solaR agRo sPRayeR

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. The annual maintenance charge
of the sprayer is expected to be around Rs. 500 with the initial investment of Rs. 7000 towards
the cost of the sprayer.
R. joshua, V. Vasu and P. VIncent

67

june 2013
Volume 6 Issue 5 & 6

RE tech

olar agro sprayer is not a new invention and this

technology finds suitable application in the farming
community of India.

FIg 1.: Power sprayer with its component

PoWeR sPRayeR and Its comPonent

The existing model of power sprayer available in the market

is shown in Figure 1 and 2. It is a two stroke petrol engine
with certain mechanical components and a fuel tank. The
discharging time or operating hour of the tank with a
capacity of 10 l is about 45 minutes. The operating cost
depends on the current rate of the fuel. To discharge a full
tank the fuel requirement is about 1.25 l of petrol and 20
ml of oil. The operating cost varies between Rs. 15 and 20
per tank. The annual maintenance charge of the sprayer is
expected to be around Rs. 500 with the initial investment
of Rs. 7000 towards the cost of the sprayer.

demeRIts and lImItatIons

FIg 2: mechanical components of two stroke petrol engine

The existing model has certain demerits and limitations.

The spark plug, carburettor and the air filter are the
components which need frequent checkup before and after
operation. To maintain the efficiency of the machine, care
must be taken.
Maintenance of air filter must be strictly observed.
Carburettor has been adjusted correctly for service and
maintenance of the carburettor should be adopted strictly
as per the instruction of the company.
The spark plug has to remain clean and always free from
oil and deposits.
Pipes and carburettor should always be kept clean.
To overcome the above demerits it is necessary to make
certain modifications in the existing model.

desIgn oF solaR agRo sPRayeR

The design of solar agro sprayer consist of

three main parts namely,
Solar panel unit
Storage battery unit and
Rotating motor.
In the solar agro sprayer the two
stroke petrol engine component of the
power sprayer has been replaced with a
combination of storage battery and rotating
motor. The action of the rotating motor
could be controlled by a switch attached
with it in the assembly. Solar panel
arrangement has been provided at the top
of the unit to charge the storage battery.
The units of solar panel, storage battery
and a rotating DC motor were mutually

68
june 2013
Volume 6 Issue 5 & 6

the PeRFoRmance
oF a solaR agRo
sPRayeR studIed
WIth dIFFeRent
Ranges oF solaR
RadIatIon shoWed
the maxImum
tIme RequIRed
to chaRge the
stoRage batteRy to
be only tWo houRs.

attached with one another. A solar panel

of size of 1m2 area with an output power
of 75 watt has been mounted on a circular
metal frame which is enclosed over the
cylindrical chemical tank of capacity of 10
l. The solar panel arrangement was made
at an angle of 45 to the vertical so that
it should not create any trouble to the
person who is loading the unit on his back.
Moreover it is able to receive maximum
solar radiations continuously from the sun
during the operation of the unit in the
field. The output of the panel is connected
in parallel with the 12 V storage battery to
store the electrical energy from the panel.
The 12 V battery is properly connected

Re tech uP date
FIg 3: charging unit

FIg 4: storage battery

FIg 5: Rotating motor

with a 12 V DC motor attachment on the frame. The

operation of the motor is controlled by a press type switch
attached on the assembly.

oPeRatIng PRIncIPle

In this device, the solar cells present on the panel are

used to convert the received solar radiation directly into
electrical energy by means of a PV principle. The electrical
table 1: observation on charging time
aVeRage solaR
RadIatIon W/m2

chaRgIng tIme In
mInutes

testIng houRs

500

130

600

110

700
800
900
950

95
85
70
65

09.00am-11.30am
03.30pm-06.00pm
10.00am-12.00am
03.30pm-05.30pm
11.00am-12.30pm
12.00am-01.30pm
01.30pm-03.00pm
02.00pm-03.30pm

unit cost of power sprayer

with engine Rs. 5,000

operating cost per hour:

Rs. 70 to Rs. 75
effective maintenance should
be adopted

economIcs oF solaR agRo sPRayeR

unit cost of power sprayer without engine
cost for motor
cost of battery
solar panel
switches & other service charges
only one time initial investment.
no operating cost
maintenance free for solar panel.

PeRFoRmance analysIs

To assess the performance of the solar agro sprayer the

following experimental observations were made and its
characteristics have been made.
The power conversion efficiency of the solar cell.
The charging time of the storage battery.
The discharge time of the storage battery.
The discharge capacity of the chemical tank.
The operational cost effectiveness with the existing model.

comPonents oF solaR agRo sPRayeR

The main components are the charging unit, storage

battery and the rotating motor of the solar agro sprayer is
as shown in figure 3, 4, and 5.

exPeRImental analysIs

table 2: cost benefit advantage of the solar agro sprayer.

economIcs oF PoWeR
sPRayeR

energy received from the solar cell is stored in a storage

battery unit for application. This stored electrical energy
can be converted in to mechanical energy by rotating the
motor. For this mechanical operation there is no need of
conventional fuel like petrol and oil.

1,500
400
700
1,000
300
4,000
(approx)

The discharging time depends on the intensity of solar

radiation. The performance of the solar agro sprayer were
studied with different ranges of solar radiation and were
reported in the Table 1. The maximum time requirement
to charge the storage battery was found to be two hours
and the minimum time requirement is one hour. b
The authors are Lecturer Physics, Mohamed Sathak Polytechnic College,
Kilakarai; Reader, School of Physics, Madurai Kamarajar University,
Madurai; Former Director and Head, Department of Rural Development
and Science, Arulanandar College, Karumathoor, respectively.
Email- cp_mspc@yahoo.com

69

june 2013
Volume 6 Issue 5 & 6