Solar-powered agricultural sprayer guide

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 NEED FOR A SPRAYER IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid. In agriculture, a sprayer is a piece of

equipment that is used to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers on agricultural crops.
Sprayers range in size from man-portable units (typically backpacks with spray guns) to
trailed sprayers that are connected to a tractor, to self-propelled units similar to tractors,
There are many kinds of machine-operated sprayers, the most common of which are low-
pressure, high-pressure, air-carrier, and fogger types.
1.2 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL SPRAYERS
1.2.1 Early Sprayers
Though methods of chemical pest control have been used for centuries, they were not
always spread by machine; before the 1800s, most pesticides were applied by hand. Early
sprayers were most likely first developed to apply fungicides to the vineyards of
Bordeaux, France. Between 1850 and 1860, John Bean of California, D.B. Smith of New
York, and the Brandt Brothers of Minnesota developed the hand-operated insecticide
sprayer. 1874 marked the year that knapsack sprayers first entered the U.S. market. At the
beginning of the following decade, the first commercial spraying machine was
introduced. By 1887, the first spraying machine that did not rely on manpower was
developed. This traction sprayer was supplied with power by the machine’s wheels, and
was horse-drawn. In 1894, the first steam-powered sprayer was produced.
1.2.2 Further Progression
As the chemical control market continued to develop, so did its machines. 1911 saw the
introduction of a pressure regulator and air chamber; these were employed to achieve
smooth, uninterrupted spraying. In 1914, Moses Rittenhouse began producing orchard
sprayers for the fruit-producing region in Niagara, later founding M.K. Rittenhouse.
Several years after the development of the row-crop tractor in 1925, tractor mounted
Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 1

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
sprayers were introduced. In 1944, dusting machines began to comprise attachments

designed to inject water into the dust; this moisture supplied by this attachment enabled
the dust to more effectively stick to dry leaves. The same year, low-volume, low-pressure
sprayers were introduced. In 1945, 10,000 power sprayers were produced – this year
marked the beginning of a decade-long span during which the use of sprayers
dramatically increased. Two years later, 4-D (Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), a common
herbicide used today, was first applied using low-pressure, low-volume sprayers to weeds
in cornfields in selected southern states; the weed-control results were successful. In
1950, 75,000 power sprayers were produced.
1.3 INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURAL SPRAYERS
In India about 73% of population is directly or indirectly depends upon the farming.
Hence it is said that India is an agricultural based country. But till now our farmers are
doing farming in same traditional ways. They are doing seed sowing, fertilizers and
pesticides spraying, cultivating by conventional methods. There is need of development
in this sector and most commonly on fertilizers pesticides spraying technique, because it
requires more efforts and time to spray by traditional way.
Day by day the population of India is increasing and to fulfill the need of food
modernization of agricultural sectors are important. Due to chemical fertilizers the
fertility of soil is decreasing. Hence farmers are attracted towards organic farming. By
mechanization in spraying devices fertilizers and pesticides are distributed equally on the
farm and reduce the quantity of waste, which results in prevention of losses and wastage
of input applied to farm. It will reduce the cost of production. Mechanization gives higher
productivity in minimum input. Farmers are using same traditional methods for spraying
fertilizers and pesticides. In India there is a large development in industrial sectors
compared to agricultural sectors. Conventionally the spraying is done by labors carrying
backpack sprayer and fertilizers are sprayed manually. The efforts required are more and
beneficial by farmers having small farming land.
Most of Asian nations are at developing stage and they are facing the problem of high
population and as compared to that agricultural productivity is much lower as compared
to developed nations. India is one of the nations who is facing the same problem. This is
caused due to low level farms, insufficient power availability to farms and poor level of
SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
farm mechanization. In order to meet the requirement of food of growing population and
rapid industrialization, there is a need of the modernization of agriculture sector. On
many farms production suffers because, delay in sowing, improper distribution suffer
because delay in sowing, improper distribution of pesticides and fertilizers, harvesting.
Mechanization solves all the problems which are responsible for low production. It
conserves the input and precision in work and get better and equal distribution. It reduces
quantity needed for better response, prevent the losses and wastage of input applied. It
gets high productivity so that cost of production will reduced.
To reach the requirement of production Agriculture implement and machinery program of

the government take steps to increase availability of implement, pumps, tractors, power
tillers, harvester and other power operated machines. Special emphasis was laid on the
later as more than 65% of the farmers fall in small and marginal category.
1.4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPRAYES USED IN

AGRICULTURAL SECTORS
A) Knapsack Sprayers:
Fig.1.4 (a): hand pump operated sprayer
Loaded on the back of worker during operations. Tanks may be plastic or metal.
Common Knapsack sprayers are
i) Hydraulic
ii) Manual pneumatic and
iii) Motorized pneumatic.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
i) Hydraulic Knapsack Sprayers:
Fig.1.4 (a (i)): Hydraulic knapsack sprayer
Manually operated, tank capacity is 10 liters, mechanical or hydraulic agitation, worked

with a hand lever to maintain constant pressure, particularly used for spot treatment small
holding farmer and hand treatment. It is good for blanket application. These sprayers are
mounted on back of man. It is high volume spray but low volume nozzles can be fitted. It
sprayed at 3 to 4 kg cm2 to prevent spray drift.
ii) Pneumatic or compressed system Knapsack:
Fig.1.4 (a (ii)): Manual Pneumatic sprayer
Do not require pumping during operation / spraying. The tank is pressurized after filling
the liquid to 2/3rd capacity with a built in hand pump. Undesirable for weedicide spray
pressure lower after some time spraying resulting into uneven spray. Tank cleaning is
difficult. Used limited to spray on weeds in paddy and jute.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
iii) Motorized Pneumatic sprayers:
Fig.1.4 (a (iii)): Motorized Pneumatic sprayer
As a low volume sprayer suitable for spraying concentrated spray liquid. A blast of air
flows through spraying jet of delivery hose and nozzle tube and ejects spray liquid in this
blast. Air blast atomizes spray liquid in to fine droplets. Air acts as carrier. These sprayers
are also used as blowers. The main advantages of Knapsack blower are low volume spray,
Portable working, and fast spraying. Herbicides Spraying is not so uniform with
Knapsack blowers.
B. Foot Sprayer / Pedal Pump Sprayers:
Fig.1.4(b): Foot sprayer
Popularly applied for pesticide application operated with foot. It has provision of 1 – 2
long delivery hoses. Fitted with either lance or 2-6 nozzle booms. Its potential spray
pressure is 17 to 21 kg / cm2. It can spray high volume spray and covers more area.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
C. Traction Pneumatic Sprayer:
Fig.1.4(c): Traction Pneumatic sprayer
Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow has developed bullock drawn sprayer
with size nozzle boom that of powered from the wheels of the frame. It is efficient, easy
to operate and simple in its construction. It uses two pneumatic pumps and develops
maximum pressure of 2-8 cm2 which his suited to minimize spray drift.
D. Tractor mounted sprayers:
Fig.1.4 (d): Tractor mounted sprayer
Tractor spraying is also referred to as a traction device. Such a sprayer is used to perform
multiple functions along with spraying operations. These sprayers are also used to
through seeds, and in addition to it they also extend their applications in digging the soil.
Coverage of large area with uniform spraying is possible but wastage of quite a huge
quantity of fertilizer is a risk as the vehicle travels on unequal surfaces.
With spray pressure of 1.4 to 2.8 kg cm2 and fitted with multi nozzle boom are very
useful in herbicide application for large holding of farmers. Tractor mounted sprayer

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
fitted with booms are used to spray road side vegetation. Tractor run sprayers have high
uniformity of sprayers, high working efficiency, full utilization of tractor during idle time.
E. Arial sprayers:
Fig.1.4 (e): Arial sprayer
This process is carried out by spraying the chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other
implicational fluids through air. This is done in agricultural sectors where the spraying
area is in acres and is not very easy to spray using any conventional sprayers. Thus this
route is taken in order to evenly spray the fertilizers.
Herbicide application from air is limited to treat aquatic weeds like water hyacinth, paddy
fields, large sugarcane plantation. Presence of obstacles like trees and diversified farming
in India are bottle necks in its use.
1.5 SOLAR POWERED AGRICULTURAL SPRAYER
A solar powered agricultural sprayer has been shown in the pictorial representation.
Solar energy is most simple and the energy produced directly by the sun and collected
elsewhere, normally the Earth. Agriculture plays the very important role in sustainable
development and energy is a major driver in this process.
Agriculture, as a production-oriented area, requires energy as an important input to

production. Pesticide sprayers are mechanical devices that are specifically designed to
spray chemical easily and quickly. In this project we’ll take a look at solar operated
pesticide sprayers.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Fig.1.5: general schematic solar powered agricultural sprayer
A sprayer of this type is a better way to use solar energy. It is widely used in the
agriculture field & also used for many agriculture purposes. This concept is having more
advantages over petrol engine sprayer pump. It uses the solar energy to run the motor. So
it is leads to a pollution free pump compared to petrol engine sprayer pump. Solar agro
sprayer can be used as a fuel alternating device as the cost of fuel is increasing every
passing day. It works on the principle of solar photovoltaic (PV), with certain
modifications on the existing power sprayer in the market. Solar agro sprayer is not a new
invention and this technology finds suitable application in the farming community of
India.
Solar Agro Sprayer (SAS) is an innovative product developed for rural applications which
utilizes the solar energy as a fuel. Proposed Solarised Agro Sprayer prototype is an
innovative product especially developed for rural applications which utilizes the energy
from the solar arrays is used for spraying the pesticides.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE SURVEY
2.1 Agricultural Fertilizers and Pesticides Sprayers

Day by day the population of India is increasing and to fulfill the need of food,
modernizations of agricultural sectors is important. Due to chemical fertilizers the fertility
of soil is decreasing. Hence farmers are attracted towards organic farming. By
mechanization in spraying devices fertilizers and pesticides are distributed equally on the
farm and reduce the quantity of waste, which results in prevention of losses and wastage
of input applied to farm. It will reduce the cost of production. Mechanization gives higher
productivity in minimum input. Farmers are using same traditional methods for spraying
fertilizers and pesticides. Conventionally the spraying is done by labors carrying
backpack sprayer and fertilizers are sprayed manually. The efforts required are more and
beneficial by farmers having small farming land.
Published in:
Design Approach And experimental setup reference by “design and construction of solar
powered Agriculture Pesticide Sprayer”, IJIACE ISSN 2347-8616 Volume 4, Issue 4
2.2. Design and Development of Agriculture Sprayer Vehicle
The population of the world is increasing rapidly. In order to fulfill their needs the
production of food must be increased, but this must come at a cost affordable to everyone.
Mechanization of agriculture enables conservation of inputs by ensuring better
distribution, reducing quantity required for better response or prevention of losses or
waste of inputs applied. Mechanization reduces unit costs of production through higher
productivity levels and the input conservation. In India farming is done by traditional
ways. The spraying of pesticides and insecticides is traditionally done by farm worker
carrying backpack type sprayer which requires more human effort. Giving attention to
these important problems an attempt is made to develop equipment which will be
beneficial to the farmer for the spraying operations. This equipment is easy to use and
operate. It makes use reciprocating pump that creates the required pressure for the

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
spraying action. This multifunction device will come in handy that can be put to use in
different spraying stages of farming as per process requirement.
Published in:
MD Atiar Ali, “Solar system calculation and design.” International Journal of Current
Engineering and Technology, Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
2.3 DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE SPRAYER
Automation for spraying in the field of agriculture has increased the productive output of
the farms. Owing to this, labor problem has been solved. But the scenario in the country
like India is different. The agriculture field being small, automation is such places are a
difficult task also the economic condition of majority of Indian farmers is not well to do.
Therefore, the manually operated sprayer finds wide application in such condition. In
Indian farms two types of sprays are used: Hand operated and Fuel operated pump. The
main drawn back of hand operated spray pump is that the user cannot use it for more than
5-6 hours continuously as he gets tired whereas fuel operated spray pump requires fuel
which is expensive and availability of fuel is not easy at rural places. In such situation we
should think to move towards non-conventional energy. This review paper tries to
develop a new mechanical system which will overcome all the above problems.
Published in:
R.Joshua, V.Vasua and P.Vincent, Solar Sprayer- an Agriculture Implement, published in

International Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 2(1): 16-19, 2010 ISSN 2079- 2107
2.4. DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF SOLAR

PHOTOVOLTAIC OPERATED WEEDICIDE SPRAYER
The project work on SPV operated weedicide sprayer was carried out at Department of
Electrical and Other Energy Sources, Dr. BSKKV, Dapoli. The newly developed SPV
operated sprayer was evaluated for weedicide application
The Photovoltaic (PV) panel of 6V, 5W capacity configured to trap and convert the sun’s
energy into the useful power was used to perform the work of spraying. Solar PV Panel
was used for operating the sprayer and for charging a battery. The motor was used to suck
the spraying liquid from the sprayer tank (5 lit.) and spray it through spinning disc nozzle.
SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
The SPV operated weedicide sprayer was provided with 6V, 4.5A lead acid battery which
was used as alternative power source during cloudy atmosphere (in rainy season). The
newely developed SPV operated weedicide sprayer was evaluated in laboratory and field
testing. The laboratory testing of SPV operated weedicide sprayer included charging and
discharging characteristics, sprays characteristics. The field testing of SPV operated
weedicide sprayer using different flow rate was carried out to determine the weed control
efficiency. It was observed that, SPV operated weedicide sprayer using battery could be
operate for 3 hours 15minutes, whereas by using PV panel, sprayer could be operate for 8
hours continuously. It was observed that for battery charging with PV panel, six hours
were required.
Published in:
A. Miller, B. L. Steward, M. L. Westphalen DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC OPERATED WEEDICIDE SPRAYER
2.5. Multipurpose agricultural robot

The paper aims on the design, development and the fabrication of the robot which can dig
the soil, put the seeds, leveler to close the mud and sprayer to spray water, these whole
systems of the robot works with the battery and the solar power. More than 40% of the
population in the world chooses agriculture as the primary occupation, in recent years the
development of the autonomous vehicles in the agriculture has experienced increased
interest. The vehicle is controlled by Relay switch through IR sensor input. The language
input allows a user to interact with the robot which is familiar to most people. The
advantages of these robots are hands-free and fast data input operations. In the field of
agricultural autonomous vehicle, a concept is been developed to investigate if multiple
small autonomous machine could be more efficient than traditional large tractors and
human forces.
Published in:
Blackmore, S. (2007). A systems view of agricultural robotics. Precision Agriculture

conference, Wageningen Academic Publishers, the Netherlands.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 3
COMPONENTS & DESIGN
3.1 SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER AND ITS COMPONENTS
The solar agro sprayer consists of these essential parts for its efficient working;
3.1.1 Solar Panel Unit

a) Solar panel
3.1.2 Charge Controlling Unit

a) PIC based charge controller
i) 16F877A PIC Microcontroller
ii) MAX 232N Dual Driver/Receiver
iii) Relay HELISHUN 3FC (T73)
iv) UART
v) 16*2 LCD DISPLAY
3.1.3 Storage Battery Unit

a) Accu-plus Lead Acid Batteries (AP 12-1.3)
3.1.4 Rotating Motor Unit

a) Submersible pump
3.1.5 Fertilizer Tank Unit

a) Chemical PVC Container
3.1.6 Spraying Unit

a) 6 in 1 Nozzle type sprayer with trigger
b) Hose pipe

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
3.1.1 Solar Panel Unit:
Fig.3.1.1: solar panel
Solar panels absorb the sunlight as a source of energy to generate electricity or heat.
Photovoltaic modules constitute the photovoltaic array of a photovoltaic system that
generates and supplies solar electricity in commercial and residential applications. Each
module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions (STC) there are a
few commercially available solar modules that exceed efficiency of 22%. A single solar
module can produce only a limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple
modules. The most common application of solar panels is solar water heating systems.
Construction:
Photovoltaic modules use light energy (photons) from the Sun to generate electricity
through the photovoltaic effect. The majority of modules use wafer-based crystalline
silicon cells or thin-film cells. The structural (load carrying) member of a module can
either be the top layer or the back layer. Cells must also be protected from mechanical
damage and moisture. Externally most of photovoltaic modules use MC4
connector’s type to facilitate easy weatherproof connections to the rest of the system.
3.1.2 CHARGE CONTROLLING UNIT

a) PIC BASED MICROCONTROLLER CHARGE CONTROLLER
3.1.2[a]. PIC16F877A Microcontroller:
Fig.3.1.2 (a): Programmable Interface Controller

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
PIC16F873A/876A devices are available only in 28-pin packages, while

PIC16F874A/877A devices are available in 40-pin and 44-pin packages. All devices in
the PIC16F87XA family share common architecture with the following differences:
1. The PIC16F873A and PIC16F874A have one-half of the total on-chip memory of
the PIC16F876A and PIC16F877A
2. The 28-pin devices have 3 I/O ports, while the 40/44-pin devices have 5
3. The 28-pin devices have 14 interrupts, while the 40/44-pin devices have 15
4. The 28-pin devices have 5 A/D input ports, while 40/44-pin devices have 8
5. The Parallel Slave Port is implemented only on the 40/44-pin devices
High-Performance RISC CPU:

1. Only 35 single-word instructions to learn
2. All single-cycle instructions except for program branches, which are two-cycle
3. Operating speed: DC – 20 MHz clock input DC – 200 ns instruction cycle
4. Up to 8K x 14 words of Flash Program Memory, Up to 368 x 8 bytes of Data
Memory (RAM), Up to 256 x 8 bytes of EEPROM Data Memory
PIN DIAGRAM:
Fig.3.1.2 (a(i)): Pin diagram of PIC 16F877A

Peripheral Features:
1. Timer0: 8-bit timer/counter with 8-bit prescaler
2. Timer1: 16-bit timer/counter with prescaler, can be incremented during Sleep via
external crystal/clock
3. Timer2: 8-bit timer/counter with 8-bit period register, prescaler and postscaler

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
4. Two Capture, Compare, PWM modules

a. Capture is 16-bit, max. resolution is 12.5 ns
b. Compare is 16-bit, max. resolution is 200 ns
c. PWM max. resolution is 10-bit
5. Synchronous Serial Port (SSP) with SPI(Master mode) and I2C(Master/Slave)
6. Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (USART/SCI) with
9-bit address detection
7. Parallel Slave Port (PSP) – 8 bits wide with external RD, WR and CS controls
(40/44-pin only)
8. Brown-out detection circuitry for Brown-out Reset (BOR)
Special Microcontroller Features:

1. 100,000 erase/write cycle Enhanced Flash program memory typical
2. 1,000,000 erase/write cycle Data EEPROM memory typical
3. Data EEPROM Retention > 40 years
4. Self-reprogrammable under software control
5. In-Circuit Serial Programming(ICSP) via two pins
6. Single-supply 5V In-Circuit Serial Programming
7. Watchdog Timer (WDT) with its own on-chip RC oscillator for reliable operation
8. Programmable code protection
9. Power saving Sleep mode
10. In-Circuit Debug (ICD) via two pins
3.1.2[b] MAX232 Dual driver/receiver:
Fig.3.1.2 (b): Pin diagram of MAX 232

The MAX232 device is a dual driver/receiver that includes a capacitive voltage generator
to supply TIA/EIA-232-F voltage levels from a single 5-V supply. Each receiver converts
SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
TIA/EIA-232-F inputs to 5-V TTL/CMOS levels. These receivers have a typical

threshold of 1.3 V, a typical hysteresis of 0.5 V, and can accept ±30-V inputs. Each driver
convertsTTL/CMOS input levels into TIA/EIA-232-F levels.
Features:
1. Meets or Exceeds TIA/EIA-232-F and ITURecommendation V.28
2. Operates From a Single 5-V Power Supply 1.0-μF Charge-Pump Capacitors
3. Operates up to 120 kbit/s
4. Two Drivers and Two Receivers
5. ±30-V Input Levels
6. Low Supply Current: 8 mA Typical
7. ESD Protection Exceeds JESD 22– 2000-V Human-Body Model (A114-A)
8. Upgrade With Improved ESD (15-kV HBM) and 0.1-μF Charge Pump Capacitors
is Available With the MAX202 Device
Applications:
1. Battery-Powered Systems
2. Terminals
3. Modems
4. Computers
Pin Configuration:
PIN
TYPES DESCRIPTION
NAME NO
C1+ 1 - Positive lead of C1 capacitor
VS+ 2 0 Positive charge pump output for storage
capacitor only
C1- 3 - Negative lead of C1 capacitor
C2+ 4 - Positive lead of C2 capacitor
C2- 5 - Negative lead of C1 capacitor
VS- 6 0 Negative charge pump output for storage
capacitor only

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
T2OUT, 7, 14 0 RS232 line data output (to remote RS232)

T1OUT
R2IN, 8, 13 1 RS232 line data input (from remote RS232)
R1IN
R2OUT, 9, 12 0 Logic data output (to UART)
R1OUT
T2IN, 10, 11 1 Logic data input (from UART)
T1IN
GND 15 - Ground
Vcc 16 - Supply Voltage connect to external 5V
Table.3.1.2 [b]: Pin description of MAX232
3.1.2[c] 9 PIN UART:
Fig.3.1.2[c]: typical UART module
A universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter is a computer hardware device

for asynchronous serial communication in which the data format and transmission speeds
are configurable. The electric signaling levels and methods are handled by a driver circuit
external to the UART.
UARTs are commonly used in conjunction with communication standards such

as TIA (formerly EIA) RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485. A UART is usually an integrated
circuit (IC) used for serial communications over a computer or peripheral device serial
port. UARTs are now commonly included in microcontrollers.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
The universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) takes bytes of data and

transmits the individual bits in a sequential fashion. UART contains a shift register, which
is the fundamental method of conversion between serial and parallel forms. Serial
transmission of digital information (bits) through a single wire or other medium is less
costly than parallel transmission through multiple wires.
3.1.2[d] 16*2 LCD DISPLAY:
Fig.3.1.2 (d(i)): LCD Display Module
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is an electronic display module and find a wide
range of applications. A 16x2 LCD display is very basic module and is very commonly
used in various devices and circuits. These modules are preferred over seven
segments and other multi segment LEDs as LCDs are economical, easily programmable;
have no limitation of displaying even custom characters .A 16x2 LCD can display 16
characters per line and there are 2 such lines. This LCD has two registers, namely,
Command and Data. The command register stores the command instructions given to the
LCD. A command is an instruction given to LCD to do a predefined task like initializing
it, clearing its screen, setting the cursor position, controlling display etc. The data register
stores the data to be displayed on the LCD. The data is ASCII value of the character to be
displayed on LCD.
Fig.3.1.2 (d(ii)): LCD Display Pin diagram

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Pin Description:
Pin
Function Name
No
1 Ground (0V) Ground
2 Supply voltage; 5V (4.7V – 5.3V) Vcc
3 Contrast adjustment; through a variable resistor VEE
Selects command register when low; and data register when Register
4
high Select
5 Low to write to the register; High to read from the register Read/write
6 Sends data to data pins when a high to low pulse is given Enable
7 DB0
8 DB1
9 DB2
10 DB3
8-bit data pins
11 DB4
12 DB5
13 DB6
14 DB7
15 Backlight VCC (5V) Led+
16 Backlight Ground (0V) Led-
Table.3.1.2 [d]: Pin description of LCD display

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
3.1.3 STORAGE BATTERY UNIT
Fig.3.1.3: Storage Battery
The lead-acid battery is the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Despite having a very low
energy-to-weight ratio and a low energy-to-volume ratio, its ability to supply high surge
currents means that the cells have a relatively large power-to-weight ratio. These features,
along with their low cost, make it attractive for use in motor vehicles to provide the high
current required by automobile starter motors.
As they are inexpensive compared to newer technologies, lead-acid batteries are widely
used even when surge current is not important and other designs could provide
higher energy densities. Large-format lead-acid designs are widely used for storage in
backup power supplies in cell phone towers, high-availability settings like hospitals,
and stand-alone power systems.
Application:
Devices which use rechargeable batteries include automobile starters, portable consumer
devices, vehicles, tools, uninterruptible power supplies, and battery storage power
stations. Emerging applications in hybrid internal combustion-battery and electric
vehicles drive the technology to reduce cost, weight, and size, and increase lifetime.
Small rechargeable batteries can power portable electronic devices, power tools,
appliances, and so on.
3.1.4 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP:
A submersible pump (or sub pump, electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a device which
has a hermetically sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body. The whole assembly is
submerged in the fluid to be pumped.

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Fig.3.1.4: DC Submersible pump
Submersible pumps push fluid to the surface as opposed to jet pumps having to pull
fluids. Submersibles are more efficient than jet pumps. Although their constructional and
operational features underwent a continuous evolution over the years, their basic
operational principle remained the same.
Applications:
Submersible pumps are found in many applications as these pumps are used for
drainage, sewage pumping, general industrial pumping and slurry pumping. They are also
popular with pond filters.
3.1.5 Chemical PVC Container:
Fig.3.1.5: PVC liquid container
A container is a bottle constructed from plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store
liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk,
and ink. The size ranges from very small sample bottles to large carboys.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Plastic containers were first used commercially in 1947 but remained relatively expensive
until the early 1960s when high-density polyethylene was introduced. They quickly
became popular with both manufacturers and customers due to their lightweight nature
and relatively low production and transportation costs compared with glass bottles.
However, the biggest advantage plastic bottles have over glass is their superior resistance
to breakage, in both production and transportation.
3.1.6[a] 6 in 1 Nozzle type sprayer with trigger:
Fig.3.1.6 (a): 6 in 1 trigger type sprayer
Also called as common garden hose trigger nozzles. The stem of the valve runs back
through the body of the nozzle body to a "trigger", normally a long lever running down
the back of the nozzle assembly. A spring keeps the valve pressed against the opening
under normal use. When water is supplied to the hose, it flows through the nozzle body to
the opening, where it would normally flow straight forward in a stream.
3.1.6[b] Hose pipe:

Hoses are typically made of extruded synthetic rubber or soft plastic, often reinforced
with an internal web of fibers. As a result of these materials, garden hoses are flexible and
their smooth exterior facilitates pulling them past trees, posts and other obstacles. Garden
hoses are also generally tough enough to survive scraping on rocks and being stepped on
without damage or leaking. The term "hose" is also used for other types of flexible, water-
carrying tubes such as those used by fire departments.

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Fig.3.1.6 (b): Synthetic transparent hose pipe
As implied by the name, hoses are commonly used to transport water for gardening, lawn
care, and other landscaping purposes. They are also used for outdoor cleaning of items
such as vehicles, equipment, building exteriors, and animals.
3.2 DESIGN OF A SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
To compete with the existing product in the market, we have limited the budget of our
system. Attempt was made to modify the design of the existing conventional spraying
setup to meet the standard quality requirements.
The principle of “REVERSE ENGINEERING” was adopted for the design of our solar
powered spray pump system.
A. Coverage of area during spraying

Assumptions:
1. The height of the delivery pipe containing nozzle is in the range of 0.60 to 0.90 m
above the ground and it is held horizontally.
2. The coverage area is in the form of sector of a circle whose path is controlled by
operator.
3. The clearance angle of the sector covered during spraying is 5° on both the sides.
4. Actual area is lesser than the calculated area by 10%.
5. Cross section of nozzle is circular.
6. The portion of pipe containing the nozzle is held horizontal to the ground.
7. The discharge out of the nozzle is in the form of finely atomized particles performing
projectile motion as shown in Figure

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Fig.3.2: Trajectory of liquid expelled out of the sprayer nozzle
1. Displacement is given by the kinematic eqn, S=u×t+1/2×a×t2
2. Displacement along y-direction, H = uy×t +1/2×a×t2
t = sqrt(2H/9.81)
vy = u +a×t (1)
vy=sqrt(2×9.81H)
vR=vy/sinθ (2)
3. For the horizontal component of velocity, ux=vR×cosθ (3)
ux= sqrt(2×9.81H)/tanθ
s = ux×t (4)
4. The area covered during the spraying operation is, A=(170π×s2 )/360
By assumption no.4, the actual area is, A ’ = 90% of A (5)
A’ = (1.7π×H2 )/tanθ

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
5. Nozzle dimension The discharge of the system is Q lit/min. Here, v1 and v2 indicates
inlet and outlet velocity of the nozzle. The diameter of the pipe is d1.
Q=A1v1
v1 = 4Q/(π×d1 2 )
From the coverage area calculation, v2 = ux
Q = A2×v2 (7)
d2=sqrt((4Q×tanθ)/(π×sqrt(2×9.81×H)))
6. Head developed by the pump For laminar flow of fluid, the roughness of the pipe can
be neglected. For water at 20°, μ = 0.01poise, ρ = 1000 kg/m3 .
Re = (ρ× v1×d1)/μ
If Re < 2300 then it is a laminar flow.
λ = 64/Re (8)
v2=sqrt((2hg)/(1+(4λ(d2/d1)2 )))
Considering the required head to be more than 20% to account for friction losses. The
design head would be, (h) =1.2×h (9)

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
3.3 BLOCK DIAGRAM OF SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Fig.3.3: Block diagram of proposed Solar Agro Sprayer
3.4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF COMPONENTS.

A Technical Design Specification defines the program modifications needed to satisfy the
requested business requirements and what functionality is being changed or required per
system application. Although it is NOT an architectural logical design document, it may
be reviewed during an architecture design reviews.
The Technical Design Specification forms the basis for technical design, technical
development, workflows, and procedures for using the system/product/ service and all
testing plans.Its goal is to help ensure a clear understanding of what the developers are
supposed to build in satisfying overall business requirements, and to ensure internal
standards and best practices are met.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
SL
NO Parts Specifications
1. Tank PVC, 10 liters, 250g
2. Solar panel  12W PV solar panel 1 Solar panel Dimension:

49×35×3 cm
 Weight :1.5 kg
 Max voltage:21.5 V
 Max current: 0.57
3. Charge Controller  12V, 5A,

unit  PIC based microcontroller as driver
 16*2 LCD display
 Relay: 5V
 Buzzer
 Potentiometer
4. Battery  Sealed Lead Acid Battery Capacity: 12 V, 1.3 Ah
 Dimensions: 15×9×6 cm
 Weight: 900g
 Constant voltage charge with Cycle use: 14.5 V –
14. 9 V
5. Pump  Submersible DC Pump
 Capacity :12 V, 500mA
 RPM :0-6000
 Rate of flow:80-120ltrs/h
6. Hose Pipe Diameter:11 mm
Length: 2 m
Table 3.4: Technical description of components
3.5 COMPARISION OF PARAMETERS

Comparison of proposed sprayer with conventional sprayer is shown. It is evident from
the table that the proposed sprayer is having an average value in all the aspects like
SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
weight, discharge, product cost, maintenance cost, pressure.
Parameter Hand operated Proposed Fuel operated

sprayer sprayer Sprayer
Weight of
empty sprayer 6-7kg 5-7kg 12-16kg
Weight of
loaded sprayer 22-25kg 10-12kg 26-30kg
Discharge 0.8-1.5Lit/min 2-2.8Lit/min 6-8Lit/min
Product cost Rs.5000 Rs.6500 Rs.18000
Maintenance Low negligible High

cost
Pressure 1.5-2bar 4.8-5bar 8-12bar
Table.3.5: comparison of parameters
Weight: Though the weight of the proposed sprayer is more than hand operated sprayer,
the requirement of manual effort for the operation is eliminated, and obviously the weight
is less than the fuel operated sprayer.
Discharge: The hand operated sprayer gives a discharge of about 0.8 to 1.5 lit/min it
needs the operator to operate the sprayer till the pesticides are deposited by a sufficient
amount. However the fuel operated sprayer gives a discharge about 6 to 8 lit/min which
leads to wastage of pesticides. These problems are eliminated in the proposed sprayer
system.
Pressure: The hand operated sprayer having a pressure about 1.5 to 2 bar is not sufficient
for large crops. The fuel operated sprayer having a pressure about 8 to 12 bar it may
damages the crops. The moderate pressures achieved by the proposed device can efficient
spraying.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 4
WORKING PRINCIPLE & OBSERVATIONS
4.1 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT
The objective of building this machine is to eliminate the physical fatigue and the health
hazards caused by pesticides. Following drawbacks of various spraying techniques shows
the need of our project.
1. In the backpack spraying / solar operated sprayer the labor has to carry all the
weight of the pesticides filled tank which causes fatigue to labor and hence
reduces the human capacity.
2. The engine operated spraying equipment needs fuel for its running and proper
operation which increase its operational cost and also its gives the back pain due
to vibration problem.
3. In the aerial spraying wastage of fertilizer and some crops are not totally covered
and also not suitable for small farms.
4. During spraying after sometime hand muscles starts to pain and thus proper
pressure is not maintained. So, it affects the droplet pressure.
5. When using fuel operated vehicles the exhaust gases liberated from the Silencer or
muffler produces a harmful effort over the crops.
The objective of formulation of work for these following advantageous points:-
1. To increase the efficiency of spraying.

2. To remove the backpack and foot spraying techniques.
3. To decrease the operational cost by using new mechanism.
4. To decrease labor cost by advancing the spraying method.
5. To increase the productivity of the crops.
6. To save the time of the farmers.
7. To easier the operation of spraying

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
4.2 WORKING PRINCIPLE AND METHODOLOGY
The heart of the sprayer is Programmable Interface Controller (PIC) based circuit as a
solar charge controller which also performs various inequitable functions as programmed.
This is also called as the driver circuit. 16F877A series PIC microcontroller having an
additional feature of pulse width modulation (PWM) which is the integral part of a solar
charge controller. This controller is programmed to provide adequate charge to the
battery. As the conventional charge controller i.e., PWM, MPPT, etc. it has two leads for
solar panel, two for battery and two leads for the load. Load in this case is a submersible
pump immersed in the fertilizer tank.
The main methodology involved in the working of this project is as explained below:
As the solar panel is exposed to sunlight, the rays incident on it is converted into an
electric charge. This charge is supplied to the battery through the PIC based charge
controller which enables the battery to charge quickly and stops the charge once the
maximum power point has been tracked in the battery. Addition to it, this charge
controller does not allows reversing of voltage when potentials of battery and the solar
panel are different. Thus it initiates in higher protection level of the battery and improving
the operating cycle and efficiency of the same.
Now the supply is provided to the submersible pump after putting ON the switch. The
switch is placed between the battery and the pump to avoid circumstances in which the
pump would operate as soon as it receives the charge. The pump pulls out the chemical
from the fertilizer tank, passes the fluid through the hose pipe connected between the
pump and the trigger type sprayer. Once the trigger is pulled it starts its working cycle by
spraying the liquid to a predefined area.
First the motor is run by using stored electric power from the DC battery. The battery is
charged by solar power. In the submersible pump a certain amount of pressure is created
and as a result the low pressure liquid is converted into high pressure liquid at the outlet.
This pressure energy is then converted into kinetic energy by using nozzle at the sprayer
end. The control valve/trigger is used to control the pressure of the liquid. Nozzle can
deliver a delicate mist, high volume spray, or long-range steam to meet any spraying
need.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
To retain the maximum efficiency of battery for its longer run a buzzer has been
integrated inside the circuit which provides alarming siren as beeps in continuous manner
in order to educate the user that the voltage in the battery is falling below its peak level as
formulated in the program and dumped in the microcontroller. At this stage the LCD
displays “NO POWER” indicating a visual representation of the cutoff voltage of the
battery. The pump supply also gets cut down and thus it does not functions. Once charged
again the battery is in the position of operating its determined function and thus the pump
can get enough supply for its operation as well.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 5
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS
5.1 THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
5.1.1 SELECTION OF SOLAR PANEL:-
The selection of solar panel is done by considering the weight criteria as well as its ability
to charge the battery. The current produced by the solar panel was calculated by knowing
the maximum power (P) of the solar panel and the voltage rating (V) of the battery.
Charging time (T) was computed by the ratio of battery rating (Ah) to the total current
produced by the solar panel.
CALCULATION:
MAX VOLTAGE IN SOLAR PANEL= 21.5V
CURRENT IN SOLAR PANEL= 0.56A
POWER GENERATED IN SOLAR PANEL= V*I = 21.5*0.56 = 12.04W
SOLAR I=P/V T=Ah/I WEIGHT

SL.NO PANEL (A) (h) (Kg)
RATINGS
(w)
1 6 6/12 = 0.5 9/0.5 =18 0.6
2 8 8/12 = 0.67 9/0.67=13.5 0.8
3 10 10/12 = 0.83 9/0.83= 10.8 1.2
4 12 12/12=1 9/1=9 1.35
5 15 15/12 = 1.25 9/1.25 = 7.2 1.5

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
6 20 20/12 = 1.67 9/1.67 = 5.3 2
7 30 30/12 = 2.5 9/2.5 = 3.6 3.6
8 40 40/12 = 3.33 9/3.33 = 2.7 5
Table.5.1.1: Tabulated results for selection of Solar Panel
5.1.2 CHARGIING TIME OF STORAGE BATTERY:-
Battery:
Battery 12V, 1.3Ah current
Battery Power = V*I = 12*1.3
= 15.6
Watt Time required charge the battery (T)
Charging time (T) was computed by taking the battery ratio rating in ampere hour (Ah) to
the total current consumed by the solar panel.
T= (battery rating in ampere hour)/(total current consumed by the solar cells)
T= 1.3/0.56 = 2.56 hours
The total charging time of the battery is calculated to be 2.56 hours, thus it gets
charges even when the spraying operation is undertaken
5.2 Practical Analysis
5.2.1 Discharge time of Storage Battery:-
Charging can be done using a solar panel. Battery can be charged continuously and can
discharge by itself, by connecting it to a solar panel on the sprayers. Without panel on the

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
sprayers, discharge can be done for a minimum period of 3 to 4 hours. By connecting a

solar panel to battery, discharge can be continued for further more hours.
Note: During Rainy Season charging can be done by electrical devices.
Average Solar Discharging time Testing hours

Radiation (W/m2) (In minutes)
500 65 09.00am-11.30am 03.30pm-
06.00pm
600 70 10.00am-12.00am 03.30pm-
05.30pm
700 85 11.00am-12.30pm
800 95 12.00am-01.30pm
900 110 01.30pm-03.00pm
950 130 02.00pm-03.30pm
Table.5.2.1: Tabulated results for discharge time of Storage battery
5.2.2 Discharge time of Fertilizer tank:-
The submersible pump immersed in the tank filled with chemical fertilizer bearing a code
of DC10-12v has the following specifications;
Operating voltage= 10 to 12V
Consumption= 0.4 to 1.5W
Dimension= 45*24*30(L*H*B) mm
Lifting height= 2 meter
Rate of flow= 80-120 Liters/ Hour
Thus the total flow of liquid (TLF) from the chemical tank can be calculated as;
TLF= (Average of the quantity of liquid getting discharged)/(60 minutes)
= (80+120)/(60) = 1.7 Liters/ minute

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Therefore the quantity of liquid which can be occupied in the tank can be formulated
using the above given formula to analyze the discharge time of the liquid in various
capacities of containers.
5.2.3 Operation cost effectiveness with existing model
The cost of the fuel increases day by day. It should be reduced by the modified model
which works on the principle of solar energy. The operating cost of power sprayer for one
hour operation is calculated and its value is evaluated and compared with the operating
cost of solar sprayer. Its seems that there is no need of operating cost but, the initial
investment towards the charging unit is a one time investment with a life period of three
years which is almost equal to the unit cost of the power sprayer with twist of petrol
engine.
ECONOMICIS OF ECONOMICS OF SOLAR AGRO

POWER SPRAYER SPRAYER
Unit cost of power sprayer Unit cost of power sprayer with engine 1,500
with engine Rs.5000 Cost of motor 400
Cost of battery 700
Solar panel 1,000
Switches and other service charges 300
Operating cost per hour Rs.70 Only one time investment no operating cost
to Rs.75
Effective maintenance should Maintenance free for solar panel
be adopted
Table.5.2.3: Tabulated results for Economics of solar agro sprayer

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 6
HYBRID MODELING
6.1 INTRODUCTION
A hybrid system is a dynamic system that exhibits both continuous and discrete dynamic
behavior – a system that can both flow (described by a differential equation)
and jump (described by a state machine or automaton). Often, the term "hybrid dynamical
system" is used, to distinguish over hybrid systems such as those that combine neural
nets and fuzzy logic, or electrical and mechanical drivelines. A hybrid system has the
benefit of encompassing a larger class of systems within its structure, allowing for more
flexibility in modeling dynamic phenomena.
In general, the state of a hybrid system is defined by the values of the continuous
variables and a discrete mode. The state changes either continuously, according to a flow
condition, or discretely according to a control graph. Continuous flow is permitted as long
as so-called invariants hold, while discrete transitions can occur as soon as given jump
conditions are satisfied. Discrete transitions may be associated with events.
In this project we use solar energy for charging the battery; the parameter which makes
the project hybrid is use of 230V AC supply along with solar energy. The hybrid model
uses AC supply when there is no presence of sun rays. This hybrid technology helps the
farmer to make use of this model during absence of sun. The batteries can also be charged
using the charging adapter point during the availability of power supply from the grid at
any time of day or night. Thus such a technology enables to provide instant solution
during absence of solar energy.
6.2 CHARGING ADAPTER
An AC adapter, AC/DC adapter, or AC/DC converter is a type of external power supply,

often enclosed in a case similar to an AC plug. Other common names include plug
pack, plug-in adapter, adapter block, domestic mains adapter, line power adapter, wall
wart, power brick, and power adapter. Adapters for battery-powered equipment may be
described as chargers or rechargers. AC adapters are used with electrical devices that

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
require power but do not contain internal components to derive the required voltage and
power from mains power. The internal circuitry of an external power supply is very
similar to the design that would be used for a built-in or internal supply.
Fig.6.2: Opened section of an AC-DC Charging adapter
External power supplies are used both with equipment with no other source of power and
with battery-powered equipment, where the supply, when plugged in, can sometimes
charge the battery in addition to powering the equipment.
Mode of operation
Most AC/DC adapters were linear power supplies, containing a transformer to convert
the mains electricity voltage to a lower voltage, a rectifier to convert it to pulsating DC,
and a filter to smooth the pulsating waveform to DC, with residual ripple variations small
enough to leave the powered device unaffected. Size and weight of the device was largely
determined by the transformer, which in turn was determined by the power output
and mains frequency. Ratings over a few watts made the devices too large and heavy to
be physically supported by a wall outlet. Mains voltage is rectified to a high direct voltage
driving a switching circuit, which contains a transformer operating at a high frequency
and outputs direct current at the desired voltage. The high-frequency ripple is more easily
filtered out than mains-frequency. The high frequency allows the transformer to be small,

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
which reduces its losses; and the switching regulator can be much more efficient than a
linear regulator. The result is a much more efficient, smaller, and lighter device. Safety is
ensured, as in the older linear circuit, because there is still a transformer which
electrically isolates the output from the mains.
A linear circuit must be designed for a specific, narrow range of input voltages (e.g., 220–
240 VAC) and must use a transformer appropriate for the frequency (usually 50 or
60 Hz), but a switched-mode supply can work efficiently over a very wide range of
voltages and frequencies; a single 100–240 VAC unit will handle almost any mains
supply in the world.
Advantages:
1. Safety – External power adapters can free product designers from worrying about
some safety issues. Much of this style of equipment uses only voltages low
enough not to be a safety hazard internally, although the power supply must out of
necessity use dangerous mains voltage. This is particularly relevant for equipment
with lightweight cases which may break and expose internal electrical parts.
2. Heat reduction – Heat reduces reliability and longevity of electronic components,
and can cause sensitive circuits to become inaccurate or malfunction. A separate
power supply removes a source of heat from the apparatus.
3. Electrical noise reduction – Because radiated electrical noise falls off with the
square of the distance, it is to the manufacturer's advantage to convert potentially
noisy AC line power or automotive power to "clean", filtered DC in an external
adapter, at a safe distance from noise-sensitive circuitry.
4. Weight and size reduction – Removing power components and the mains
connection plug from equipment powered by rechargeable batteries reduces the
weight and size which must be carried.
5. Ease of replacement – Power supplies are more prone to failure than other
circuitry due to their exposure to power spikes and their internal generation of
waste heat. External power supplies can be replaced quickly by a user without the
need to have the powered device repaired.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 7
FABRICATION AND HOUSING
7.1 Construction of Structural design
In this project an MS steel frame is constructed using lesser density of steel sheets bars
to keep the weight of the frame low. In this frame a retractable link is fixed to the top end
of which a solar photovoltaic panel is fixed that converts solar power into electricity. Two
section/compartment have been designed to keep the fertilizer tank and the electric
circuitry distinguished from each other. The top sections/compartment has been designed
to place the fertilizer tanks of various capacity. It is also provided with a top door for
refilling the fertilizer tank whenever it’s most required. The lower compartment has been
designed with appropriate spacing to accommodate all the components developed in the
design of the solar agro sprayer.
Now, both the compartment can be easily accessed with a door which is provided for the
enclosure. On this door the solar panel is fixed with movable/flexible hinges at angles of
15, 30, 45 degree. This is done to ensure the sun’s radiation incident on the solar panel at
different time of a day thus to obtain maximum exposure of rays on solar cells. This
electricity is then provided to a battery via charging circuit and is used for charging the
battery. Electric power from this battery is given to an electric motor via control switches,
by which entire device can be operated. Liquid insecticide is sprayed on the crops using
spray pipe which receives liquid from a tank with the help of a pump. Thus chemical
fertilizer in liquid form is sprayed where we wished.
The bag pack or generally spelled snack pack is attached with a bag strap usually made of
plastic fiber amalgam having a tensile strength of 150 kilogram and more which is usually
used as a harness body strap. It is now finally bolted with nuts and screws to the MS
structure to complete the model as a bag pack.
Technical structure description:
Width of structure= 6.5 inches
Length of structure= 15 inches
Height of structure= 17 inches

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
7.2 FABRICATION MATERIALS
7.2.1 MS STEEL SHEETS:
Fig.7.2.1: Mild steel sheets
Mild steel is one of many different grades of steel which are produced internationally. In
fact, there are more than 3500 grades of steel when you take into account all of the unique
physical, chemical and environmental properties. These different properties are brought
about by varying the different alloying elements mixed with iron in the production of
steel. Alloying elements even carbon act as hardening agents, preventing dislocations
from occurring inside the iron crystals which allow the lattice layers to slide past each
other. This is the reason why steel is harder than iron, and why mild steel which contains
a lower amount of carbon than other steels is a more ductile variety of the material.
Although all varieties of steel are harder and display higher strength than pure iron, the
structural strength of mild steel is not sufficient for it to be used in structural applications
or wherever high levels of stress will be placed on it.
This is due to the low carbon content which makes the steel more malleable Mild steel is
suitable for mechanical engineering and general purpose fabrication. Its strength makes it
a terrific choice of material for the construction of cages, frames, fencing and in other
applications where it will not be subjected to high stress.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
7.3 DIFFERENT MATERALS WHICH CAN BE USED FOR

FABRICATION WITH SPECIFICATIONS
Various material which can be used in replacement of mild steel fabrication for this
project are listed below
Materials/ Tensile Yield Elongation %

Metals Strength Strength % reduction
(lb/cm2) (lb/cm2) Area
Cast Iron 18-60 8-40 0 0
Structural steel 50-65 30-40 30-40 0
Steel, SAE, 70 40 26 70
Annealed
Steel SAE 4340 80 45 25 70
Stainless steel, 80-95 30-35 55-60 65-75

s-18
Steel casting, 60-125 30-90 14-33 65-120

Heat treatment
5-10 1-1.5 2.4-5.2 0

Acrylic board
Hylam board 12.5-13.5 17 20 0
Fiber 0.232-0.9238 N/A 1-2 10-20
Table.7.3: Tabulated results for different materials used for fabrication

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 8
ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS
8.1 Advantages
1. Less power consumption: -
2. Less operation cost:
3. Effective spraying.
4. No any type of pollution.
5. Less maintenance cost as compare to other.
6. Easy in operating.
7. Eco friendly.
8.2 Applications
1. Agriculture
2. Pest control
3. Water spraying
4. Small nurseries
5. Gardens
6. Spraying wet insecticides and fungicides
7. Vegetable garden, etc.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 9
FUTURE SCOPE
9.1 Sustainability and scope in future
The developed solar agro sprayer or the solar powered agricultural sprayer has helped the
farmers in healing the earth. Thus the main objective here is to find whether the newly
designed solar agro sprayer is sustainable in the existing stage of market or any further
measures has to be taken for its better scope in near future which would be advantageous
for it to develop a name for itself.
Once charged during the night it can be operated for nearly five hours:
One need not be a genius to develop any commonly used devices. Take the case of
the humble yet important knapsack manual sprayer (hung on the shoulders). Though
many models are available on the shelves, priced at different rates, most of them last for
only a few years. Regularly filling them with water, pesticides and fuel (in case of fuel
operated ones) makes it difficult to lift and hang them on the shoulder. After an hour of
spraying, the weight of the machine creates a backache and shoulder pain for farmers.
Big effort:
In the commonly available pump type sprayers, the user needs to exert a lot of effort
to push the lever up and down to create the pressure to spray. Sometimes when the
pressure becomes uneven, the nozzle gets blocked and the farmer has to spend time to
rectify it. Some alterations in the existing design has been made and fitted with a solar
panel and a battery unit to the existing knack pack. An electric motor usually a pump,
operated by a 12 volt 1.3 Amp rechargeable batteries two in number has been provided,
powers the sprayer which has a capacity of 10 liters. As this is a hybrid model consisting
of a charging adapter unit as well thus once charged during the night using a single phase
230V supply, it can be operated for nearly 4-5 hours continuously and there is no need for
petrol or any other fuel to operate the device.
While spraying in the field, battery can be further charged by switching on the solar
power system attached to sprayer.The solar panel is attached at the back end of the box
with adjustable hinges for better trapping of solar radiations at different times in a day.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Minimizes drudgery:
The sprayer not only minimizes the drudgery of the work but is also more effective
than the conventional ones. Since villages still get electricity for a short time, that too
during odd hours, this solar sprayer just might be the answer. The solar power system in
the sprayer can also facilitate lighting of wireless light traps' that control insect pests and
reduces the number of insecticide sprays by fifty per cent, cutting the cost of cultivation
for the farmer. This reduces pesticide residue in the products thereby improving the
quality of the products. The light traps can also control mosquitoes effectively. A woman
farmer who will buy this sprayer would feel It is easy for her to carry the load on my back
and spray easily on the crops.
Seems like a boon:
In a remote area like villages, rural places, backward towns and societies power
failures are common occurrence. This device seems to be a boon for the farmers which
buys it. That the idea of converting existing battery powered knapsack equipment into
solar powered one emerged because villages still did not have enough electricity to either
run the sprayers or to charge the batteries for any single spraying operation.
SCOPE IN FUTURE:
The solar agro sprayer is priced at Rs. 6500/-. Farmers can buy it and imply in their
day to day work as efforts has been made to bring down the weight to drastic extent thus
enabling them to carry it without much hazards to their health rather than those of the
conventional sprayers. The minimum maintenance structure in terms of finance also helps
in promoting this sprayer more in market. Thus with this exists the future scope of this
developed solar agro sprayer
With a bulk manufacture of solar agro sprayer the cost could be cut down even more and
can be made at more affordable price in the market which will distinguish this product
with the ones existing in completion and available in the market. Such a strategy is
implied to bloom in the market with this product having varieties of added features. Thus
there are high chances of sustainability of these kind of sprayer which is a solution to the
traditional work carried out in the agricultural sectors at different states today.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 10
RESULTS AND OUTCOME
10.1 The Result Obtained:
For any project carried out in designing a particular product the utmost important point
which matters at the highest priority are its result and the probable outcome obtained.
Therefore the results noticed after designing this proposed model of solar agro sprayer
from every sector of performance is been recorded for an exact overview of what the
performance characteristics of this product portrays.
RESULTS OBTAINED:
The proposed system was tested with AC charging as well as solar charging.
From the results it was found that the current and time required for charging the full
battery capacity of 12V, 1.3Ah by practically is 2.5~3 hours. The fully charged battery
can be used to spray 260 liters of fertilizer, which approximately spray 3-4 acres of land it
was also found that, if we charge the battery in a day using solar energy it can used to
spray 200 liters of fertilizer.
The initial cost of the proposed system is little more as compare to conventional sprayer
but the running cost of the system is very less. The developed system used for occupation
is agriculture.
Based on the experimentation, The 12V, 8Ah battery can be charged fully in 7 hours
during this time at 1.3A. Hence this module can be operated to spray continuously 7 to 8
hour which is not possible with electrical pesticide sprayer. The model cost will not
exceed Rs.8000. Hence the proposed model is cost effective and compatible with other
models available commercially. Thus the data tabulated is on the basis of solar charge
directly charging the battery during spraying.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
Time of the day Voltage generated in Discharge time Discharge

(in hours) solar panel of the fertilizer of
( in Volts) tank fertilizer
(in mins) tank
(in liters)
8:00am – 9:00am 15.2 2.67 5
9:00am – 10:00am 15.7 2.39 5
10:00am – 11:00am 16.4 2.10 5
11:00am – 12:00pm 17.8 1.98 5
1:00pm – 2:00pm 18.7 1.85 5
2:00pm – 3:00pm 19.9 1.80 5
3:00pm – 3:30pm 21.3 1.75 5
Table.10.1: Tabulated results for solar charge directly charging the battery during spraying

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
CHAPTER 11
CONCLUSION
11.1 Conclusion and Future work
As we know 70% of population of our country lives in village & their main occupation is
agriculture. The prominent aim of this project is to fulfill the tasks like hand spraying, IC
engine spraying, and leg pump spraying etc. using non conventional or renewable energy
sources. Thus solar operated spray pump will help the farmers of those remote areas of
country where fuel is not available easily. Thus saving revenue of government & also
most demanded fuel. This project will reduce the cost involved in the concern.
1. This Technology is most suitable for Energy Alternate Device for power sprayers.
2. The proposed sprayer gives the average values in all aspects like weight,
discharge, pressure and cost.
3. The proposed sprayer requires 4-5 hours for complete charging and fully charged
battery gives 4 hours of backup to the application.
4. It reduces the discomfort to the operator while spraying and it creates the
awareness about renewable energy to the farmers.
5. The proposed system has got very good aesthetic design and the operator feel easy
to operate this new sprayer because of it is light weight, easy to carry, portable
and environmental friendly.
6. The proposed sprayer is most suitable for small and medium scale farmers and
remote areas like field, forest where fuel is not available easily.
Project has been designed to perform the entire requirement task at the shortest time
available. The farming community is more dynamic and they can accept the proved
technology for implementation. Moreover the same technique and technology can also be
extended for all types of power sprayers

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT AND FUTURE WORK:
1. The weight of fabrication can be still reduced by incorporating fiber reinforced

plastic (FRP), acrylic sheet instead of mild steel.
2. The whole system can be made automated by making the solar panel self track-
able for solar radiation and programming the same using a microcontroller.
3. By incorporating the concentric collector instead of flat plate collector the

charging efficiency can be increased.
4. The sprayer can also be charged by AC as this is a hybrid model and quickly by
increasing the adapter capacity from 1ampere to ratings slightly higher to it.

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
11.2 COST ANALYSIS
The following table shows the cost analysis of the overall project
Sl. Description of the materials Quantity Amount

No
01. High Pressure Submersible Pump 01 150/-
02. Luminous battery 02 900/-
03. Solar Panel 01 1000/-
04. Water Container 02 50/-
05. Nozzle Jet Sprayer (with Trigger) 01 150/-
06. Hose Pipe 01 30/-
08. PIC Microcontroller based solar charge 01 1500/-

controller Kit
09. Fabricating material MS STEEL 01 2500/-
11. Bag Straps, Foam Cushion 01 each 150/-
12. Miscellaneous Expenses - 300/-
TOTAL COST 6730/-
Table11.2: Tabulated Final Estimation

SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER
REFERENCES:
[1]. Design Approach And experimental setup reference by “design and construction of
solar powered Agriculture Pesticide Sprayer”, IJIACE ISSN2347-8616 Volume 4, Issue 4
[2]. MD Atiar Ali, “Solar system calculation and design.” International Journal of Current
Engineering and Technology, Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
[3].R.Joshua, V.Vasua and P.Vincent, Solar Sprayer- an Agriculture Implement,

published in International Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 2(1): 16-19, 2010 ISSN
2079- 2107
[4].A. Miller, B. L. Steward, M. L. Westphalen DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC OPERATED WEEDICIDE SPRAYER
[5].Blackmore, S. (2007). A systems view of agricultural robotics. Precision Agriculture

conference, Wageningen Academic Publishers, the Netherlands.
[4]. A. Taiwo K. Oje, Development and testing of a swirl Chamber nozzle, Journal of
Agricultural Engineering And Technology (JAET), Volume 16 (N0. 1) June, 2008 A
reference paper on plant protection Equipment published at journal of Agricultures. A
reference paper on Spray Equipment and Calibration AE-73 (Revised)
[6]. A reference paper on Pump Types for Water Supply or Spraying by Larry E. Stewart
And Albert V. Krewatch. R.Joshua, V.Vasua and P.Vincent, Solar Sprayer- an
Agriculture Implement, published in International Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
2(1): 16-19, 2010 ISSN 2079- 2107.
[7]. D.Nuyttens, K. Baetens, M .De schampheleire, B.sonck, “Effects of nozzle type, size
and pressure on spray droplet characteristic.” Biosystem Engineering 97, 2007.
[8]. Pedro Teixeira Lacava, Demétrio BastosNetto, Amílcar Porto Pimenta, “Design
procedure and experimental evaluation of pressure-swirl atomizers”, 24th International
Congress of Aeronautical Science.
[10]. John W. Slocombe, “Agricultural spray nozzle: selection and sizing, extension
agricultural engineer”, Kansas State university

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SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER

1.1 NEED FOR A SPRAYER IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid. In agriculture, a sprayer is a piece of

1.2 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL SPRAYERS

1.2.1 Early Sprayers

1.2.2 Further Progression

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 1

sprayers were introduced. In 1944, dusting machines began to comprise attachments

1.3 INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURAL SPRAYERS

To reach the requirement of production Agriculture implement and machinery program of

1.4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPRAYES USED IN

Fig.1.4 (a): hand pump operated sprayer

ii) Manual pneumatic and

iii) Motorized pneumatic.

i) Hydraulic Knapsack Sprayers:

Fig.1.4 (a (i)): Hydraulic knapsack sprayer

Manually operated, tank capacity is 10 liters, mechanical or hydraulic agitation, worked

ii) Pneumatic or compressed system Knapsack:

Fig.1.4 (a (ii)): Manual Pneumatic sprayer

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 4

iii) Motorized Pneumatic sprayers:

Fig.1.4 (a (iii)): Motorized Pneumatic sprayer

B. Foot Sprayer / Pedal Pump Sprayers:

Fig.1.4(b): Foot sprayer

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 5

C. Traction Pneumatic Sprayer:

Fig.1.4(c): Traction Pneumatic sprayer

D. Tractor mounted sprayers:

Fig.1.4 (d): Tractor mounted sprayer

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 6

Fig.1.4 (e): Arial sprayer

1.5 SOLAR POWERED AGRICULTURAL SPRAYER

Agriculture, as a production-oriented area, requires energy as an important input to

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 7

Fig.1.5: general schematic solar powered agricultural sprayer

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 8

2.1 Agricultural Fertilizers and Pesticides Sprayers

2.2. Design and Development of Agriculture Sprayer Vehicle

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 9

2.3 DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE SPRAYER

R.Joshua, V.Vasua and P.Vincent, Solar Sprayer- an Agriculture Implement, published in

2.4. DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF SOLAR

A. Miller, B. L. Steward, M. L. Westphalen DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF

2.5. Multipurpose agricultural robot

Blackmore, S. (2007). A systems view of agricultural robotics. Precision Agriculture

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 11

COMPONENTS & DESIGN

3.1 SOLAR AGRO SPRAYER AND ITS COMPONENTS

3.1.1 Solar Panel Unit

3.1.2 Charge Controlling Unit

3.1.3 Storage Battery Unit

3.1.4 Rotating Motor Unit

3.1.5 Fertilizer Tank Unit

3.1.6 Spraying Unit

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 12

3.1.1 Solar Panel Unit:

Fig.3.1.1: solar panel

3.1.2 CHARGE CONTROLLING UNIT

Fig.3.1.2 (a): Programmable Interface Controller

Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, BTLIT Page 13

PIC16F873A/876A devices are available only in 28-pin packages, while

High-Performance RISC CPU: