Optimization of Flight Mode and Coupling Analysis of Operational Parameters on Droplet Deposition and Drift of Unmanned Aerial Spraying Systems (UASS)
2025
Qi Liu | Ding Ma | Haiyan Zhang | Long Wu | Long Zhang | Huifang Bao | Yubin Lan
In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on pesticide application technology using unmanned aerial spraying systems (UASS) due to their efficiency and ability to overcome terrain obstacles. However, the coupling effect between the operational parameters of UASS and their influence on droplet deposition has not been sufficiently studied. A thorough and methodical analysis is essential to assess the deposition performance and drift risk of UASS. This study evaluated the spraying performance of an electric six-rotor UASS in wheat fields in Zibo between 2021 and 2022, focusing on three operational modes determined by flight speed and flow rate. Furthermore, the individual effects of these two parameters on droplet deposition quality and drift risk were explored. Based on the deposition quality of in-swath droplets and the drift degree after application, the results demonstrate that the optimal comprehensive characteristics of droplet deposition occur at a flight speed of 4.5 m/s, a flow rate of 2.025 L/min, and a spray amount of 1 L/ha. The increase in spray flow rate (2.475 L/min) results in a 3.92-fold enhancement in the deposition rate within the spray area compared with that of group of the minimum spray flow rate (1.575 L/min). A higher flight speed (5.5 m/s) improves the uniformity of droplet deposition, with the coefficient of variation decreases by 25.2% compared with that of the minimum flight speed (3.5 m/s), and this higher flight speed leads to a drift distance of 28.8 m.
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