Design and Research Sowing Devices for Aerial Sowing of Forest Seeds with UAVs
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Existing Types of Sowing Devices
2.1.1. Metering Systems
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- dosing of seeds at a predetermined rate (for example, kg or the number of seeds per running meter);
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- dosing of seeds with the required accuracy (interval) in accordance with the sowing scheme (for example, row sowing, sowing by quad groups);
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- minimal damage to the seed during metering.
2.1.2. Seed Distribution Systems
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- stable transfer of seed from the unloading point of the seed meter to the ground surface;
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- ensuring the accuracy of distribution (distance between seeds) when they are laid on the soil surface;
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- providing (if necessary) additional acceleration of seeds to penetrate into the surface layer of the soil.
2.2. The Main Seeding Material Used for Aerial Sowing
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- small (spruce, pine, birch);
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- medium (cedar, fir, viburnum, linden);
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- large (oak, hazel, hazelnuts, walnuts).
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- spherical (linden, hazel, hazelnuts, walnuts);
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- ellipsoidal (spruce, pine, oak, cedar);
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- flat (yellow acacia).
2.3. Existing Methods of Simulating Sowing Device
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- DEM modeling can be successfully applied to study the working processes of periodically (stationary) open metering device, fluted roller device, mechanical vertical plate precision device, centrifugal spreaders and other similar mechanical types;
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- collaborative DEM-CFD modeling allows to reliably investigate the operation of various vacuum metering device, air-blowing device, air flow distributors and pneumatic distributors.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Conceptual Synthesis of Designs of Sowing Device for UAVs in a 3D CAD
3.2. Evaluation of Selected Design Solutions
3.2.1. Investigation of Mass Inertial Characteristics of Sowing Devices
3.2.2. Research of Technological Applicability of Sowing Devices
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- the possibility of sowing pelleted calibrated seeds of Scots pine;
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- the need for deepening into the surface layer;
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- implementation of row sowing with exact adherence to sowing patterns.
3.2.3. Description of the Design of the Investigated Sowing Device
3.3. Simulation of the Sowing Complex Using the Discrete Element Method (DEM)
3.3.1. Description of the Virtual Stand for Researching the Operation of the Sowing Device
3.3.2. Description of the Virtual Stand for Studying the Process of Interaction of Pelleted Seed with the Soil Environment
3.3.3. Description of the Discrete Interaction Model
3.4. The Results of Simulation Modeling of the Full Load of the Hopper of the Metering Device
3.5. DEM Simulation of the Sowing Device
3.6. DEM Modeling of Interaction of Seeds and Soil Environment
3.7. Creation of an Experimental Sample of the Sowing Device and the Study of Its Mass Characteristics
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- comparability of technological parameters;
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- mass characteristics;
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- ease of manufacture and accuracy requirements;
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- manufacturability of the design and the possibility of using it for the manufacture of 3D printing;
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- operational reliability.
4. Conclusions
5. Patents
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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3D Concept | Isometric View with Spaced Parts | View in Three Projections (Side, Front, Bottom) |
---|---|---|
1. Periodically opening sowing device (Periodically opening metering devices + Gravity drop distributor) | ||
2. Fluted roller sowing devices (Fluted roller metering devices + Gravity drop distributor) | ||
3. Air flow sowing devices (Fluted roller metering devices + Air flow distributor) | ||
4. Centrifugal sowing devices (Fluted roller metering devices + Centrifugal distributor) | ||
3D Concept | Isometric View with Spaced Parts | View in Three Projections (Side, Front, Bottom) |
---|---|---|
5. Vacuum disc precision sowing devices (Vacuum disc precision metering devices + Gravity drop distributor) | ||
6. Mechanical vertical plate precision sowing devices (Mechanical vertical plate precision metering devices + Gravity drop distributor) | ||
7. Mechanical-pneumatic vertical plate precision sowing devices (Mechanical vertical plate precision metering devices + Pneumatic distributor) | ||
8. Vacuum-pneumatic vertical plate precision sowing devices (Vacuum vertical plate precision metering devices+ Pneumatic distributor) | ||
Criterion (Mass, g) | 3D Concept | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
Sowing devices | 799 | 998 | 1201 | 1297 | 773 | 543 | 964 | 915 |
Payload | 3186 | 2944 | 2944 | 2944 | 920 | 946 | 952 | 1008 |
Additional batteries | 200 | 200 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 200 | 200 | 500 |
Additional equipment | ––– | ––– | ––– | ––– | 1000 | ––– | 1000 | 2000 |
Total mass | 4185 | 4142 | 4645 | 4741 | 3193 | 1689 | 3116 | 4423 |
Criterion (Technological Applicability) | 3D Concept | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
Precise sowing | – | – | – | – | o | o | + | + |
Row sowing | o | + | – | – | + | + | + | + |
Area sowing | o | o | + | + | o | o | o | o |
Deepening into the soil | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | + |
Small seeds (1–4 mm) | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
Average seeds (5–9 mm) | + | o | o | o | – | + | + | + |
Large seeds (10 mm) | + | – | – | – | – | o | o | o |
Application of seeds of various shapes | + | + | + | + | – | o | – | – |
Application of seeds of different sizes | + | o | o | o | – | – | – | – |
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Seed diameter, mm | 5; 6; 7 |
Seed density, kg/m3 | 1900 |
Seed mass, g | 0.124; 0.215; 0.341 |
Particle volume, m3 | 0.655 × 10−7; 1.131 × 10−7; 1.796 × 10−7 |
Metering drum rotation speed, deg/s | 90; 135; 180 |
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Seed diameter, mm | 5 |
Soil particle diameter, mm | 2 |
Soil density, kg/m3 | 2500 |
Seed density, kg/m3 | 1900 |
Seed mass, g | 0.124 |
Seed volume, m3 | 0.655 × 10−7 |
Seed speed, m/s | 25; 50; 75 |
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Lysych, M.; Bukhtoyarov, L.; Druchinin, D. Design and Research Sowing Devices for Aerial Sowing of Forest Seeds with UAVs. Inventions 2021, 6, 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040083
Lysych M, Bukhtoyarov L, Druchinin D. Design and Research Sowing Devices for Aerial Sowing of Forest Seeds with UAVs. Inventions. 2021; 6(4):83. https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040083
Chicago/Turabian StyleLysych, Mikhail, Leonid Bukhtoyarov, and Denis Druchinin. 2021. "Design and Research Sowing Devices for Aerial Sowing of Forest Seeds with UAVs" Inventions 6, no. 4: 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040083