public Council of the Basic Organization of the CIS Member States for Environmental Education.
At the same time, certain difficulties may arise in the practical application of the technology, said Ilfir Abdullin, Associate Professor of the Department of Aircraft Design and Engineering at Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev — KAI.
— Hogweed has a complex leaf relief and is able to recover even from a small fragment of the plant. In addition, for effective control, it must be destroyed immediately over large areas. If the distribution centers are located near high—security territories or private facilities, drone operators may face bureaucratic barriers when carrying out such work, the expert believes.
According to him, for the full implementation of such technologies, it is necessary to develop not only the related infrastructure. Today, Russia already has manufacturers of drones, ready-made complexes for aerial photography, spraying, mapping and monitoring, as well as developers of specialized software. However, in order to achieve technological independence of the industry, it is necessary to stimulate the creation of domestic sensors and onboard computing modules, improve the regulatory framework and develop the infrastructure necessary to fly drones out of the operator's line of sight.
— The development deserves attention, but the key task remains to establish commercial cooperation with manufacturers of agricultural drones that will be able to integrate the device into their platforms. Today, the domestic market is dominated by Chinese drones equipped with their own spray systems integrated into the control electronics. The functionality that the developers reproduce has already been implemented by market leaders as one of the options for flagship models. Therefore, it is almost impossible to replace the standard nozzle on Chinese devices with a domestic equivalent without losing communication with the autopilot and the fluid flow control system," said Artem Bogatyrev, market expert at Aeronet Research Institute.
According to the developers, with mass production, the cost of one nozzle will be less than 10 thousand rubles. In the future, they expect to produce electronic components for the device at the institute. This will ensure product quality control and quickly adapt it to specific tasks. The project is being implemented with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
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