Drop Spreading Research Articles

Development of a machine for cultivation and sowing of grain crops

BACKGROUND: When designing sowing machines, requirements are imposed to ensure soil preparation and sowing of grain crops as part of the implementation of energy-saving technology, since their productivity largely depends on these types of work. Thus, increasing the efficiency of sowing machines is an urgent task. AIM: – the development of a seeder design that allows, with maximum simplification of the design compared with analogues, reducing metal consumption and increasing the manufacturability of the product, both in production and in operation, to ensure the best conditions for the growth of crops and a significant increase in yield. In one pass, the seeder sows the main crop, small-seeded crop (binary component) and introduces mineral fertilizers, and can also be used when putting waste and fallow lands into circulation. METHODS: Methods of system analysis, mathematical modeling, and experiment planning were used in the development of the drill design. Experimental studies were conducted in the field and laboratory conditions in accordance with existing methods, using modern electronic and mechanical devices. Experimental data processing was carried out in the environment of the MathCAD system, Microsoft Office Excel. RESULTS: In contrast to known analogues, the proposed technical solution of the seeder simplifies the design, reduces the weight and improves the manufacturability of the product - on a simple frame welded in one plane from pipes, but free enough for the passage of crop residues and soil particles, on one side are installed stands with tines for mounting discs, and on the other - for mounting the hopper. The plane of attachment of tines for disc mounting is as close as possible to the soil surface, which reduced the load on the frame and reduced its material intensity. The seed drill-cultivator developed by the authors allows to realise all operations related to soil cultivation and sowing of grain crops Translated with DeepL.com (free version). CONCLUSIONS: The design solutions for the cultivator planter obtained by the authors simplified the design of the planter compared to its analogues, reduced its metal consumption, and therefore its weight, which makes it possible to use tractors of a smaller class with lower fuel consumption. The adjustment of the angle of attack of the discs has also been simplified, and the additional installation of baking powder has reduced the clogging of the seeder with crop residues and soil lumps.

Spreading of Dynamically Crosslinked Polydimethylsiloxane Drops

ABSTRACTDynamically crosslinked polymer networks, characterized by non‐permanent bonds, offer unique viscoelastic properties that can be used for various applications such as self‐healing coatings and reusable adhesives. This study investigates the spreading behavior of a silicone polymer network with dynamic imine bonds, focusing on the relationship between material properties and spreading dynamics. We prepare polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) networks with varied rheological properties by adjusting the ratio of amine and aldehyde groups and curing conditions. The spreading of PDMS spherical drops is investigated on surfaces with different surface energies, with the process quantified by measuring the contact length and height over time. Our findings reveal that higher modulus spheres spread more slowly, and that the spreading length increases more on high energy surfaces. This research could provide insights for developing coatings and adhesives with tunable properties by studying the interaction between transiently‐crosslinked polymers and substrates during spreading.

Success and failure of the spreading law for large drops of dense granular suspensions

The spreading of large viscous drops of density-matched suspensions of non-Brownian spheres on a smooth solid surface is investigated experimentally at the global drop scale. The focus is on dense suspensions with a solid volume fraction equal to or greater than $40\,\%$ , and for drops larger than the capillary length, i.e. for which the spreading is governed by the balance of gravitational and viscous forces. Our findings indicate that all liquids exhibit a power-law behaviour typical of gravity-driven dynamics, albeit with an effective suspension viscosity that is smaller than the bulk value. When the height of the drop is of the order of the particle size, the power law breaks down as the particles freeze while the contact line continues to advance.

The initial stage of the coalescence of a compound drop in an impact regime

The evolution of the regular fine structure of the colored matter distribution produced, when a freely falling multifluid drop spreads in deep water, is for the first time traced using the techniques of engineering photo and video recording. The flow pattern is studied in the initial stage of the formation of a cavity and a crown during the coalescence of a compound drop, whose core is a drop of alizarin ink solution coated with an oil shell. The distributions of the colored fluid at the cavity bottom and the crown walls include streaky structures, whose formation can be due to the processes of the available potential surface energy (APSE) conversion occurring when the contact surfaces of the merging fluids are eliminated. In the experiments the height of the falling drop was varied. The core position in the compound drop was not checked but was determined by separation conditions. The ink core disintegration into fibers was observable in all the experiments. The areas of the cavity and crown surfaces covered by the colored fluid reached maximum at the central position of the core.

Effect of Cr, Al and Mo additives on the wetting characteristics of molten Ni on (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta)C high entropy ceramics

For the first time, the wetting behavior of the (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta)C) high entropy carbide ceramics by molten Ni-based alloys was investigated using a sessile drop technique in a vacuum environment. Adding 10 wt% of Cr, Mo, or Al into Ni resulted in final contact angles of 14°, 10°, and 14° on the (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta)C substrate, respectively. The interaction mechanism between (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta)C and Ni-based alloys occurs in two stages: the dissolution and interaction of the elements Ti, Zr, Hf with the alloys and the dissolution of NbC and TaC at the grain boundaries. SEM observations revealed that Cr and Al additives do not interact with carbides, while Mo was dissolved in carbides. Due to the low contact angle, minimal interaction region between alloy and ceramic, and short time of drop spreading, NiAl alloy is proven to be a promising binder for the HEC-based composites.

Research on Production Behavior of A Fractured Well in Gas Hydrate Reservoirs Considering Multilayer

Abstract Natural gas hydrates are internationally recognized as a new clean energy source with high prospects for commercial development. However, the vast majority of hydrates are hosted in oceanic clayey silty sediments, which are inefficient to exploit due to the extremely low effective permeability. In this paper, a novel development mode, that is, multilayer commingled production with a hydraulically fractured well, is proposed for the multilayered reservoir where hydrate and free gas coexist, to enhance productivity. Especially, the co-production behavior was numerically investigated, with the multilayered reservoir containing a hydrate-bearing layer, a three-phase layer, and a free gas layer located in the Shenhu Area as the geological background. The results indicated that the fracture provided flow channels for gas production in the multilayer, as well as greatly increasing the pressure drop spreading zone and changing the hydrate decomposition mode from around the wellbore to along the fracture surface. Compared with improving the fracture conductivity, increasing the fracture length is more effective for improving hydrate decomposition efficiency and co-production capacity. Specifically, when the fracture half-length was 30 m and the fracture conductivity was 100 D·cm, the cumulative gas production reached 949×104 m3 at 3600 days, which was 3.28 times that of the unfractured scenario. Additionally, fracturing the free gas layer hardly affects productivity as the free gas can be well-recovered by the wellbore. Overall, the proposed mode is promising for multilayered gas hydrate reservoirs, provides references for the co-production plan design, and contributes to the scale mining of hydrates.

Dynamic Drop Penetration of Horizontally Oriented Fiber Arrays.

In this experimental study, we combine drop impact into porous media and onto a single fiber to study drop impact into fiber arrays inspired by mammalian fur coats. In our 3D-printed arrays, we vary the packing density, fiber alignment, strand cross-section, and wettability. Drops impact fibers fixed at both ends, penetrating over short periods of time by momentum and laterally spreading throughout the array. Using image analysis, we measure penetration depth and wetted width into the array. Impact Weber number and intrinsic porosity define penetration, retraction, and rebound regimes. On average, at an impact Weber number of ≈80, staggered fibers reduce penetration by 24% in hydrophilic fibers and 34% in hydrophobic fibers, and the penetration reduction percentage is expected to increase with increasing Weber number. Our results indicate that as density grows toward the density of mammalian pelts, penetration will reach a maximum value independent of drop impact velocity, thereby providing an effective rain barrier. Hydrophilicity at the densities we test, 50-150 strands/cm2, aids fiber array resistance to dynamic penetration by impacting drops through the promotion of lateral drop spreading and inhibition of drop fragmentation. Conversely, hydrophobic fibers best resist low-speed wicking. The fraction of a drop that infiltrates hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers is nearly identical for a fixed Weber number because lateral spreading restricts the penetration depth into hydrophilic fibers but does not restrict mass infiltration. Above a critical Weber number, the entire drop mass penetrates fiber arrays regardless of strand wettability.

Design and Development of Ardiuno Based Seed Sowing Machine

Pulses is one of the important crops. Pulses has a high dietary value due to their high protein content. The pulse crop is primarily farmed for its grains, which are consumed whole or split (dal). Proper and timely planting has a significant impact on seed germination, plant growth, plant population in the field, and, eventually, overall production. In general, pulses are sown by animal/tractor drawn seed drill or manually. Tractor-drawn seed drills are best suited for medium to large farms with a high seed rate. Draft animals are not only growing more expensive, but they are also becoming scarce. More than 75% of Indian farmers are small and marginal farmers who perform all of their operations manually. Manual sowing is a highly labour intensive, tedious, time consuming and not technically suitable. Therefore, a double row ardiuno based battery operated seed sowing machine for pulses seed was developed and tested. During the study, the required physical property of chickpea seed was determined. The developed seed drill was tested for laboratory and field test. The overall size of developed seed sowing machine was 930×600×740 mm. It was operated through 24V (type Lead acid / li-ion) battery. A DC motor of 250 watt 24V was used as power source. Ground wheels have 15 lugs. It sowed seeds in two rows at a time. The overall weight of developed seed drill was 37 kg. In the laboratory test, seed rate, and mechanical damage of the developed seed sowing machine were 63.20 kg/ha, and 1.20% respectively. The overall performance of the developed seed sowing machine was found satisfactory. While in the field, draft of implement 37.19 kgf, missing index 2.46%, depth of seed placement 6.10cm, and draft of implement 14.51 kgf, missing index 3.63%, depth of seed placement 6.20 cm, The field efficiency of the developed seed sowing machine 83% respectively.

Vibration-triggered spreading of nanofluid drops

This study explores the effects of nanoparticles on the dynamics of drop spreading under external vibration, presenting an advance in the understanding of nanofluid behavior on vibrating substrates. This work introduces insights into nanoparticle-mediated drop spreading, offering implications for improving particulate coatings, mini-mixers, and particle segregation technologies. By employing a twofold approach that combines oscillating drop dynamics with internal flow pattern analysis, we find how even small concentrations of hydrophilic or hydrophobized silica nanoparticles inside water sessile droplets significantly alter the spreading process on silanized glass surfaces. Our study allows distinct drop spreading regimes to be identified based on nanoparticle concentration and vibration amplitude, for both hydrophilic and hydrophobized nanoparticles. Through a comprehensive analysis, we demonstrate that the vibration-triggered spreading of nanofluids can lead to a stable and controlled manipulation of complex liquids.

Numerical contact line behavior prediction for drop-wall impact using Basilisk

Drop-wall impact and spray cooling have a wide technical application. There are still fundamental problems associated with wettability and its effect on the drop spreading. Experiments and direct numerical simulations are performed in a wide range of initial drop velocities (0.2–3.6 m/s). The 3D simulation is implemented by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations along with the volume-of-fluid method in the Basilisk software. An adaptive mesh refinement near the interfacial surface provides a cell size of 5 µ m. The effect of the contact angle calculated using the Hoffman function on the minimum drop height and its maximum spreading is explored. The contact angle affects the dynamics of the contact line. Moreover, the mesh cell size and the initial velocity of a water drop before impact define the development of the drop rim instability when compared with experimental results. Experimental and numerical findings are compared to estimate quantitatively numerical model capabilities.

Impact of drops of epoxy resin and hardener, silicone and turpentine oils onto balsa wood and polypropylene substrates

Electrowetting and wettability-driven spreading of liquids on porous and nonporous substrates was investigated using impact of drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with oil-soluble aniline dyes onto balsa wood and polypropylene surfaces. The experimental results revealed that the electric field stretched drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener after impact on polypropylene substrate in the long-term. The spreading of drops of epoxy resin and turpentine oil with dyes after impact onto porous balsa wood under the action of a 10 kV applied voltage was relatively weak. In addition, the measured footprint areas corresponding to drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener demonstrated a significant increase in the wetted areas driven by the applied voltage of 10 kV on polypropylene substrate, whereas on balsa wood, the footprint is practically unaffected by the electric field. Furthermore, it was determined that surface wettability was the main mechanism of spreading of epoxy resin, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with aniline dyes on porous balsa without the electric field applied. On the other hand, insufficient concentration of ions and counterions in silicone oil was responsible for the absence of electrohydrodynamic effects after impact of such drops onto porous balsa substrate subjected to high potentials of 7 and 10 kV. Hence, wettability-driven spreading with imbibition on balsa wood was the only reason for an increase in the wetted area in the case of silicone oil.

Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine

Abstract: Sowing machine should be suitable to all farms, all types of corps, robust construction, also it should be reliable, and this is basic requirement of sowing machine. Manually operated seed sowing machine reduces the efforts of farmers thus increasing the efficiency of planting also reduces the problem encountered in manual planting. Manually operated seed sowing machine can plant different types and different sizes of seeds also can vary the space between two seeds while planting. This increases the planting efficiency and accuracy. The focus of this research work is to design, analysis of plough and fabricate a low-cost Manually Operated Seed Sowing Machine for effective handling of the machine by any farmer or by any untrained worker with simplified design. The components of seed sowing machine were modelled by using Auto CAD 2022. Analysis of plough was performed by using Ansys 2023-student version. The fabricated seed sowing machine perform the various simultaneous operations and saves labour requirement so as labour cost, labour time and also save lots of energy.

Experimental data – driven algorithm to predict muckpile characteristics in jointed overburden bench using unmanned aerial vehicle and AI tools

ABSTRACT In the current investigation, an intriguing method called Firefly-XGBoost was put up to predict and integrate blast muck-pile results notably drop, throw, and lateral spread, which are instrumental in regulating and remedying the loading problems by loader as well as deceiving factors in type of loader selection. As a result, the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm and the firefly algorithm were relied on to shore up the efficacy of the XG Boost conventional model. A total of 164 blast experiments were executed in two different mines and the data collected from these trials data were used to train the model. This data includes specific features such as joints spanning height (JSH) as well as other blast characteristics such as the number of joint sets, decking length, total quantity of explosives, stemming length, decking length and firing pattern. The Firefly-XG Boost algorithm yielded better outcomes in terms of RMSE and R 2 values when compared to the XG Boost, and PSO-XG Boost algorithms. The developed model was found to be suitable in predicting muck-pile parameters for practical application.

MANUAL SEED SOWING MACHINE

MANUAL SEED SOWING MACHINE

Musculoskeletal Disorders Among The Seed Sower Workers - A Review

Musculoskeletal Disorders Among The Seed Sower Workers - A Review

The Effect of Three Depths of Mechanical Seed Drill (Gaspardo SC-250) on the Performance of Vicia Faba L. Bean for Yield Characteristics and Components

Current study was conducted on a farm in two sites: the center of Kirkuk Governorate and Hawija District, during the 2022–2023 agricultural season. It focused on two factors: the seeding depths of the Gaspardo SC-250 machine (at 2, 3, and 6 cm) and three varieties (local, Yildiz, and Aquadulce). The land was divided according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD) according to a split-plot system with three replicates. The study allocated the sowing depth factor to the main panels and the variety factor to the secondary panels. The findings showed a notable improvement in yield characteristics and components when sowing depths were increased at both sites. It was observed that the total yield of dry seeds was significantly influenced by sowing depths at both sites, with D3 showing superior results, producing 2074.91 kg/ha and 7854.71 kg/ha, respectively. We observed that the Aquadulce variety had the highest yield rate, producing 5503.64 kg/ha and 7441.37 kg/ha, respectively. There was a significant impact of sowing depths and varieties on this trait at both sites. Specifically, at the Kirkuk site, the Aquadulce variety had the highest yield at depth D1, with 8413.83 kg/ha. At the Hawija site, the Aquadulce variety outperformed the other varieties at depth D3, yielding 9863.83 kg/ha. This superior performance was attributed to the quality of its components, resulting in a significant increase in the final yield.

Drops on Polymer Brushes: Advances in Thin-Film Modeling of Adaptive Substrates.

We briefly review recent advances in the hydrodynamic modeling of the dynamics of droplets on adaptive substrates, in particular, solids that are covered by polymer brushes. Thereby, the focus is on long-wave and full-curvature variants of mesoscopic hydrodynamic models in gradient dynamics form. After introducing the approach for films/drops of nonvolatile simple liquids on a rigid smooth solid substrate, it is first expanded to an arbitrary number of coupled degrees of freedom before considering the specific case of drops of volatile liquids on brush-covered solids. After presenting the model, its usage is illustrated by briefly considering the natural and forced spreading of drops of nonvolatile liquids on a horizontal brush-covered substrate, stick-slip motion of advancing contact lines as well as drops sliding down a brush-covered incline. Finally, volatile liquids are also considered.

Nanofluid Drop Impact on Heated Surfaces.

We experimentally elucidate the impact dynamics of ethylene glycol (EG) droplets laden with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) onto a flat heated surface in non-boiling, boiling, and Leidenfrost regimes. We use seven nanofluid concentrations (Cp), ranging from 0.89 to 64.3 wt %, and control the surface temperature (Ts) between 100 and 400 °C, while the nanofluid droplet's impact velocity is constant at 0.22 ± 0.02 m/s. Phase diagrams of impact outcomes are established to illustrate the effect of the additive nanoparticles on the droplets' impact dynamics, revealing that nanoparticles modify droplet impact behaviors differently in each regime. In the non-boiling regime, the droplet spreading profile remains unaffected by nanoparticles up to Cp < 11.9 wt % before reaching the maximum spreading diameter (βmax). For nanofluid drops with higher nanofluid concentration, the increasing viscosity with concentration is likely to be the primary factor that affects the droplets' spreading profile in the non-boiling regime Ts ≲ Tsat ≈ 200 °C, as the saturation temperature. In the boiling regime 200 °C < Ts ≲ 350 °C, a small amount of nanoparticle addition (Cp = 0.89 wt %) promotes atomization regardless of nanoparticle wettability. Finally, manifested in a complete rebound due to an intervening vapor layer, the Leidenfrost temperature (TL) of the nanofluid droplets is affected by both nanofluid concentration and nanoparticles' wettability. The nanofluid droplets' TL increases with higher nanofluid concentration; moreover, this Leidenfrost temperature increment is more significant for EG droplets laden with hydrophobic nanoparticles. Our results quantitatively reveal the significant influence of nanoparticle concentrations and wettability on drop spreading, impact outcome, and Leidenfrost temperature on heat surfaces, potentially benefiting applications in coating, spraying, and cooling.

Performance Evaluation of Manual Seeder Machine for Precision Farming

Proper placement of seeds in the field is the most important operation to obtain an optimum yield of the crop. In India, about 75% of the landholders are small and have marginal land-holding capacity. Considering the limitations due to costly seed, the traditional method of manual dibbling, labor shortage, and small marginal land holding pattern there is a need for small manual planters for small and marginal landholders. Cotton, the white gold, is the king of textile, fibers and it is an important worldwide cash crop. The sowing of cotton is labor intensive as its planting requires 3-4 man-days/ha. Because of the above, the manual seeder was tested in the laboratory as well as in the field as per IS code: 6316-1993 with specific objectives. Laboratory analysis of manual seeder as seed rate (2.85 kg/ha and 2.88 kg/ha), seed damage (7.84% and 7.74%), and seed uniformity (62 cm and 64 cm) of cotton and castor crop respectively. Field analysis of manual seeder as coefficient of uniformity (91.63% and 93.23%), depth of seed placement (5.7 cm and 5.9 cm), speed of operation (1.82 km/h 1.84 km/h), theoretical field capacity (0.93 ha/h and 0.93 ha/h), effective field capacity (0.166 ha/h 0.171 ha/h), field efficiency (86.01% and 88.60%), draft (9.54 kgf and 10.46 kgf), energy consumption (10.93 MJ/ha and 10.04 MJ/ha) and cost of operation (440 Rs/ha and 445 Rs/ha) of cotton and castor crop respectively.

A comparative study on the speed-up dynamics of drop spreading on floating and glass-supported polystyrene thin films

The enhanced spreading of a 2D drop on a stiff and free-standing elastic thin film theoretically investigated by Shanahan (Rev. Phys. Appl. 1988, 23, 1031–1037) has not been studied and verified experimentally. To shed a light on this interesting problem, herein, we perform comparison studies on the spreading behavior of a silicone oil drop on stiff polystyrene thin films supported by two different substrates: glass vs. water. Scaling analysis on the time evolution of the contact radius for the drop spreading on the films of varied thickness (∼40 nm to ∼600 nm) reveals the difference on the dynamics for the drop spreading on glass-supported and floating films. Upon fitting the spreading data by using the spreading model developed by de Ruijter et al. (Langmuir 1999, 15, 2209–2216), we are able to identify the speed-up effect for the drop spreading on water supported floating films, which progressively decreases with film thickness and diminishes when the thickness is greater than ∼200 nm. The elastic driving force that is responsible for the speed-up of the drop spreading on the floating film is evaluated empirically, which is found to decay exponentially with contact radius of the drop. The pre-factor and the decay length of the decay function are determined by film thickness and drop volume, resepctively. Our findings expect to facilitate developing new theories with practical relevance on the spreading dynamics of a liquid drop on elastic films.