6533b85bfe1ef96bd12bb28a

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Impact efficiency for droplets sprayed within a canopy

subject

description

The objective of this work is to forecast the amount of pesticide droplets that will impact on the leaves, depending on the geometry of the canopy and on the features of the spray, to analyse the impact efficiency (percentage of trapped droplets). A CFD model was built to compute the trajectories of droplets within an elementary volume (EV) containing square, vertical, fixed leaves. This model was optimised to give correct results with a minimum computation time. Full factorial designs were used to analyse effects of several factors and interactions between them. The results of these experimental designs are discussed toward an analysis of droplet behaviour within the flow. The turbulence of the air flow did not affect the impact efficiency but the movement of leaves was not considered. The projected surface of leaves produced a high effect while the effect of foliage density was difficult to forecast.