MAI Develops Russia's First Domestic Spray Nozzle for Agricultural Drones
The new component is designed to replace imported alternatives.
Engineers at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) have developed Russia's first domestically produced centrifugal spray nozzle for agricultural drones. The device is used to apply fertilizers and pesticides to crops and is intended to replace imported nozzles currently installed on unmanned aerial systems.
The design is built around a brushless electric motor manufactured in Russia. It is paired with a controller that receives commands from the agricultural drone, which is also developed domestically. The nozzle's housing components are manufactured at MAI. The system operates automatically according to a pre-programmed flight mission.
"The textured surface of the rotating disc breaks the liquid stream into numerous small portions, which are flung from the disc's outer edge and break up into droplets. By adjusting the rotational speed and liquid feed parameters, we can control droplet size over a range of 50 to 500 micrometers and also regulate the width of the spray pattern," said Anton Lyapin, one of the developers and Project Manager at MAI's Aeromobility Directorate.
