An Automatic Method Based on Image Processing for Measurements of Drop Size Distribution from Agricultural Sprinklers

Abstract

The drop size distribution of sprinkler spray is of practical importance for two reasons. The first one is because the small droplets are subject to wind drift, distorting the application pattern. Second, large droplets possess greater kinetic energy which is transferred to the soil surface causing particle dislodgment and pudding that may result in surface crusting and runoff. We present in this paper a technique based on image processing for measure drop size distribution from agricultural sprinklers in automatic mode. This technique has the advantage of being a direct measurement method that allows to know the characteristics of agricultural sprinklers, which allows to study the effects of pressure and nozzle size on the distributions. The method was obtained using properties of the Fourier for correlation analysis in frequency domain. Results allow both farmers to change on existing irrigation systems to cope with field problems caused by low intake rates and runoff and development work to improve the uniformity of distribution of sprays from agricultural sprinklers.