Design and Experiments of Aerial Electrostatic Spraying System Assembled in Helicopter

Abstract

It is wide foreground that aerial electrostatic spraying technology is applied for prevention and cure pests in agriculture and forestry. In the field of agriculture aviation, there are some advantages about helicopter such as flight convenience and realizing pesticide spraying in low-altitude flying. Be aimed at using R44 helicopter which is made in USA Robinson company, an aerial electrostatic spaying system was designed including aerial nozzles, high-voltage power supply and inlay cylinder acicular induction charging device which can makes spraying droplets more uniformly and droplets charging more effectively and fully. Some experimental studies about aerial electrostatic spraying set were introduced and conducted on the electrostatic spraying system assembled in the R44 helicopter. These experiments included the effective spraying breadth, droplets deposition characteristics and droplets drift and so on. The electrostatic spraying can make coverage rate of target increase 12 droplets / cm2 compared with the non-electrostatic spraying. In action of helicopter propeller disturbing, droplets could be found on the back of the spraying target. By the effects of the electrostatic field, the effective spray breadth of R44 helicopter reached 36m, and droplets drift decreased obviously. The results of the studies showed that electrostatic spraying could produce uniform and fine droplets with better droplet adhesion and distribution, higher depositing efficiency, lower environmental contamination, lower pesticide application rate and aerial spray can improve efficiency for prevention and cure pests in agriculture and forestry. Combined electrostatic spraying with aerial spraying technology will take an important role for prevention and cure pests.